El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-22
vT AsHINGToN. D. C.. July a.


feller foundation it will represent the
greatest single endowment in the his
tory of the world. That it will be in
corpOrSted seems probable. since prac-
tically every objection that was urged
against the original bill has been met
in the new one, and it now stands on
one of the house calendars with a fav-
Orable report behind il, and awaiting
only the time when the house can get
around to it.
It is proposed by Mr.. Rockefeller
that the funds of the foundation shall
not exceed 800, 100000 at any one
time. OF course the total funds which
he may give may even exceed that,
since the charter provision is that il
shall not hold more than that amount
at any one time. The foundation may
find places to use the principal in
allow this to be made up again. The
500, 100000 limit was set because some
members of congress thought it would
be dangerous not to do So
It's Objects Are Broad.
The objects of the proposed foun-
dation are broad and calculated to
race. The objects of the Smithsonian
institution were stated broadly to be
for the increase and diffusion of
knowledge among men, those of the
Rockefeller foundation are for the &C
QUESTION and dissemination of knowl-
edge; the prevention and relief of suf-
fering; the promotion by eleemOsynary
and philanthrOpic means Of any and all
the elements of human progress"
No charter ever drawn up has been
more careful to safeguard the rights
OF the government than that of the
proposed foundation. The methods BY
to be done are limited to eleemosyn
and philanthropic means, and congress
is to retain the right at any time to
place whatever limitations il may see
fit upon the foundation Furthermore,
the charter is subject TO alteration,
amendment, or repeal a the pleasure,
of congress.
The powers Of the trustees of the
foundation. subject to the wishes Of
congress, are very broad The corpo-
ration may establish, maintain and
for carrying out the objects of the
foundation, or aid others TO do so,
whether individuals. associations or
corporations There are the usual
provisions as to the holding real estate
and the erection of buildings. The
corporation may collect statistics and
information, publish and distribute
The Membership.
The membership of the corporation
is to consist of not less than nine nor
more than % members. with a three
year term of service. a third Of the
members being elected each year. The
members in the future are to be elect
ed by those in office, subject to the
veto power OF an electoral BOARD maze
up of the president of the United
States, the chief justice of the su-
preme court Of the United States. the
president of the senate, the speaker
of the house, and the presidents OF
Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Chicago
universities, a majority vote prevent
ing any person from exercising the
prerogatives Of a member OF the cor
pcration. The principal offices Of the
foundation, like those of the Carnegie
institution, the Smithsonian institution
and the Carnegie foundation, are to be
located in Washington.
Mr.. Rockefeller recognizes the ques-
ton of how the foundation is to spend
its money as legitimate one. espe-
cially in the light of forebodings in
some quarters lest it might be seek
ing the protection of a federal charter
for private rather than for public ends.
The question is answered by pointing
to the unequivOcal language of the
charter, which effectualIy dedicates
il to charitable and humanitarian OBJ
jects. and also to the concrete in
stances Of the Rockefeller Sanitary
commission, the Institute Of Medical
Research. and the General Education
board It is stated that one Of the
first things that will have the atten-
ton of the foundation, once its char
ter is granted. IS the encOurag cement
OF far-reach1ng measures for the pro-
motion of the public health both along
educational and medical lines.
To some il seems that the education
of the public al large on the possibih-
ties Of preventive medicine represents
the most important work that can be
done BY philanthropy today. The late
DR.. Walter Wyman. surgeon general of
the public health and marine hospital
service, once remarked that if the peo-
pie or the United states could be in
duced to put into practice the lessons
of preventive medicine which already
had been learned, the death rate of the
country might be cut in half When
we contemplate what many progress
Sive cities have done in this direction,
DIR. Wyman's estimate seems cOnserYa-
tive Yet there are millions of peO-
demonstrated fact that germs cause
diseases. If the Rockefeller founda-
ton should direct its efforts toward
showing the masses the existence of
typhoid and tuberculosis germs as the
Rockefeller Sanitary commission has
shown the people Of the south the ex-
istence Of the hoOkworm. the good that
could be accomplished would be beyond
estimate.
When the first bill for the incorpora-
ton of the Rockefeller foundation was
of 1910, there was considerable Oppo-
sition to it. It provided that the
members of the corporation could
elect their own successors without
limit or restriction, and those who op-
posed the measure found this a strong
ground for criticism Again, it put
no limit upon the fund that could be
piled UP under the broad provisions Of
the bill Likewise, there was no pro-
vision that the foundation should be
subject to termination and its funds
distributed at some future time.
Rockefeller Meets Criticisms.
Mr.. Rockefeller took these criticisms
in a friendly spirit, and with his ad-
visers sought to overcome them. They
therefore amended the proposed char
ter with a view to meeting all of these
objections. They inserted a clause
which provides that the foundation
can do its work only by eleemosynary
and philanthrOpic means: they limited
the amount of property to be held at
any given time to 500. 600. 900: and pro-
vided that the income should be spent
and not accumulated; they provided
that after so years. on the vote of two
thirds of the members, the foundation
should cease to exist and all Of it's
funds be distributed and that this
shall be done after 100 years if con-
gress so orders. The objection to a
self perpetuating board was removed
by giving the power of veto on all Sc
lcctiOns to four high government Of
fcials and four great university presi-
dents. In order to overcome any doubts
as to the right of taxation an amend
ment was inserted limiting exception
to federal territory and the general
government itself.
The controlling motives announced
by Mr.. Rockefeller in the establish
ment of this foundation were: To Sc
cure during the visible future the same
careful nhilantlrODiC Investment of his