Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-08
Organized Begging Abolished.
By Frederic ]. Il0Hll N

Rochester, NJ. y, Oct. Tone pro- !
gressive sign about this city is that
il has done away with tax days Tor
starving foreigners, homeless babies.
and the thousands ana one other
worthy causes that need assistance.
a man In another city where tag
days are a perennial feature told Of
an interesting experience. IIe said
that he had patronized three chariiieg
i'm one week, and on Saturday when
he saw girls wearing pink crepe paper
caps and carrying trays, he ducked
over TO the other si1e Of the street
thinking thereby 20 save % quarter
All day long down town he kept
out Of range of the pretty girls on
the corners. But going home. he ran
directly into one. She smiled sweotly
and thrust something into his hand.
He looked down TO discover that he
had been given sample of soap.
Rochester manages to help its sick
and blind babies and 40 other inn
portant philanthropies, and it does Il
In a systematic way. Philanthropy has
become an efficient part OF the city's
machinery, and what Is more unusual
the people are coming TO know some
thing about the relief and social well
fare work OF their city.
The Rochester system is q commun.
ity chest. You doubtless remember
the war chests which about 100 cit
les had. All the war relief work oi
these cities was financed by havinf
one big campaign year and keep.
ing the money in chest" to be uses
when the appeals came.
After the war relief demand
Stacked. the war chests were mostl1
closed. But some 20 cities have con
tinued the system. using II for al
their local welfare work. AccOrdinl
to Rochester. It Is a great idea.
Rochester has its big campaign q
! the spring. with Suppose Nobod
Cared?" for the slogan. For one weel
the whole city concentrates on rails
ing over mi.iion dollars in pledge
and cash.
For those who want to know wha
an individual should give toward hi
city's philanthropies, the Communit
Chest Board made out an estimate
; merely as a suggestion. According
this, a wage Garner might reasonabl
{ give one hours earnings a week fc
seven weeks
. Plan Works Better.
Some people have been in doubt a
Z TO whether as much money can !
= raised this way as with the old In
dividual campaigns. where people gi'
. according to the emotions Of the M
= ment, the amount Of change they hal
= pen to have, in order to get ava
Rochester says II is raising more.
y also has found that instead Of II
~ wealthy philanthropists Of the cif
e dropping the burden on to the shoul,
y ers Of the wage earners, as some pc
= pie prophesied, the city's best know
y givers have kept up TO their standar
= Some have increased their gifts.
= The advantages Of the communi
chest are sung with enthusiasm
y the relief workers of the city. Firs
: they say. each welfare organizati,
=. that has a right to the peoples he
y gets a fair deal. BY the old regime.
u tag day that came shortly after anotl
y er one, never did as well, regardle
se of the amount OF money needed,
the Importance of the cause.
ct Now the relief organizations kno
how much money they have 10 depei
- on for the year, and can plan the
y work better. A financial statement
IN required Of each agency before q
Oh spring campaign, and the goal
the campaign is set from these I
quirements.
Then the business man benefits
the single campaign system. Forms
w ly, he was bothered at an times
Representatives OF charities who wal
ro ed his support. II he is approach
- now, and he rarely is. he refers {
u organization direct 70 the commun
4u chest office. It investigates all su
,ts agencies that want public funds. a
al those that are worthy go on the co
munity chest list. A welfare agef
a. that seems less urgent or that ia
- organized to do it's work efficient
!. or that duplicates some other orEi
- izatiOn's work. Is not given the Cit
.;,I financial support. II Il wants TO ex
it must finance it's work By emf
tainments. or something of the 81
-, The relief work hat Rochester Ri
- first is for the sick. helpless and s
m, -u.-.u- .u,...-u--uu.u...-......uu
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