The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-10-26
SOLICITATION OF FUNDS.
Minor War Relief Agencies-National In
vestigation Bureau.

campaigns OF the prnclpai war Iecfea-
tional agencies, the Y. w. G. A., the Y.
w, G. A., the national Catholic war
council, the Jewish welfare board, the
war camp community service, the Amer
lean Library association and the Saliva
tion Army into the united war work
campaign
The campaign for funds in their rela-
ton to state councils now fall into two
main divisions:
|. The three major campaigns for
funds; (al Liberty loans, (bl American
Red Cross, (c) united war work cam
paign.
2, The numerous solicitation of minor
voluntary war relief and welfare organ
| izations.
| Since the three major campaigns have
been endorsed by the council Of national
defense, the task Of the state coun-
ellis Of defense in regard thereto is there
fore to give every assistance possible,
| placing its entire state and local machin-
cry at the disposal of the campaign com
mittee to enlist public support behind the
campaign, and where appropriate ar
Engagements are made with the campaign
committee to take active part in the ac-
tual solicitation.
Supervision and regulation of the So
licitation of funds by the state councils
| is therefore essentially confined to the
minor war relief, welfare and reeonstruc-
ton organizations, but it is just in re-
gard to these minor organizations that
supervision is most needed. Though
many minor organizations are not only
worthy but essential, it is among these
minor organizations that associations
wasteful in their methods of collecting
money, futile or even fraudulent in their
expenditures are most often found. 1t is
the multiplicity of these minor associa-
tions which is taxing the generosity Of
our citizens.
The council of national defense there
fore again appeals to each state council
+, of defense TO renew its efforts to con-
serve the resources and funds of the ma
tion from waste and to maintain the
generosity Of American citizens through
a careful and thorough control Of the So
licitation Of funds by voluntary war re-
lief associations.
Although many minor relief organiEa-
tions are national in scope, so few solicit
actively throughout the nation and the
variation between the, state branches of
the minor war relief organizations and
their method of soliciting and collecting
funds is so great that the supervision of
the methods Of solicitation is a state,
rather than a national matter The state
council of defense is therefore the one
official agency which is able both to OBJ
serve and supervise the local methods of
solicitation and to Judge the worthiness
of the ultimate objects of expenditure.
The methods which have been success
fully employed in the supervision of the
solicitation OF funds vary In the individ-
ual states. The method suggested by
the council of national defense and sue
cessfully employed in a majority of
states is outlined in bulletin rs and gem
eral letter 43. The essential element in
ineffective enforcement of thes supervision
Of solicitation of funds by the state coun-
ellis, under any method is that the public
should be educated to the patriotic duty
of giving only to the solicitor who so
licits on behalf of an organization en-
dorsed by the state council Of defense
and carries certificate signed by the
state council Of defense stating that he is
an authorized solicitor thereof
In exercising this supervision, we call
to your attention the National Investiga.
ton Bureau, lao Metropolitan tower,
Madison avenue, New York City, vol
untary organization of which Samuel
Mather is president and Barry G. Smith
director. The National Investigation bu-
reau Is organized for the purpose Of Sc
curing the accurate information as to the
work of all war relief organizations. tt
will employ agents in Europe to inves-
tigate the work there and will follow the
careful methods formerly used by the
Charity Organization Society Of New
York and by chambers of commerce in
the United States, in investigating the
budgets and accounts of the organiza-
tions here.
The National Investigation bureau has
written to the council of national de-
Tense offering the services Of the Nation
al Investigation bureau to the state coun-
ellis of defense as follows:
eve shall be glad to furnish complete
reports on any war activity soliciting
funds, to either the council of national
defense or any state council Of defense,
with no charge for the service. These
reports will be based upon the most care
full investigation and when made to the
state councils of defense win be sent in
duplicate to the national council.
"The only stipulation that the Ma
tional investigation bureau desires to
make is that these reports be considered
absolutely confidential. That IL TO say,
they may be used by the councils of de-
Tense as means of determining their
decision with regard to the activities re-
ported on but the contents of such re-
ports should not be divulged to any in
dvidual or organization"
The information received from this bu-
reau of course is entirely unofficial, and
should in no case be construed as approx
al or disapprovaI by the council of ma
tional defense. In the case you desire
information as to any individual society
which comes to your attention, the pro-
ced,re which YOU should follow is to
write directly to that bureau for such in
formation as they have available, send
ing copy of the letter to the field di-
vision. so that our files on the various
societies investigated by state councils
may be complete, or if you prefer, you
may make an inquiry with his and we
will take up the matter with the Nation
al Investigation bureau, and give you
also such information as is available in
Washington,
With this assistance, all state councils
Of defense should be able with small eX
penditure effectively to supervise and
regulate the solicitation of funds in their
state and especially to prevent wasteful
methods of solicitation or solicitation for
unessential purposes Now is the time