Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-07-19


the management Of the great
#S7l estate thousands appealed 10
her for aid. feeling that
- 49, wonnans sympathies would re-
spond their pitiful petitions
94fsE4sSs But Mrs Sage wanted hers 20
be broader gift; she thought
it impossible to reach but
comparatively few by direct charity while might
millions born and millions unborn II sne urs
her attention to causes rather than permitting hel
millions be to afford only temporary reieI.
In a letter written by Mrs Sage shorty~after the
charter of the foundation granted she stated tn'
its scope was not only national but nroao t 1s
nounced that it should not undertake to DO what low
was being done or likely to be done efrecuvey pS
take up the larger and more difficult problems.
and TO take them up IN suon way bs 70 solution
When the foundation laid out its program it de-
cided first to make careful panstaking, scientific
that problem be solved only when the exact
conditions understood. and that no one yet had
adequately studied the poverty question With this
end competent investigators were secured who
since have been making minute studies Of such in
The investigator may take Of the poor
infinitely into all the Of the life history OF
individual and finally summing up the whole
or he may study housing conditions in big city for
PURPOSE of ascertaning exactly what those con-
housing problem; he may in cooperation with
of associates, undertake big social and IN
ing out iust where the evils are what they may be-
and how they be remedied. as has been done in
Pfttsburg.
The results of all these Investigations which are
still being carried forward have served to give to
the world its most definite and accurate kno"leose
poverty and its exact causes The world IN gen
eral has a smattering knowledge of mosquitoes, at
it not until the scientist laid down the minute
distinctions between the yellow fever mosquito anu
his cousins that the prevention Of the scouFse
of the tropics made possible The world at arse
a rather close and unpleasant knowledge about
fleas, it not until the microscope and the
exact descriptive powers of the entomologist oivo-u
them into their respective species that the bacterol
plague And it is hoped that it will be with
poverty; knowledge Of the different varie
ties of poverty the methods Of their causaton,
eventually in finding least partial cure
The school children the country early enlisted
the active interest of the Sage foundation 1t set
investigators to work % find just what the
schools country doing for the health OF
the children. and once this information was gathered
it was published and available students
where For instance it found that in 1911 there
IOSs cities reporting to the department OF child
hygiene and that in only AS of them is medical in
spectOn to be found Yet even this showing is
gratifying when 1t is stated that less than ten
years there were only % cities having such in
specton
The fight against tuberculosis has aided with
funds from the Sage foundation When the Worlds
tuberculosis congress was held in Washington the
foundation helped to it, bore expense
of moving the remarkable exhibition that accompa-
MED it to New YORK. where the people were given an
reation also has received smuch support from the
of children in institutions has problem that
has commanded its study and support
One of the lessons learned from investigations
by the foundation into poverty and Ignorance is that
there is a serious need Of charity organizations in
great many communities and it is now seeking to
supply this need by encouraging the organization Of
associations to look after the poor in cities
resulted devoung their efforts
much the abolition of the causes of poverty
relief OF specific of distress thus
ing out the purposes Mrs Sage had in mind in ere
ating the foundation.
There are many. inquiry be
made that legislative bodies may have in
formation to guide them in enacting legislation for
the safeguarding Of the interests OF the poor For
instance it is generally known fact that the people
who pay the highest rates for life and health
insurance are the ones who can least afford to do SO
the ones who can get it only on the instanment
plan OF SO much per week; YET mere was no oen-
mite, scientifically gathered data which would war
legislative action correct abuses anywhere
be had. The foundation financed such inquiry,
and it has revealed in a startling way the burdens
the have to bear for the small protection their
insurance affords. Likewise. the whole world has
had general knowledge of the terrific exactions Of
loan sharks who lend money salaries and per-
for the legislator would remedy evils the
business wanting until the Russell Sage foun1a-
ton supported investigation which has shown
the percenter" in his true character.
The problem of bringing together the man VINO
wants reliable help the person is -dependa-
but of a job is upon whose solution
little poverty disappear the country. The
Sage foundation attacked the proposition and
probable result will be chain of free employment
agencies across the country which will investigate
the records of seeking work and give dependable
information o employers in need of help serving
sort of clearing house for those who have work 10
be and those who want to do
efforts to lay the foundations for scientific
aid times of a great calamity like San Fran
earthquake, the foundation has supported
Investigators whose duty it has been to study and
analyze the work that done there, with view
extracting every possible lesson from the relief
making it available future catastrophes
In this way it hopes to every dollar, count in
those times when dollars needed and to
the relief work started the moment there is need
for it
One Of the most interesting Of all the activities
the foundation has do with the education
tffic Investigators in schools of philanthropy
schools maintained in York, Boston.
Chicago and ST., Louis. the foundation aided
in the establishment of departments for training