Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-19
SUNSHINE SOCIETY
INQUIRY ORDERED
AT OWN REQUEST
Attack on Summit Institution
Laid to Disagreement With
New Jersey Commission.
NO IRREGULARITIES IN
ACCOUNTS, SAYS AUDITOR
Declares Organizations Affairs
Have Been Carried on in
Straightforward Manner.
LFrom q STAR Correspondent.I


NEW YORK, Nov. 19.-The New
York State Board of Charities has or
dered a thorough Investigation of the
International Sunshine Society in an
swer to an appeal from Martin w.
Littleton, its counsel This action fol-
lows an attack on the society by a
local newspaper, based on the report
of expert accountants employed by w.
Fellowes Morgan, of the New Jersey
Commission for the Blind.
81 was amazed beyond expression
that such a society, managed by such
self-denying and patriotic woman
as Mrs. Alden, should have been al
lowed to have been publicly perse-
euted before you charity committee
and published to the world in the
public press in a fashionu which
would leave doubt in the public
mind as to her or its integrity.
Whatever action the board may
take on any official matter is the
boards business; but when the board
or committee of it, permits an at
tack to be made on such an institu-
tion as this, and on a woman of such
standing as Mrs. Alden, 1t Is the
business of the society and the per-
sons interested in 1t, as well as the
business of the whole community, to
have these charges or intimations
made good or withdrawn.
VIII Publish Record.
There is not vestige of the record
of this society, not one step taken.
not one deed done since the founda-
ton by 1t, which 1t or any of its mem
bers is in the least degree unwilling to
make widely public, and now that it's
name has been clouded and it's In
tegrity impugned 1t must be made
public"
The Sunshine Society operates the
Edgar Home for Blind Babies at Sum
nit. N. j., and many of the charges
made are based on the alleged mis-
conduct of this home
The official investigation OF the So
ciety in New York will be conducted
by William Rhinelander Stewart,
Herman Ridder and DIR. j. Richard
Kevin. The date for the hearing was
not announced when the committee
was appointed last night at Buffalo,
where the State Conference on Chari-
ties and Correction is in session.
Mrs. AIden's Statement.
When interviewed at the office of
Mr. Littleton, Mrs. Cynthia Westover
Alden, president-general of the Sun
shine Society, stated that the attack
on her organization was due to a dis
agreement with the New Jersey Com
mission on the question of methods
IN caring for the blind children. She
presented the following report, made
TO her by Frank Breaker, a certified
public accountant of New York, as
evidence that the charges against the
society are unfounded
ut has taken some time to make
the exhaustive audit and investigation
such as you requested of the affairs
of your society and its various de-
partments for the year ending April
80, 1913, for the reason that every
voucher has not only been examined,
but the reason for payment and the
value received have been traced.
az am pleased to advise you that no
irregularities exist and that the af-
fairs of your society have been con-
Quoted in a straightforward, honest
manner, without any indications
whatsoever of wrongdoing, wasteful-
ness or personal benefit on the part
of the officers or employees.
"As requested, my usual report and
certificate will be accompanied by a
complete and exhaustive accounting
to the most minute details, and | am
quite positive that the contributors
to the charitable and beneficial pur-
poses of your society will be gratified
to learn the honest efforts made by
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