Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-02-03
GIFTS INFLUENCE
UNIVERSITY HEADS
Dr.. Eliot Says Influence 1
Good. However - Noted
Educator Opposes Mini
mum Wage Law.

New York. Jan. 3D. RGSktieller uc-
nations to educational institutions have
influenced the policies of presidents OF
universities and colleges in many in
stances. but the influence has always
been good. said Charles W. Eliot pres
ident emeritus of Harvard university.
today at the federal industrial com
missions inquiry into philanthropic
foundations and the causes of social
unrest.
The donations. to which he referred.
were made by the general education
board. DIR. Eliot said. AS an instance
he cited John -. Rockefe!ler's offer in
versity. If the university would raise
SS75. 900 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 MIR.
Rockefeller for aid IN the maintenance
of new buildings erected for the medical
school of Harvard university. Starr
j. Murphy. of MIR. Rocketeller's person
al staff. made an Investigation OF tho
buildings and the financial condition
of the university. TIL" witness said. At
forwards. DR.. Eliot calico upon John u.
Rockefeller. jr. and WAS told that MI
Rockefeller. 81, was willing to donate
81 .000, GOO. conditional upon the univer-
sitN $ raising SS15.U0o.
DR.. Eliot said he nae not hoped to
obtain as large = SUN.
Or. Eliot said that he was connected
with the general education board and
Other p~llilanthropic foundations estah-
lished by Andrew Carnegie and Nh.
Rockefeller. He Thought the practice
of interlockins the Invertebrates of such
foundations was a soo! one.
He thought that the 2enera educa-
tion board had givc,' 5000 0U, 900 to
education since 1902.
Stockholders IN Il corporation. DIR.
Eliot testified. We're NOT responsible for
labor conditions. he thought. unless
their attention, wa& called :orcihly to
some particular wrong.
DIR. Eliot saiu he believed that lcgjs-
lation providing to. Il uniform mimi
mum wage scales sud working hours
was u bad thing. Conditions are diff
ferent in al! authorities, he said. What
would Inc good for on" body of workers;
WOULD be Dad for another
One reason why workers found it so
hard to make Their. wages go as far as
they should. Dr. Eliot said. was be-
cause thcy bought and ale too much
meat.
Support No Sect.
In no case where the general educa-
tion board had made ~ donation. so
far as the witness knew. had the board
investigated the methods of a univer-
AaSt 'f-' ~. liV W. tSN VIZ al
There was ONLY one condition attached
to the boards; cndowmeniS-that con-
dition was THAI no part Of the money
should be spent in teaching theology.
The board made this condition, DIR.
Eliot said. because ii did not care to
be placed in the light of assisting or
supporting any sect or religion.
Dr.. Eliot said he believed in organ
lied labor. but did not believe In the
closed shop. Personally, he favored
placing labor representatives on boards
OF directors.
rr be possessed o. $1,000 900 was q
grave misfortune Dr. Eliot said. He
added that if he possessed that sum
he would Try to get rid Of 1T. He did
not believe with DR.. John II. Holmes,
thai the government could best turn
the money back TO tile people. Gov
ernn,ents We're not always wise. he as
serted. aid foundations such as the
Rockefeller foundtion could best take
care OF the money by giving the peo-
pie education ard bettering their CON
dition.
He did no: think the great founda-
ions n menace. ON tho contrary, he
believed that they were Of benefit to
all mankind. The Rockefeller boards
n foundations, he thought, consti-
tuted the most admirable system of
beneftting humanity the world has
ever known.
Industrial! peace can never come. ne
said. so long as both labor and capital
employ the methods of fight" they are
using now. Thc panacea was indus.
trial democracy and publicity"