Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19
Rockefeller Foundation Bill
Before Congress Tomorrow

appropriate to have the charter subject tn
regulations designed chiefly. II not
wholly. for local organizations He pro-
poses to have tho objects OF the corpora-
ton changed AT will 10y the best cott M
porary wisdom Of each succeed ng genera
ton subject To the approvai of Congress.
long as the foundation lasts. and hc
wants this control to represent the public
opinion of the whole country. rather than
that OF any sinSle state or section. Other
wise. between the philanthrop.c inter
ests of single locality and those or
the whole country. the corporation. II I'M
der local control IN ght choose the
former.
The precedent Of a federal incorpors-
ton for philanthropc Institutions having
a national scope. moreover. II thoroughly
established. more than thirty OF this type
of organizations having received charters
from Congress
No one who has read carefully the
terms OF the charter as ~ Is now pre-
scented for action by Congress can fsN.
il seems to me. Ia observe three con-
trolling motives i'm the mind OF the found
er. TIE first OF these motives is the ne-
sire to secure. after MT. kock"feIlef
death. a continuance OF his policy al care
ful investment. a. IL were. IN philanthropN.
Ills second motive is to insure future
generations a free hand In usinS Tn"
foundation resources to work out the
problems of their own times entirely un-
restricted 10y any regulations laid down
at the present day.
=
For a third motive he desires TO make
this munificent gift directly 10 the whole
American people, and forever subject 10
the control of their elected representative
i'm Congress. This provision possesses 4
] sentimental advantage which the charter
of single state could not afford. II also
! stability of our national life and in the
| will Of the people to deal Justly with the
| high purposes OF the proposed founda-
| ton.
| When the foundation is established il
I is to be run 10y "A board of trustees who
must number not less than nine more
| than twenty-five. These trustees can
! elect To vacancies on the board, hut their
/ choice must in every case be approved by
1 a committee. which consists OF the Priest
dent of the United States. the Chief Jus
! tice of the Supreme Court the President
of the Senate. the Speaker of the House
and the presidents of Harvard. Yale. Co
lumbia. Johns Hopkins and the University
of Chicago. This provision was inserted
! in the pending bill i'm order to prevent
the trustees from ever becoming close
| body. out of touch with the people and
| the demands of the times
/ When IL comes TO spending the income
| of the slt@.0klo00. the trustees can do
anything they like with IL. except t.
make il earn more money They them
selves are prohibited from receiving any
pecuniary benefit from their connection
with the foundation, except i'm the Wa:
OF reasonable salaries" With thess
. restrictions they are empowered to
all their available funds Ito promote t..
| well-being and to advance the civiliza-
| ton OF the peoples OF the United State
and foreign countries I'm the acquisition
| and dissemination of knowledge: Ina the
| prevention and relief Of suffering. and I'm
! the promotion. by eleemos,nary and
! philanthropic means. OF any and all OF
| the elements OF human progress
| = x
| But around these comprehensive powers
there have been thrown a number of
safeguards. Thus, Congress may at any
time impose such limitation upon these
objects as it sees fit. and il can forbid
the expenditure Of funds for any given
purpose. Moreover. precauton against
the fund ever piling up is taken by a
provision which directs that the trustees
must spend every year the entire current
income Of the fund: and that they must
never allow the principal to exceed 500
OOOOO. Furthermore. the corporation
may distribute the principal OF any prop
erty at the end of fifty years after its
receipt: and it may be required to dis
solve when IL rounds the century mark
If SO directed by Congress All prop
erty held by the foundation is likewise
subject to taxation, with the single ex-
ception OF personal property used for the
purposes OF the foundation, and situa ted
within federal jurisdiction. These safe
guards are thrown about the fund to
make certain that it will never grow to
| disproportionate volume. as well as to
take care that its control will always re-
main with the American people through
their representatives in Congress-
The measure i'm its present form in
similar to the bill introduced in the
Senate in 1910, but is SO amended as to
meet all objections which We're raised
against certain features of it's prede-
cessor. The bill now pending was favor
ably reported by the House committee
, on the judiciary, which had IL i'm charge
almost a year ago. A week ago last
Monday it was brought up under sus-
pension of the rules. but went over as
unfinished business as a quorum was not
| present to consider IL. The vote viii
| therefore, be taken tomorrow, which IS
the next suspension day.