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

lection COSTS to he
swell the tremendous ag-
gregatons of diTerted
charityo 1t is well known
that almost every worthy private and pubic need Is soon
satisfied result of the prompt responses OF the
wealthy generously minded; indeed, there IS often
balance in the treasury.
This was the case the committee in charge OF the
funds contributed to relieve the distress OF the families
of the shrtwast workers who lost their lives in factory
fire in New York City All the money handled had been
raised without penny OF cost as result OF tree news
paper appeals The needs of the benefciaes had been
satisfied and there surplus 1t was then seriously
proposed to waste twenty-five hundred dollars IN a
monument to the unidentified dead. The balance, If
any could go to the Red Cross Society for its emergency
relief fund.
As Indicative of the most serious fault with American
philanthropy today, this example IS useful There IS
entirely too much emphasis placed on the mere per-
petuation of the benevolence of the contributors "a
self aduaton,' has we'll been pointed out, (which is
in contravention of proprety and directly violates the
teachings of the great Master and Preacher of love for
humanity Moreover, there is danger of fostering
algn class bitterness by purposeless Interpretations
of money contributed for phianthropic object
THE business of raising money has been systematzed
to an extent that undreamed of few years ago.
In certain cities sections of the population have
been organized along religious lines into fcderatons the
latter including all the hospitals bureaus OF charity day
nurseries, kndergartens and other social agencies he
advantages of federation of phlanthropc effort are
obvious in connection with the collecting of money for
expenses and the cutting down of the cost OF the work
Five years ago total of twentyour thousand dol
CARNATIONS of one large religious denomination APP
proximaely fifteen thousand people contributed to this
fund.- each average giving to i've separate So
ceties The latter forced to pay about twelve and
eight tenhs per cent. of their proportion of the
twenty-four thousand dollars for collection charges.
All the societies but in debt and something had
to be done
The upshot was the federation of every hospital and
charity in the city and the appointment of an executive
committee made up of representative from each asso-
citation None of the latter to solicit dollar, nor
hold any fairs benefits at which tickets should be sold
One general appeal for money to be sent out by the
executive committee of the federation, and the returns
were be divided pro rata unless otherwise specified
The result eliminate all the appeals for aid that
hitherto had been sent out by individual societies.
This saved considerable outlay for clerical help print
ing stationery and postage and did with dupCa
tons. Best of all, the army of fifteen thousand phi
1anhropistS for the first time spared the useless
bombarment of endless series of begging letters
from separate. societies.
The plan worked well that forty thousand dollars
was collected the first year after federation increase
over the former total of only thirds of this For
each of the five years following there increase
of ten thousand dollars, until now nearly elghty-ve
thousand dollars raised The cost amounts to only
nine per cent figure probably representing the mini
mum for this work
nNE of the direct advantages of federation is that it
~ eliminates the intense competition among separate
institutions degree of healthy rivalry is inevitable
beneficial but unwise policy that requires
meetings of directors of hospitals and charities to be
devoted almost exclusively to considering plans for
raising money. Public institutions under such con-
ditions exc out of Darwinian existence and the
Survivals those which are "tteS in finance When
competition replaced by cooperation the entire
of the boards of managers of various societies
be devoted to plans for improving the standards of
work. This makes for higher efficiency and success.
1t is encouraging sign that less than twenty
nine cities in the United States have federated their
charitable agencies. In the East some Roadway has
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