The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-17
THOSE Who Can
AFFORD TO Give
HANGING Behind
Campaign Director Says
Proper Interest In Work
Has Not Been Shown.

Added stimulus has been lent to the
movement to raise s1s5,0o0 for the
Bridgeport Christian Union by the
challenge of Director General Frede-
rick Courtenay Barber to the wealthy
citizens and corporations Of Bridge
port to become a group of so that
will subscribe $4,000 each to create an
addition of $4,000 to the amount al
ready raised and which will carry
the ball over the goal line for a
touchdown and victory" Director Bar
ber's proposition, succinctly put, is
this, te'-yse his words:
II am not resident of Bridgeport,
but will make one of 80 persons to
subscribe $4,000 each by noon Satur
day, March II, so that this movement
may end on schedule and that it may
have complete success" @
The conditions of Mr.. Barber's
proposition, with his comment with
regard to the progress Of the cam
paign and the evident lack of interest
manifested in it by those who, in
his opinion, could easily and without
financial embarrassment make a sue
cessful contamination of the project
easy Of attainment, are contained in
him at his headquarters in The STRAIT
field Hotel:
THE plain people of Bridgeport"
said Frederick Courtenay Barber of
New York. director general of the
Christian Union campaign, in his
headquarters in the Hotel Stratfield
last night, 'fare the ones to whom we
must look to make a success of this
money-raising movement. 1t is evil
dent that in it's wind-up, just as it has
been to date, it will be a popular
campaign. And Iluse the phrase pop
ular in an emphatic sense. I mean
that the movement lis the peoples
campaign-for it is plain that tt is not
popular among q majority of the
wealthy men and corporations of
Bridgeport.
This. of course, does not apply to
all of Br1dgeport's prosperous citi
zens. There are a few who have
contributed in a way that is not open
to criticism. But there are many
more-hundreds more - among the
rich men and women of the city to
whom the fine constructive work car
ried on by the Christian Union evil
IDENTIFY has not appealed.
~ never permit myself to express
or even to feel criticism concerning
the amounts which other persons give
to philanthropy" Director General
Barber continued. "My theory is thdt
the amount of a mans subscription is
between himself and his civic con-
science. Therefore, 1 express no
opinion in regard to the attitude which
most of the wealthy persons Of
Bridgeport have assumed toward this
campaign. 1 merely state the mani
fest fact that thus tar 1t has not ap-
pealed to them.
"Just why this is so cannot under
stand. It seems to me that the work
which superintendent Charles w.
Simpson has done and is doing is de-
serving of high admiration. In my
opinion, it is not an expression Of
criticism for inS to say that If l were
we'll to do and if I were a citizen of
Bridgeport. the Christian Union would
commend itself to me as an exception
ally worthy object for a substantial
FIVE figure contribution from myself.
do not and will not undertake to tell
others what they ought to do; mere
~ say what should like to do myself
"And in saying what should like
prove nay sincerity by saying what I
will do, First let me point out that
the persons Of moderate means in
Bridgeport have given generously, and
am convinced that to the end of the
campaign they will conttnue to give
generously, But the larger gifts have
not been as numerous as in my judg-
ment the Christian Union has a right
to expect from the more prosperous
citizens of Bridgeport.
Merely as a basis of computation
I call attention to the fact that the
largest single subscription to the fund
thus far is $4,000, This comes from
Mr.. Walter B. Lasilar of the Ameri-
can Chain Co., who voluntarily in
creased his subscription from $4,000 to
$1,000, and who by giving that addi
tienal thousand greatly stimulated the
doys total from the teams on Wednes-
day.
"Now, counting not only individ-
uals but also corporations, there must
be at lease 80 other persons or COM
nanies in Bridgeport that well can af
ford to give $4,000 apiece to the Chris