The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-06-03
.IRF PI0OS GRAFT SCANDAL
,ooD PEOPLE PREYED UPON IN
xA,E OF RELIGION.
80 association Uncovers System
Which Alleged Charitable
definitions Defraud Public.

~ Which Alleged Charitable
,nstitutions Defraud Public.
chicago Ia the first city to put into
ton a courageous and system
alan for eliminating the pious
'"Y .,ar from the community-the
man or woman who maintains an al
4 s.aad mission or home or other char
l'e' mich whether intentionally or
W. ", arists chiefly for the support of
mo persons behind 1t.
rbis sort of graft is a crying scan
81 n every large city. 1t is known
u'' ~ cburcch and charitable work
w M, all of these money-raising or
.o+;ons are sheer and Intentional
s.onds although some are. A GER
ain proportion are merely unit.
.T , are the well meant efforts of in
.omnetent and unframed persons to
3 :. good They are commendable on
u for their impulse. They have no
n .ystem and there is no attempt to
.soon the carrying charges in anything
rka a proportionate ratio to the out
put
m prey upon good people in the
.,me NJ religion is probably the cas-
i..t and most widely worked graft in
tbo world. A notable example is
THAT !; called the Christmas dinner
craft with public appeals for money
N the street corners. There could
n tho nature of the case be no aud
,Hng of accounts, although criminal
t,,as have developed that at least
IN ,re of these organizations 80 per
.or. of the days collec.iol was raid
n tbe collectors and out Of the re-
msinder the administrative expenses
had to come. Naturally only a few
oennies out of every dollar given got
beneath the belts of the poor in the
form Of food.
Another similar fraud is the maiu-
toDance of rescue missions" and
homes. II is easy to get few we'll
meaning clergymen to lend their
names. without the slightest inVesti-
cation to a project that processes to
10 picus. Thus authenticated the
rypagers are free 10 sail all seas m
s.ueh q funds. No hooks are kept
and no financial reports are made.
National Schemes, Too.
These petty schemes are not all OF
the "pious graft" that exists in the
land. There are certain national So
cieties. whom it would be impious to
call by the Grass name of graft
ers, who have an expense budget out
Of all proportion to the work done.
Many of these have outlived their
usefulness and are simply subsisting
on the income from fat endowments.
Under the direction of the Chicago
Association of Commerce a commit
tee Of experts, which had the assist
ance of an advisory council Of So spe~
cialists in social and religious work,
has been making a fearless investi-
CATION of nearly 800 philanthropic
agencies which solicit public support.
The result of the investigation is
"Chicagos first handbook for the
guidance of citizens desiring stand
ardization in the business manage
ment of privately supported chart
ties" Two hundred and ninety-one
plantations sought the approval OF
fae committee. OF this number only
4 l55 were able to pass muster and of
tAiS latter number 81 had their ac-
counts audited by certified account
ant for the first time
Since the issuance of this list and
Inc dissemination of the fact of its
existence it has become essential for
any society or institution that hopes
IL live by public support to obtain
MS recognition. In some cases the
committee intimates that it means to
suppress certain organizations by le-
gal means