New-York tribune., 1912-12-29

l.,
answer TO another advertisement the association -
ceved check for five thousand dollars The sender u,
a hard-hcaded business man. stranger 20 the worl 90
he did not live in the East but he wrote that he beloJ
an organization taking advantage Of this practical wav
Of presenting its work could be trusted to the ony
wisely
over a hundred and forty thousand letters Of anna.
have been mailed in years when extraordinary denanJ
confronted the association. Although printed in in,
tatiOn Of tYpcWring the addresses name IS filled =, 81
letter by the typewriter giving it the appearance Of
personal communication. Illustrated circulars arc :;
closed, with remittance blanks and unstamDcd ro,,n
envelops. Ten different kinds of letters have been MI
in a single moncy-raising campaign. The cost Of go,
ting out the hundred and forty thousand is five hos9,d
dollars.
An analysis Of the returns indicates that fifteen tbo
sand dollars has come from fifteen hundred new CON
trbutorS. Old subscribers to the number Of ncarI,
twenty thousand send approximately hundred ana
seventythrce thousand dollars Some Of the latter in
their gifts and Others regret their inability n ada
to their customary donation Less than dozen ~
spond in such way as to signify annoyance Witbon,
large measure of good will 1t would be impossible for
the association to raise in this nearly two bun
dred thousand dollars unless it employed solicitors:
practice not INDUCED in, by the way.
The money will not come in, however unless great
pains taken with the letters Of appeal sent out Not
long ago the BROOKLYN Bureau of Charitic, mailed ,
eight hundred printed letters the postage alone costing
a hundred and thrty-siX dollars. Only hundred anG
thirteen responses received with q total of five
hundred and four dollars Something is wrong with an
organization its methods when there are such result,
rs this
On one occasion the writer sent out fifteen hundred
imitation typewriter letters, appealing for funds for
worthy philanthropy and received exactly niuctv-cigb,
replies with five hundred and dollars in check, and
currency. Except for fresh air work. almost an pb.
anthropc appeals are sent in the autumn and winter
A VERY successful example Of federated charitable ef
fort IS the Hospital Saturday and Sunday Associa.
ton which began several years ago try and interest
the ChurChgOng public 70 Join in making donation in the
various churches and Synagogues the last SATURDAY
and Sunday OF the calendar year. fund for the forty
five metropolitan hospitals The direct result was 10
add large number Of the roll Of gvcrs to
hospitals. The public realized that by giving in this
way almost ninetynlne cents OF each dollar subscribed
went directly into the work. Encouraged by the sue.
ceSsfu reception Of its plans, the association which
by the way, is nothing more than committee made up
Of representative from each institutOnslt out to in
tercst various lines Of business and professional men in
helping to raise funds among their fellows t has come
about that there a subcommittee Of bankers another
OF commission merchants, third Of lawyer and 50 on
each Of which undertakes to collect money from men
and firms engaged in identical forms Of business and
turns the total over to the association ! ic from
paid secretary and clerk, there is absolutely no ex.
pcnsc attached TO the raising OF annual fund II nearly
two hundred thousand dollars, and this Is yiicd pro
according to the number Of free patients cared for
in each OF the foryve public hospitals he money is
used to provide free treatment TO nearly .gyc thou.
sand men, women, and children, seriously j. injured
during the year and without means 20 pay.
II this connection it is interesting 70 recall that some
OF the richest in America make their only general
hospital donations in this way, excepting . Perpont
Morgan who not only gives ten thousand dollars year
to the Hospital Saturday and Sunday Association but
the prnccly OF a hundred thousand dollars to the
Lyng-in Hospital.
\ sharp contrast is had in the example # John D.
Rockefeller, who gives twenty-five hundred dollars
year to the Saturday and Sunday Association; but
makes no further donations 10 individual hospitals is
no public announcement has ever been made Of his
position in this matter the following authorized state
ncnt of it by his representative is striking:
Mr. Rockefeller feels that the best way for him to
aid in the relief OF that suffering which is due disease
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