Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-29
INVESTIGATORS RECOMMEND
PUBLIC CHARITY COMMITTEE
Hold That Work Can Be Better Co-ordinated
With Central Body Having Supervision;
Want Expert Survey Made.
executive and social service work in
which they respectively operate.

executive and social service work in
which they respectively operate.
Some Mistakes Made
|. we agree that both organizations
nave made certain mistakes in the past,
but our observation would be that these
errors are cOnfined-to non-essentials as
far as this report is concerned and
that they were caused largely by the
heavy pressure of work which has pre-
vented the operators from going as
far into Individual cases as they could
have done if new problems were not
constantly demanding attention; and,
further, by the insufficiency of funds
with which to perform the proper serv-
the particular circumstances.
"As mentioned before, we have found
the records of these organizations
showing in detail the amount of money
received and the manner in which it
funds contributed have been wasted or
misspent. We have not found that
their activities could be conducted eff
GENTLY with any less funds or with any
less overhead. We have found that
there has been a fair proportion for
overhead and for relief, such proper
tons as we found to exist in ell the
well conducted charity organizations of
larger cities. We find. with few excep-
tons, the money raised to support
these activities to have been spent in
Cascade county and that the amounts
which have been used elsewhere have
all been expended indirectly to the ben
eft of these local organizations.
The foregoing general conclusions
we have based on the following general
findings of the activities first of the
Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army operates in a
varied capacity as a Christian brother
and Good Samaritan. It touches quite
thoroughly. the floating members Of
our population. of single men and a few
families who, for varied reasons, are
down and need a hand to put them back
as productive members of society. We
believe such relief is given in most
cases with the proper investigation and
discrimination as to lead to the ulti-
mate salvation of the individuals eco
homie and moral life.
Money Properly Spent
I'VE find, with few exceptions, prop
er consideration given to the spending
OF public money to the ultimate end
of the industrial and moral uplift of
the individual. We find the relation of
the Salvation Army to the community
might best be put in the language of
Ensign Buchanan, now in charge of the
local activities of this organization, in
answer to our QUESTIONABLE:
- would add that it is very difficult
to show by figures the work done by
the Salvation Army. 1t is simply i'm
possible. as the Army is not a cold,
charitable statistic machine. It gets
down to the people and with pity and
tenderness and compassion carries ont
the commands Of Him who said, "A cup
OF coid water given in my name shall
not lose its reward" It does not like
the word charity applied to people who
are dow but never out. But. the Sal
walton Army exists, first of all. to
pflns religlon OF the truest kind with
out any set form or creed to the people
who are most in need, the poor, who
we have always with u.s.
Our investigation has led rs tn
find facts to convince this committee
that the Salvation Army is an o~rsani-
zatlon our city cannot we'll be with
out and merits the support of every
citizen. ~
Tn request for the appointment
of this committee came from the
executive board of the Red Cross. ask
ing particularly for an impartial in
yestigation of the activities of that
body. We have heretofore reported
our general conclusions in regard to
the Red Cross and we follow the same
with a few of our findings:
We find the Great Falls chapter of
the Red Cross to be doing the work
ut what IN nYhn1 - =
the United Charities. We find some
of the problems brought to the at
tention of the Red Cross as follows:
Ex7service men relief covering the
whole field of disabled ex-service men
compensation, insurance. claims. vo-
cationai training. etc; further. civilian
relief which hinges on physical dis
ability. death, maternity. old age, il
legitimacy. non-support. Incompetence,
insufficient earnings. unemployment,
lack of proper control of children, diff
ficulties between husband and wife.
lack of initiative and force in bread
winners and lack of home making !
ability. These are not single problems,
but in ever varying completes.
Application of Common SENSE
I'VE find that the real work Of the
Red Cross is simply the application of
omfno sense and business efficiency
to the complicated problems of broken
down or d~isorganized families. or fami-
lies in need of skilled guidance to
prevent the shipwreck of the whole
group or members of it.
Before analyzing the fashion in
which the Red Cross meets or fails
to meet these problems, allow this
committee to make itself clear when
we state that it is our unanimous
opinion that the public does not at all
appreciate the character and impor-
lance of the social service aspect of
charity, as distinguished from the
financial relief aspect. and they often
as extravagant and term
useless overhead the most important
thing that such charitable ~organiza-
ton does. In other words. this COM
mittee considers that the most valu-
able part of the work of any public
organization is the social
work and that it is infinitely
to any implanted relief
We recognize that the Red
Cross fuhctioning as the United
Charities. in it's purposes and ends,
and in so far as it achieves them. is
something beyond a mere relief giving
Any criticism or rating based
upon the pure relief work is as totally
as it would be to measure
the value of n newspaper by the paper
and ink used in it's production.
w find that there is plenty of evil