The Washington herald., 1911-09-17

TestS upon a nrmer basis. He admits
to falling on of a third in his collec-
tions this year, however. and says that
to get dollar requires so per cent harder
work than in any year for the last ten
at least.
Interests affected by this stringency are
far greater than most people imagine.
The exact amount or American benevo-
lence cannot be stated. Twenty years
ago certain newspapers began to foot
up, at the end of each year. the-totaI
, amount Of gifts reported in the public
prints for education, for hospitals, and
for Christian missions. Their figures
then reached $4,000, 900 to $6O,OOO,OOO. Now
in some years they total up to $I75 900. .OOO
Yet only very small part of the money
gifts ar-reported in the newspapers.
| Gifts to foreign missions by Americans
total Sll, 100000, and to home missions S4O.-
! 100000 a year. The Young Mems Christian
Associations and allied work. that having
| the Christian motive behind it, amount
to another $4000O.OOO a year, Some put
the amount as high as $50, 100000. There
is no reliable data Besides all these are
the millions annually needed to maintain
existing charities. part coming from pri-
Yate gifts, part by grants from public
funds.
Vast sums are secured each year
through mail appeals. Givers are split
ting up their contributions and multiply
ing the number of recipients far faster
than the amount Most benevoIences are
fpding the average gifts received by them
to be much smaller than formerly, so
that TO get $4,000 they must see and
influence many more persons Many of
these streams of benevolence are quite
outside of the reported incomes of re-
ligious societies. One New York bepevo-
lent expert, in looking over his books and
his letters. said a day or two ago:
The year 1911 is the hardest one. from
a benevolent point of view, that l have
known in fifteen years at least. I secure
small gifts only, but I know the same
condition obtains in the large gift field.
Those who confine themselves to large
givers tell me so. The cause? l give
ii up. The Panama Exposition is affect
ing general gifts on the Coast, and there
Is some Justice in the plea of poor crops
in the Middle West, but IN the East, from
whence comes the bulk of benevolence,
there is no reason that l can see. 1 only
know that 1 cannot secure gifts as in
former years and l know that everybody
else in my line is having the same eX-
perience. We have the same need. We
appeal to the same givers. We are work
ing far harder. We get less money. We
do not allow ourselves to think of new
projects. We see no Improvement ahead.
PrejudIcIng the Panama Exposition
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian. and
Episcopal ministers of the Pacific Coast,
and especially Of California, are calling
upon political leaders and State and city
officials. to arise and put down what is
charged to be wholesale graft in busi-
ness affairs and open vice in municipal
affair." Failing to do this, ministers de-
clare the Panama Exposition project will
meet with cold reception by CONNER
cial bodies. and will prove a failure. In
their setting forth OF conditions. minis
ters are indorsed by foremost Iaymen of
the Coast. Indeed. the latter go further
in their charges Of immortality in many
forms, and openly say they will work TO
make conditions known unless pledges of
a cleanup are forthcoming.
1t is charged that the exposition will
drop to the level of a moving picture
show. The exposition is planned to Cele-
brate the opening of the Panama Canal,
and its date is 1915. In a statement re-
Gently received by ministers in many
Eastern cities appears the following:
The industries of San Francisco are
Frustrated, trade is timid. business hesi-
tates. and every form of graft. vulgarity,
crime. social evil, gambling. and infamy
are working together to continue present
conditions"
At its meeting last June. the Northern
Baptist convention put into effect the
work of a committee that had studied
the matter for three years or more. and
created Ministers Benefit Fund Society.
This society has held two meetings. and
at the last one it elected as general sec
retary Rev. E. T TomlinsOn, of Eliza
beth, and resolved to enter upon a short
-. 10. -kr,Il II, IL
on Christmas Day next, and gather in,
as 1t hopes. $2jOOOO as a beginning of
this fund. OF it. $4,000 has already been
pledged. The budget expenses of the
campaign have been provided for. and
individual work at raising the money,
not appeals in Baptist churches, will be
the plan.
Eventually il is expected to increase
the fund to S1.OOO.OOO. Already there exist
among Baptists North, in some State con-
ventions. ministers benefit funds, notably
in Connecticut. Massachusetts. New York. !
and Michigan, but in most of the cOnven-
tions little has yet been done in provision
for relief. The first care of the fund
will be for disabled ministers and mis-
above certain ages. A good |
deal of interest Is aroused in the project |
Colleges with Travelling Faculties.
A plan that is wholly new in religious |
either in this country or abroad !
will be entered upon within the next !
ten days. In connection with the ''men !
and religion campaign. there start out |
the first two teams OF instructors in |
personal work. These teams are, in ef- |
feet college faculties. They reverse the |
old order of scholars going to them. They |
go to the scholars. A travelling college |
is, therefore, the new thing in religious |
work.
These faculties, holding Institutes eight |
days, will teach the English Bible, Chris |
tian missions. social service work for |
and by boys, and evangelism, and the |
men occupying the chairs are among the |
leaders in these lines. They are assured |
Of support before they embark, so there |
will be no appeals for money and no |
failure Of pupils. Furthermore, even |
these experts are furnished with common |
lectures, so that instruction will be uni |
form. Two teachers in social service for |
speaking in different cities at |
the same time, will give precisely the |
same lecture. And so with the other lines |
Of study.
This new Christian college will hold in
;titutes in Middle West cities and on the !
Pacific Coast from October to May. After
New Years. a third faculty will go out,
holding Institutes in Eastern cities. The |
aims are those of the men and religion /
which are to increase in forma-
lion on the part of men and boys in the |
churches concerning Christian conditions |
and needs. and, so FAR as possible, to |
set them upon active volunteer work for