Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-29

CONDITIONS in New
- York City are so conn
pick in the domain of charity that there formal fed
Grafton of effort Cooperation does exist considerable
degree, although most of it is along religious racial
lines Thus one denomination claims total of seventy
two charities hospitals kndergartens, day nurseries, and
other associations each of which collects five thousand
dollars year more. The cost OF raising the three
million six hundred thousand dollars constituting this
total is four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 1t
will be no breach of confidence to here that steps
under way looking to federation of this particular
group of phlanthropic institutions Nor would it be
surprising to hear of the formal of gift
of million dollars by leading citizen for the purpose
In other respects there unparalleled state of con-
fusion and lack of coordination in the metropolitan field
of philanthropy. Shortly after the disaster to the Ii
tanc, no less than three committees into being for
the purpose of collecting funds aid of the survivors
and their relatives. This condition of affairs is not al
together novel, and finds that there limit
apparently to the number of associations that can be
and engaged doing practically identical forms OF
good work book of eight hundred and fifty pages is
big enough to describe except the brefeSt fashion
the thousands of local and county charities and agencies
for social bettcrment. For fresh air, district nursing,
and relief alone there hundred and eghtytwo
societies in New York, each of which bombards the
public with appeals for money. Is it any wonder that
amount of charitable machinery has been created which
as confusing to the public as 1t demoaizng to the
needyo
The serious consideration is that all of these societies
not only attempt deal with problems essentially pub
lie in their nature, and therefore of real the
State but that they tend more and to absorb an
citizenship. There is efficient check them, the
Court of Appeals in 1900 handed down decision in the
Gerry destroying the system heretofore prevailing
of State inspection of all private charitable institutions
AS result someone organizes private society for the
declared purpose of suppressng charitable lposture,
whether practised by other societies or by individuals
Previously this work had been attempted by of the
bureaus of the Charity Organization Society, another
private association.
1t is related of this society that representative
sent to report the Blind Babies Home and that he
unable to understand the way the books kept.
Yet the president of the home said that the Charity
Organization Society advised its members, among them
large number of wealthy phllnthrop1StS, to withhold
donations because the home not business
principles Later the representative of the Charity
Organization Society put in charge OF the work OF
the Parks and Fairgrounds Association, and it is said
that after he had contracted about two thousand dollars
worth of debts in its name for which there
of payment, he signed.
No doubt situations like these responsible for the
opinions, privately expressed, of men like William
Rhneander Stewart president of the New York State
Board of Charities, that the time has for IAN
ploson in the charitable field The fact that another
bureau of the Charity Organization Society is devoted
the giving of material relief, practically duplicating
the work of its neighbour the New York Association for
threatened legislative investigation of the way the
cety carrying out its charter requirements of organ
zng all other charities into economical and efficient
machine. President Stewart we'll may ask the question
whether the other organization shall not be abo
sled both consolidated into single instrument for
making effective the philanthropic work of the
community.
w reorganizations in New York there is everything
to be said for the efficient way which money raised
by the Association for Improving the Condition of the
Poor. By of paid advertisements in the principal
daies, much eleven thousand dollars has been
listed in prosperous years. There twelve hun
dred and fifty donors this particular instance and