The New York herald., 1921-02-21
ROCKEFELLER GIFT
SCORNED BY LABOR
Method of S70,OOO,O00 Dona-
tion for Education De-
n0unced.

The New York State Federation OF
Labor makes vigorous protest against
the method of disbursement of the
1 S70,000000 given by John d. Rookie
I feller through the General Education
Board. The protest takes the form a
statement issued yesterday by Peter J.
Brady on behalf of the committee on
education, of which Brady is chairman.
The federation makes it plain that it's
objections are not based upon the ground
that the money'is is not well distributed
when it goes to increasing the salaries
| of teachers and to improve medical edu-
cation. but rather than the effect of Mr..
Rockefeller's beneficence does not reach
down far enough and that only those
I young people who would get a college
education any way are benefited.
/ In other words. it is the opinion Of
/ Mr.. Brady's committee that the son and
daughter of the wage Garner do not find
/ it easier to acquire higher education by
reason of Mr.. Rockefeller's gifts. Tt Is
contended in the statement that it is not
the desire of the General Education
Board that the son and daughter of tire
workingman should be developed into u
scholar. In part the statement reads:
Frederick T. Gates, wien president Of
the Rockefeller General Education Board.
in the boards publication Occasional
Papers, No, l, on page 6 says
In our dreams we have limtless re-
sources and the people yield themselves
with perfect docility TO our moulding
hand. The present education conven-
tions fade from our minds and. unham-
pered by tradition, we work our own
good win upon a grateful and responsive
rural folk. We shall not try to make
these people or any of their children into
philosophers or men of learning or Of
science. We have not to raise from
among them authors, editors. poets or
men Of letters.
1--WE shall not search for embryo great
artists, painters musicians. nor shall we
cherish even the humble ambition to
raise up from among them lawyers. dos
! tors. preachers politicians. statesmen Of
whom we now have ample supply. The
task that we set before ourselves is very
simple as well as a very beautiful one
to train these people as we find them 20
a perfectly ideal life just where they are
SO we will organize our children into
a little community and teach them to do
in a perfect way the things their fathers
and mothers are doing in an imperfect
way, in the homes. in the shops and on
the farm
Note what the Federal Industrial Re
lations Commission, appointed by Presi-
dent Wilson. says about the Rockefeller
Foundations
1.-The money with which the Rookie
feller Foundation was created and is
maintained consists OF the wages Of
workers in American industries These
wages arc withheld by means of eco
rag.v al.
ming and disorder. practised over a
series Of years by the founder and GER
tain Of his business associates.
However. apart from the taint which
besmirches such wealth. organized labor
objects vehemently to its distribution TO
educational institutions. Intelligent pun
lie opinion. especially with reference to
the distribution OF wealth. whether ar
gued from the standpoint Of labor or Of
capital, will always be influenced by in
structions given in secondary and higher
Institutions of learning. Such instib-
tions should be forums Of unprejudiccd
discussion and study under the guidance
Of faculties freed from the influence OF
any special interest and especially from
the control Of those who might seek 20
stimulate class consciousness by means
of insidious propaganda lnimcal 20 the
best interests of the majority Of tho
people.
Organized labor is Of the opinion that
subsidies such as those granted by the
General Education Board. even though
unaccompanied by written specific con-
ditions Or reservations, cannot but ader-
mine 90 a degree democratic indcpcn-
dcnce iu higher educational institutions
Academic freedom Is apt 20 wither II ST.
roots extend only 90 a superficial strata
of ill-gotten wealth and do not push
Gown into the virgin soil Of democracy.
10 Is inconceivable that under "a proper
mode Of government educational institu-
tlons that serve n vital function In our
body polite shall not derive needed
revenues from the municipality, the state
or the Federal Government. rather than
from the millions OF this donor