Evening star., 1915-01-29
President Emeritus of Harvard
Discusses Noted Million
aires Aid to Education.
TESTIFIES AT HEARING
ON THE UNREST PROBLEM
Explains the Work Established Of
Philanthropic Foundation With
2 Which He Is Connected.

NEW YORK, January 29.-Rockefel-
Ter donations to educational institutions
have Influenced the policies of presi-
| dents of universities and colleges in
many instances. but the influence has
| always been good. said Charles W.
| Eliot, president emeritus of Harvard
| University, today, at the federal indus
trial commissions inquiry into philan-
, thropic foundations and the causes of
| social unrest
| The donations, DR.. Eliot said, to
I.general education board. AS an in
stance, he cited John D. Rockefeller's
offer in 1908 to furnish s1.0Oo,o0o to
Harvard University If the university
| would raise ss75,0o0 additional.
This was before DR.. Eliot became a
member Of the board of managers of
| the general education board. The wit
ness said he applied to the elder Mr..
Rockefeller for aid in the maintenance
| of new buildings erected for the medi-
cal school of Harvard University. Starr
| ]. Murphy Of Mr.. Rockefeller's per-
sonal staff made an investigation OF
the buildings and the financial condi-
tion of the university, the witness said.
Afterward' DR.. Eliot called upon John
D. Rockefeller, jr., and was told that
Mr.. Rockefeller, ST., was willing to
donate S1,0O0,00O, conditional upon the
! university's raising $S75,000.
DR.. Eliot said he had not hoped to
obtain as large sum. His estimate of
what was needed was much lower than
the estimates submitted by Mr.. MUIR
ply.
Favors Interlocking Directorates.
DIR. Eliot. said that he was connected
| with the general education board and
| other philanthropic foundations estab-
lished by Andrew Carnegie and Mr..
Rockefeller. He thought the practice
of interlocking the directorates Of such
foundations was a good one, the only
objection being in the possible failure
of the directors to be physically able
to attend to the business of several or
ganizations
He thought that the general educa-
tion board had given s200.o0o.ooo to ed
ucation since 1902.
proposed survey of public schools
In MARYLAND was discussed by the wit
ness. He said II was toybe made by
the general education board and that
the board was to pay only a portion Of
the expense
Stockholders in corporation, DR..
Eliot testified, were not responsible for
labor conditions. he thought, unless
their attention was called forcib1y to
some particular wrong.
DR.. Eliot said he believed that legis-
1ation providing for uniform minimum
wage schedules and working hours was
bad thing. Conditions are different
, in all industries" he said. What would
be good for one body of workers would
be bad for another"
Says They Buy Too Much Meat.
One reason why workers found it SO
hard to make their wages go as far as
they should, DR.. Eliot declared, was be-
cause they bought and ate too much
meat. The witness said he would like
to see a general law prohibiting the
employment of children under sixteen
years of age in industries where the
! children would have to work indoors at
machines.
ton board had made a donation, so
far as the witness knew. had the board
investigated the methods of univer-
sity. college or school, or it's curricu-
lum.
tached to the boards endowments.
That condition was that no part of the
money should be spent in teaching
theology. The board made this con-
| not care to be placed in the light of
assisting or supporting any sect or re-
| ligion.
| DIR. Eliot said he believed in organ
| lied labor, but did not believe in the
closed shop. Personally, he favored
pla cling la Dor representatives on boards
Of directors.
| Great Foundations Not Menace.
To be possessed of $4,000 900 was a
grave misfortune" said DR.. Eliot. He
| added that If he possessed that sum he
would try to get rid of it.. He did not
believe, with DR.. John II. Holmes, that
the government could best turn the
money back to the people. Governments
were not always wise. he asserted. and
| foundations such as the Rockefeller
Foundation could best take care of the
money by giving the people education
| and bettering their condition.
| He did not think the great founda-
| tions a menace. On the contrary, he be-
| Iieved that they were Of benefit to all
mankind. The Rockefeller boards and
| foundations. he thought, constituted the
most admirable system OF b-neriting
humanity the world has ever known.
| Industrial peace never can come, he
declared. so long as both labor and capt.
tai employ the methods of fight" they
are using now. The .panacea was in
, dustrial democracy and publicity"
Next Hearing in Chicago.
! The hearings will continue here Vail
next week, the committee announced
| yesterday, and the following week be
transferred to Chicago, where the trans
portation problem will be considered.
Robert Fulton Cutting, president of
the bureau of municipal research, tes-
titied yesterday that the policies of
the bureau were changed after John d.
Rockefeller, jr., made certain sugges-
:! tions and offered to donate $4,000
tow ard defraying the expenses of the
bureau for a year.
i Rev. John Haynes Holmes. pastor of
the Church OF the Messiah of this CITY.
and Ivy L. Lee. members Of the per-
| - I'll