Bisbee daily review., 1915-01-19
-FOUR BIG CHARITIES ASKED WHAT POLICY
 GOVERNS MILLIONS
Immense Resources of Rock efeller, Sage, Cleveland and de Hirsch Foundations Prompts Federal Authori- isies to Start an Inquiry

NEW YORK, Jan. Whether re- sourcee of approXmately a quarter Of billion dollars controlled by four great philanthropic institutions should be employed " ithout government reg ulation in the promotion O enterprises affecting Iuplic welfare. especially hu of wage earuers, is one Of the questions which the Federal Indus trial Relations Commission vll bring to the front during it's forthcoming hearings Investigators have for the last two weeks been preparing data upor which to base the examination of witnesses.
 The four institutions are the Rock efcuer. Sage. Cleveland (OhiO) and Baron de Hirsch foundations, the lat ter represented in this country by Jacob M. Schiff Their chief officers ! have been summoned to testify and 1 will be asked, it was said today tthe commission headquarters to tell what i policies govern the distribution of | their charities, their attitude toward labor problems the nature O fther 1 schemes for socia lbetterment; in sum, to disclose in detal the charac- ter of all their charities, their atti- tude toward labor problems, the ua- ture of their schemes for social bet terment: in sum, to disclose in detail the character of all their activities In view of the fact that the im- mense resources of these institutions twere chief yderived fro mthe profits of industrial enterprises and that they are now employing them in many ways affecting the conditions of wage earners, it was the desire of the com mission, it was explained to deter, mine whether their policies were in every respect consistent with the pub ! If cwelfare. 1t was pointed out that the institutions were under no legal obligation to make their operations public and that it was pertient ques- ton to determine whether such im- mense resources were potentially dan gerous, when not subject to govern mental supervision.
 In raising this question no imph- cation was intended, it was explained 1t was simply the purpose of hte com mission to cal lattention without pre- judice, to the power which these in- stitutions were in a position to exer- else, rightfully or wrongfully, espec- ially in shaping public opinion. , Whether, after the facts have been brought out such institutions shall and can be regulated will be left to Congress after the Commission has reported 1t was pointed out tha tin England the so-called charity trusts' gre require dby law to make public reports
 The Commission also plans to call the directors and chief stockholders . of several O fthe large industries to obtain a discussion O ftheir relations with employers; also members of the National ivic Federation, and the New York Charity Organization Society.
 It is the purpose of the Commis- sion" says a statement by Frank P. Walsh, chairman fthe Commission, to bring before it in ew York the men whose names are most closely associated with our great basic indus tries. and through this means to ob, tain a full. frank discussion of the re- lsuou that exists between the central ,zation of wealth and power in their hands and a feeling of unrest among wage earners.
 "Whether rightfully or wrongtuuy a large number of wag eearners com r'ain that their interests are preiu diced by the fact that the industries iu which they are employed ar' 1 owned and controlled by men whc live at distance and who have nc personal knowledge of the conditions under which the employees work anC live. This is one of the charges mos f=sQuently made by writers and speak Q g engaged in enlisting recruits fol the most radical political and econom teal movements, and the Commission
 feels that its work will not be com plete until it has given full consldera
 tion to the subject.
 Large employers and stockholder
 in industrial corporations are nor
 and more turnin gtheir attention t
 organized efforts toward social better
 ment The Commission will seek t'
 find out whether or not these effort
 are undertaken because their author
 feel a responsibility for the condition
 which create the need of such ettori
 and if so whether rnot the variou
 schmes of welfare work and philar
 throphy can be considered adequate t
 meet the needs.
 "The Commission assumes e
 course, that every good citize ndesire
 to aid in any sincere effort to get a
 the underlying causes of industrial m
 rest. and in this as 1 nits other 1T
 quiries 1t is approaching 1t stask wit
 an open mind an da desire only to ge
 at the facts Each witness will b
 urged to make a complete statemen
 of his views The Commissions COT
 clusions will be stated only l nits r'
 port to Congress and until that | submitted its attitude will be opel ! f~., f1s.r,. npafud leo DO