Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-30
SOO,OOO,OOO FUND
BASIS FOR WORLD
UPLIFT PROJECT
John D. Rockefeller Designs
Benefaction to Aid in Task
of Human Betterment in
Years to Come.

NEW YORK, Nov. so-The Rockefeller
Foundation. which ls now leading in the
imposing task of feeding 100000 starving
Belgians, is John d. Rocketelier's latest
and greatest benefaction, an institution
with tiO0, 100000 capital to carry through
all his future phllanthropies,
It will not absorb Rockefeller projects
already definitely established on a scien-
tlhc, buslnessllke basis. like the si3.oO0,OOO
General Education Board, but 1t serves
as standing organization ready to tais
up any new work OF human betterment
that suddenly presents itself.
The object OF the foundation, as stated
in the Federal charter which the House
of Representatives passed only 70 see II
die in the Senate. is to promote the
well-being Of mankind throughout the
world"
Giving up his efforts to obtain Federal
charter, Mr.. Rockefeller and his assoc
ciates then appealed to the state of New
York. Senator Foley sponsored bill
to charter the foundation, which passed
both houses of the New York State Legis-
latura in April. 1918, and was signed by
Governor Sulzer. II gave the foundation
much wider powers than the proposed
Federal charter. but Mr.. Rockefeller was
somewhat disappointed that the work was
not given more of a national character
by the national Incorporation.
Besides sending the steamship Masss-
pequa with s275.OoO food cargo to the
Belgians on November 3; holding out a
general offer to deliver free of charge
all American gifts to the Belgians UP to
December 81 next, with the probability OF
a renewal Of the offer; hurrying COM
mission of three experts to Europe to
study the general distress situation, and
promising to .expend several millions II
this commission reports the advisability,
the foundation has done these things:
Organized a labor investigating COM
mission to study the working conditions
of the world. This work will be con-
Quoted along the line of the Rockefeller
Bureau of Social Hygiene.
Organized the worldwide night against
the enervating hookworm plague. This
continues work done before the founda-
tion's Incorporation.
Purchased the Grand Chenler tract Of
So, 900 acres in Vermlllion and Cameron
Parishes, Louisiana, for the purpose of
for migratory birds on the northern shore
of the Gulf of Mexico.
Co-operated with the Bureau of Mu-
nicipal Research Of New York city,
semiprivate body, which Keeps watch
on the municipal government and con-
ducts a training school for municipal gov
ernment experts.
500 BEGGING LETTERS" A DAY.
For one thing. the foundation investi-
gates hundreds of thousands of requests
for assistance every year. Mr.. Rookie
Teller, it was explained when the foundR-
ton was prtSpsed, wished to make 1t a
clearing house for begging letters" OF
which he receives 500 a day.
Before the foundation began its corpo-
rate life it's work had gone on for years
There had been an informal committee,
composed of men closely associated with
Mr.. Rockefeller, which had passed on
phianthropic projects and considered ao-
tivities such as the foundation now sys-
tematlcally studies and takes up when
approved.
The foundation. like most OF the Rock
efeller activities, was started and has
lived in a storm OF criticism. Mr.. Rookie
feller's desire to establish the founda-
ton was made known first in March. 1910.
when United States Senator Gallinger, of
New Hampshire, introduced the Federal
bill. 1t was contended by critics the
Foundation should not be perpetual but
subject to termination with distribution
of it's funds. and that its control should
be vested more specifically in Congress
Amendments were made providing Con-
gress might limit the objects of the COR
poration as the interests of the public
might demand, and that all gifts or prop
erty should be subject to this provision.
The total amount OF property the foun-
dation might hold was limited to $780,
OOO. .OO0-the amount which Mr.. Rockefeller
had named as the extent OF his dona-
tion-and It was provided that the income
should not be accumulated or added to
the principal. but should be dlsbursed
currently. There were also suggestions
for the distribution OF all the principal
at the end OF 100 years. But Congress did
not pass the bill.
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