The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-04-19
P1NcHoT DEPLoREs !.
METHODS OF CHARITY

: Once upon time member Of the
great American public lived on "a
busy street near the place where the
railroad tracks crossed it. The cross
Ing was on the same level with the
tracks. From his windows he could
see the hurrying throngs stepping
over the rails as they went about
their daily work. But more than
once he saw a train pillow through the
BUSY crowds, and then the writing
forms of the injured lying where they
Tell. Thereupon the ambulance
would come changing down the street
TO give help to the sufferers. After
ward the blood would be wiped up,
the onlookers would dispense, and all
would go on as before. In a certain
number Of cases the ambulance ar.
rived too late, and the victims died
for the lack of prompt attention.; said
effort Pinchot in a recent speech.
So this member of the great Ameri-
can public bestirred himself, button
holed his friends, got up public meet
ings, and finally succeeded in raising
the money for a hospital, to be built
close to the grade crossing, where
staff of. we'll trained physicians and
nurses constantly in attendance would
give immediate relief to those who
were injured by the railroad .
With pardOnable pride the founder
OF the hospital was one day showing
stranger through its wards and ex-
planning to him the number of lives
saved every year by such quick .atten-
ton to the wounded as it was ready
to give. '"This hospital" said he,
cost one hundred thousand dollars,
and our. people raise a quarter Of that
sum every year to maintain it in in
slant readiness for it's beneficent
work. But" objected the stranger,
for one hundred thousand dollars
could you not have abolished the
grade crossing, and so not. only have
put an end. to the accidents for good
and all, but saved yourselves twenty
five thousand dollars a year into the
bargain?''
A froWn gathered upon the. brow
of the founder. II perceive: was his
severe reply, that you are a radical,
Socialist, and. a revolutionary, or
worse. This grade crossing has been
in existence from my earliest child
hood. It is an esta blished factor in
our municipal life. Our people are
used to it. Have you no respect for
the institutions which were handed
down to us by our forefathers?"
Saying which he hustled the strang-
er out of the hospital, and on the oc-
casion of every future accident re-
Elected with great satisfaction upon
the wisdom of the arrangement which
kept the hospital ready. for the
wounded and the wounded ready for:
the hospital, in a beautiful and per-
petual adjustment of supply and de-
~mand, thus vindicating the constitu-
ton of the United States: and con-
founding all the advocates Of new
tangled ideas of any kind of change.
Mr.. Pinchot has accurately shown
the manner in which existing evils
are being treated by those who: take
great credit upon themselves for sup
porting charitable and philanthropic
enterprises The grade. crossing, in
the fable serves we'll as an illustra.
ton Of monopoly Of natural resources
the underlying cause Of poverty and
all the misery, vice, crime, disease
and other evils resulting therefrom:
The member of the great Ameri-
can public is also drawn true to life.
He has one characteristic to which
Mr.. Pinchot did not refer. He not
only opposes abolition of the grade
crossing, but when he gets hard up.
for funds to run his hospital, he sends
begging letters to those who are CIV
ing of their means to have it abol-
1shed, asking them to contribute to