Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-12
WASTE IN GIVING
IS BEING FOUGHT
National Campaign to Be Con-
Quoted This Year by Spugs,
Formed at New York.

New York, Nov. IA countrywide
appeal for the abolition of the useless
Christmas gift and a plea for inteIli-
gent and thoughtful giving instead
were voiced last night by Mrs. August
Belmont. president OF the Spugs, at
the opening meeting of the 1913 cam
paIgn to be waged by that organiza.
ton against insincerity, compulsion
and waste in Christmas giving.
At this meeting the membership
rolls Of the Spugs-the Society for the
Prevention of Useless Giving-were
thrown open TO all residents OF the
United States who might want to en-
roll against the foolish Christmas
gift Having grown from a handful
to more than 5000 within a few weeks
during the last Christmas season, the
Spugs have outlined for this year a
national campaign and hope TO estab.
lish societies in all cities and towns
throughout the country.
Mrs. J. Borden Hartman presided
at last nights meeting. District At
torney Whitman, newly enrolled as a
member, and Francis Crowninshield
delivered addresses. Mrs. Belmont
was the orator of the evening. The
original purpose of the society she
said, was TO prevent compulsory Civ
ing by girls in stores and factories to
their employers, the custom of coilec-
tive giving which the girls felt they
could MOI afford but which they could
not avoid without embarrassment and
possible loss OF their positions. This
was one of the chief objects OF the
society, she added, but not the only
one. Another prime attainment
sought, she said, was general cult
Walton, by all classes of givers, of
more thoughtfulness and expression OF
personality in making Christmas gifts.
I'VE do not disapprove of collective
giving when it is done on the spur or .
the moment" she said, ''or for some
particular cause, because then it
means that you have collected sense
of human fellowship of which the
money collected is but an expression. |
We do approve of it when it is for the
man lower down instead of for the !
man higher up.
Some persons think that we oppose !
giving. Far from IL; we do not oppose (,
giving. but we advocate intelligent /
giving-givIng that is done with the 1
Christmas spirit of goodwill as dis
from giving that is COM
pulsory, from fear or with the
hope of obtaining reward-whether
that reward be the favor of the man
higher VI or advancement The world
az large should put more of the
Christmas spirit into giving. Christ
mas should be time for every person
10 do his or her share.
some folks say to us, of course.
you want to promote useful giving
The word useful has many changes OF
meaning. Usually when one thinks of
/ useful present, it is a present decid-
,dly mid 1le-class or commonplace. So
We do not attempt to promote useful
diving in the commonly accepted
definition Of that word. The thing we
ire really out to do is 10 abolish COM
,ulsory giving. We feel that when we
AVE done that there will follow good
ense in giving and that everybody
will be profited thereby.
1--WE propose TO decrease the cost of
he gift and increase the good will; TO
make the heart of Father Christmas
ejoice by little acts of kindness, ur h
elfishness. by putting thought into
he gift we send our dear ones. Give
but from your heart, with
II your thought. Don't make a bust 1
ess of giving. make it an art. Don't
'aste what should be season OF
GOODWILL freely given"