Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-01-30
DR.. ELIOT FAYORS
THE FOUNDATIONS
Harvard Professor Says Rockefeller
Donations Have Influence Over
Colleges and Universities.
EAT TOO MUCH MEAT

NEW YORK, Jan. 29.-Rockefei-
Ter donations to educational institu-
lions have influenced the policies of
presidents of universities and col
leges in many instances, but the in
fluence has always been good, said
Charles w. Eliot, president emeritus
of Harvard university, today at the
federal industrial commissions in
Quiry into philanthropic foundations
and the causes of social unrest.
The donations to which he refer
red were made by the general edu-
cation board, DR.. Eliot said. AS an
instance he cited John d. Rockefel.
ler's offer in 1908 to furnish ST.
100000 to Harvard university If the
university would raise $4,000 ad-
ditional.
This was before DR.. Eliot became a
member of the board of managers OF
the general education board. The witness
said he applied to the elder Mr. Rookie
Teller for aid in the maintenance of new
buildings erected for the medical school
of Harvard university. Starr J. Murphy
of Mr.. Rockefeller's personal staff made
an investigation of the buildings and the
financial condition OF the university, the
witness said. Afterward DR.. Eliot called
upon John ID. Rockefeller. jr., and was
told that Mr.. Rockefeller. ST., was will
ing to donate 100000, conditional upon
the university's raising ss75.OOo Dr. Eliot
said he had not hoped to obtain as large
a sum.
DIR. Eliot said he was connected with
the general education board and other
philanthropic foundations established by
Andrew Carnegie and Mr.. Rockefeller.
He thought the practice or inrerlocking
the directorates Of such foundations was
a good one.
He thought that the general education
board had given 500, 100000 to education
since 1902.
Stockholders in a corporation, DIR. Eliot
testified, were not responsible for labor
conditions, he thought. unless their at
tention was called forcibly to some par
ticular wrong.
DIR. Eliot said he believed that legisla-
ton providing for uniform minimum wage
schedules and working hours was a bad
thing. Conditions are differen. In all in
dustries," said he. What would be good
for one body of workers would be bad
for another"
One reason why workers found II so
hard to make their wages 60 as far as
they should, Dr. Eliot declared, was be-
cause they bought and ate too much
meat
In no case where the General Education
board had made a donation so far as
the witness knew. had the board in
vestigated the methods of a university,
college or school or its curriculum There
was only one condition attached to the
boards endowments; that condition was
that no part OF the money should be
spent in teaching theology. The board
made this condition. DR.. Elliot said. be-
cause it did not care TO be placed in the
light OF assisting or supporting any sect
or religion.
DR.. Eliot said he believed in organized
labor, but did not believe in the closed
shop. Personally he favored placing
labor representatives In boards OF di-
rectors.
Wiser Than Governments.
To be possessed OF $iO0,0O0.OOO was
grave misfortune" DR.. Eliot said. He
added that II he possessed that sum he
would try TO get rid OF il. He did not
believe. with DIR. John II. Holmes. that
the government could best turn the
money back to the people. Governments
are not always. wise, he asserted. and
foundations such as the Rockefeller
| foundations could best take care OF the
money by giving the people education
and lettering their condition. He did not
think that the great foundations
menace. On the contrary. ne believed
that they were Of benefit to all man
Kind. The Rockefeller boards and founda-
tons, he thought, constituted the most
admirable system OF benefIttlng human
/ ity the world has ever known.
In dustrfal peace can ever Gomez ne
declared. so long as both labor and
capital employ the methods of fight
they are using now. The panacea was