Middletown transcript., 1914-06-20
THE GENERAL SERVICE BOARD


General Service Board for Delaware
has issued a statement outlining the
questions that have been raised and re-
porting the support SO far received in
the systematic welfare campaign pro-
ject for which funds now are sought.
The committee is seeking 10000 a year
for period of not less than three years
to conduct its work, an outline of which
is set forth in the statement just issued
by the Organizing Committee of the
General Service Board. The statement
is as follows:
We have been charged with the task
of determining the attitude of our
friends and fellow-citizens toward the
establishment and support of General
Service Board for Delaware. 1t is the
intent of this first general progress re-
port to the public to cover the few i'm
portant questions that seem to be upper
most in the minds of many who have
not yet sent in their membership sub
scriptions. We will also report herein
the support in membership and sub
scriptions so far received.
The work of the proposed Delaware
Society of Civic and Social Welfare to
be conducted by It's proposed Executive
Body, the General Service Board of
Delaware, is three-fold. To understand
why at least $40, 900 per annum for
period of not less than three years is
needed to conduct this work in Della
ware, it is necessary to correctly com
prehend the scope and line of work of
the proposed organization.
To decide with full justice and wis
dom upon what action should be taken
on specific welfare or civic problem,
requires three distinct lines Of effort:
First: The thorough study of the
problem as particularly applicable to
local conditions.
Second: Thorough education and the
dissemination of information on the
question among the citizenship affected.
Third: The legal, legislative and
general propaganda work to finally Sc
cure the improvement needed.
To forecast how these three divisions
of work should be undertaken, the un-
derlying principle causing this general
movement must be understood; namely,
that it is intended to definitely yet de-
liberately advance all the principles
affecting human rights and
human health, while at the same
time giving every reasonable considera-
ton to conservation of the material re-
sources of the community, upon which
sane human advancement is also de-
pendent That is, while there should be
no intention to belittle property rights
but rather to preserve such rights, the
question of primary importance in the
conception and creation of this State.
Society shall be the securing and pro-
tecting of the public health and social
well-being.
When organized, the General Service
Board will be subject to application from
existing organizations comprehended in
this general movement, and will also
undertake the initiation of moves on
any matters not covered by existing
societies but coming under the broad
scope of its plans.
The General Service Board upon de-
Gliding to take up any particular subject
no matter how originated, shall select a
special committee to work in conjunction
with the General Secretary of the
Board. The General Secretary shall be
the principal salaried official of the body
with all of his or her time to be devoted
to the work of the General Board. Each
specific committee shall be composed in
part of members Of the Board and
members of the General Society. The
Special Committee shall proceed to a
thorough study Of the problem, particu-
larly assigned to it. Such committee in
addition to having the services of the
General Secretary should have the privi-
lege of appointing such special agent or
agents as the financial appropriations
by the General Board will allow. The
Committee and its agents will under
take the study and collection of infor-
nation both from outside OF the State
and within, using all other bureaus of
information available and if necessary
visiting other communities for such
time as is necessary to carefully find
out the practical effect of the application |
elsewhere of the reform proposed for
Delaware.