The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-15
McGrath Figures It 22 1-2 Cents But Others See it
 Differently
NEED FUNDS BADLY
 AT PRESENT TIME
Reluctance of People to Give Attrih- uted to Reputation for "Red Tape" - Secretary Believes
 He Is Doing Right
By RALPH R. SILVER

Associated Charities to give a dollar to a poor man?
 Secretary William NJ. McGrath of the association figures one way, Many peo- pie figure another. Mir. McGrath claims but 221a per cent of the associations in- come goes for expenses.
 His own figures can easily be so ar ranged, however, to show that it costs the association 7s1s cents to give dollar to a poor man. Which is right?
 Much criticism and praise of the As-
 soeiated Charities have been given in
 private and in public during the past year. The association is admittedly at | the present time badly in need of funds
 It has petitoned the county and various
 other institutions and individuals for funds, so far without success. People decline to give their money to | the association, according to popular re- port, because they believe the associa- tion expends too much for "administra-
 tion.' The association has secured reputation for red tape,' a popular erit- cism against it being that it is always investigating and that while 1t is "in- vestigating' the merits of a subject, the subject is often in dire want.
 McGrath Furnishes Statistics Statistics therefore, as to how much of the money given the association by the public actually goes to the man who needs help might be considered interest," ing at this time. Secretary William M. McGrath of the association kindly fur | nished them yesterday afternoon when re- quested to do so. MT. McGrath was earn est in his plea for the association. T believe" he said, that we are on the right track. I know that we are open to much criticism and I do not resent | it. I expect it. In work of this kind it Is always present Especially when starting up in a new town as we did in Birmingham, bitter prejudice exists which will be overcome only by time. And In time we will overcome it in Bir- | mirgham. Our system is right and we | can prove 1t is right and we will prove | it is right"
 | MT. McGrath laid himself liable to criti- | cism, however, when he stated that it | cost 2214 per cent of the association | revenue for administration. In arriving at this figure he does some queer things with figures.
 | bs iiS pWi libuitS tlNtn out EtHdiu- ing the financial transactions of the as- sociation. he shows that in the fiscal year from November 1, 1912, to October 31, 1913, he spent for actual relief $9si5. 56. During those same 12 months the ex- penses of his association were $7S35. IT. MT. McGrath insists. however, that the salary of a nurse, his visitors salaries, interest on money borrowed and similar items should be added to the column of expenses for material relief and de- ducted fro mthe column of his adminis- tration expenses.
 Here is where many disagree with him. If the salaries of his visitors and his nurse are not as much a part of the cost of administration as his own salary. why not? There is no differ ence. In the material relief column he lists lot of classifcations which of course resulted from he work of his visitors. Why should not the salary of his visitors be charged up against this amount? The salaries paid the visitors do not do the poor of the city any direct good neither does the interest he is paying on note or all of the money he has borrowed.
 Cost to Spend Dollar Therefore, when these items are placed in column of cost of administra- tion, MT. McGraths own figures show that 1t costs him nearly so cents to buy a poor man dollars worth of grocer les. In other words, 44.4 per cent of his entire income goes to administration. Out of every dollar given to the asso- citation the poor of the city receive but a little over 55 cents.
 Of course, the persons given this re- lief receive a benefit not financial. Every family the association places on self-supporting basis has received d service that cannot be figured in dol l.v rlx q. made to appear in the reports of the association. This matter is neither here nor there. however When the fact re- mains that out of every dollar given to the association MT. McGrath uses with in cents of half of it for the admins tration of the affairs of his office, peo- pie are going to charge the associa- tion with inefficiency, critcise it and refuse to support it financially.
 The funds of the association are very low says MT. McGrath. At times we nave but few dollars in the treas ury, and at times we arc month or two behind in paying salaries to our employees. But We are struggling along In the belief that we are right and when we haven't any money to work with We do the best we without. If people won't give us money we cant take care of the needy.
 'I am gradually inaugurating a sys tenn Wnlcn l nope Tn time VIII prove the main support of the association. All of the visitors are now on a basis by which they bring in more than their salaries, as an average, every month. As the association becomes better known, this phase of the work will de- velop. We do 1t through community work. We find subject in need, ex- anime the case find out what is nec- essary and work out plan of relief We then go to neighbors or relatives or friends of the subject and from them secure a promise of giving the nec- essary relief This of course is as good as if we had spent so much money--ac-
 nnsh--in giving the relief. And the result is better because 1t builds up a
 I iunty or neighhorhood spirit. It develops the sentiment that T am my brothers keeper and puts the com munity on a stable basis
 The association handles on an aver age of over 90 families week, states MT. McGrath. totaling an average of about s25 individuals.
 Salaries of Workers
 MT McGrath's salary is 5000 per year. He at present employs four visi- tors at the following monthly salaries: $65, $40. $30. S30. He pays nurse $25 for part time per month. His financial statement with note at the bottom claiming that his cost of administra. tion Is 22h per cent Is as follows: November l. 1912. to October 31. 1913: MATERIAL RELIEF rroVisiohs ......$ 4867. .7 Misceiaheous .................j.... 666.0