Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-07
FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN

Eresslve sign about this city is that IL
has done away with tag days for
starving foreigners, homeless babies.
and the thousand and one other
worthy causes that need assistance.
A man in another city where tag
days are a perennial feature told of
an interesting experience He said
that he had patronized three charities
in one week. and on Saturday when he
saw girls wearing pink crepe paper
caps and carrying trays. he ducked
over to the other side OF the street.
thinking thereby to save a quarter.
All day long down town he kept out
of range of the pretty girls on the
corners Blu, going home. he ran d.
rectly into one She smiled sweetly
and thrust something into his hand.
He looked down TO discover that he
had been given a sample of soap.
Rochester manages 10 help its sick
and blind babies and forty other i'm
portant philanthropies. and IL does 1t
in a systematic way. Philanthropy
has become an efficient part OF the
city's machinery. and what IL more
unusual. the people are coming to
know something about the relief and
social welfare work of their city.
The Rochester system Is COM
munity chest You doubtless remem-
cities had All the war relief work
of these cities was financed by hav-
Ing one big campaign a year ans
keeping the money in chest" to be
used when the appeals came.
After the war relief demands
Stacked. the war chests were mostly
closed But some twenty cities havo
continued the system using it for ali
their local welfare work. According
to Rochester, II is a great idea
Rochester has its big campaign In
the spring. with suppose Nobody
Cared7" for tn. slogan. For one
week, the whole city concentrates on
raising over million dollars in Pied
Ses and cash.
For those who want TO know what
an individual should give toward hi.
city's philanthropies. the Community
Chest Board made out an estimate.
merely as a suggestion According to
this, wage Garner might reasonably
give one hours earnings a week for
seven weeks
PLAN WORKS BETTER
Some people have been in doubt as
to whether as much money can be
raised this way as with the old indi-
vfdual campaigns. where people give
| according to the emotions of the mo-
mcnt, the amount of change they hap
pen to have in order TO get away
Rochester says IL is raising more. II
also has found that instead of the
wealthy philauthropists of the city
dropping the burden on to the should
ers OF the wage earners. as some peo-
pie prophesied. tine city's best known
givers have kept up to their standard.
Some have increased their gifts.
The advantages of the community
chest are sung with enthusiasm by
the relief workers of the city. First.
they say. each welfare organizsti ion
that has a right to the peoples help
gets a fair deal BY the old regime.
10, SI 1.. a.,
| o.her one. never did as well. regard
les Of the amount OF money needed.
or tho Importance of the cause.
Now the relief organizations know
| how much money they have to depend
| on for the year. and can plan their
work better. A financial stateme nj
is required of each agency before tho
spring campaign, and the goal for the
campaign Is set from these require
ments.
Then the business man benefits by
the single campaign system. Form
erly, he was bothered at all times by
representatives OF charities who want
now, and he rarely is, he refers the
organization direct to the community
chest office. II investigates all such
agencies that want public funds and
those that are worthy go on the COM
, mun.ty chest list. welfare agency
organized to do its work efficiently.
or that duplicates some other organi-
zation's work, is not given the city's
financial support II It wants to exist.
IL must finance its work by entertain
ments. or something of the sort.
The relief work that Rochester puts
first is for the sick, helpless and suf-
fcring. After that comes social bet
terment of various kinds Among the
fortytwo philanthropies partly fl
nanced by the community chest are
organizations that help the blind, the
aged and the orphans, the boy scouts.
social settlements. the "Ys''. the SAL
walton Army. and the Humane So
ciety.
LESS TIME WASTED
An outstanding advantage to the or
ganizations themselves is that they do
not have to stage their own financial
campaigns. SO they have more time
for their work Some people, too. arc
being drawn into the social work of
the city who refused before. because
they disliked the begging end of re-
lief work.
A point that Rochester considers of
special Importance is that the people
are beginning to understand the pur-
pose of the city's philanthropies. The
fact that one person in ten needs help
at some time in life does not ordinar.