Evening star., 1928-12-09
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

UlOSb prosperous tiuISS, IIdS ibo
socially maladjusted fringe Of
IL humanity.
It is constituted of persons
who don't fit in the economic and social
system by reason of deformity disease
deficient mentality, temperament, lack
of education. unfortunate environment
or just plain bad luck.
Such individuals have been in the
world since the beginning of the human
race. With the increasing complexity
of the social structure as it has ad-
vanced from the loose, isolated family
group to the modern metropolis, the
number has increased. The more COM
plicated the science of living, the
greater is the proportion of those who,
by their own efforts, cannot master it.
Social Conscience Evolves.
At first, doubtless. the maladjusted
simply were allowed to perish. But as
mankind emerged from barbarism it be-
gan to develop a social conscience
group sense of responsibility for its
weaker members. This social con-
science grew slowly, evolving with the
religious and intellectual growth of the
race
There was at first tendency to look
upon the various maladjustments as
foreordained by the Creator and any
attempts to remedy them as interfer-
ence with the divine will. The few
rich and the many poor, the kind and
noble commissioned by God, and the
great mass of miserable humanity was
considered as the natural order OF
things. The second class, in fact, eX-
listed partly so that the great man
might take pleasure in feeding and
clothing them. Their fearful gratitude,
as we'll as their taxes, were his pre-
requisites.
But the social conscience was not
20 be denied. Its development was
aided by necessities which arose in the
growing communities.
At the same time the spread OF great
religious systems. all preaching charity
as one of their cardinal principles, led
to development in another direction.
Hospitals, insane asylums and orphan
ages began to spring up. Some inStltu-
tions, necessary for the public safety,
were supported by public taxation-or
rather, by the generosity OF the king,
which amounted to the same thing.
The maniac, for example, might be
person possessed of the devil, but at
the same time he was menace to
others. So was the leper. whose ghaStly
trail winds through medieval history
It was necessary to build institutions
for confining such persons. Since such
institutions were public necessities they
were supported by public taxation.
Others, notably the hospitals, orphan
ages and free schools, were the direct
outgTowth of the great religious es-
adjustments.
System Still Embraced.
This dual system of dealing with the
nnaladjusted has continued to this day.
Tt seems to be the only possible ar
rangement which makes progress pos
afble. Charity and welfare work sup
ported by taxation necessarily is con-
servative and static. 1t is concerned
with doing the least possible as cheaply
and effectively as possible. There is no
: room for progress through experiment.
It cannot satisfy the public conscience.
Private agencies are necessary for the
hard, thankless work of pioneering.
Generally the charitable and welfare
projects, founded and financed by indi-
viduals and small groups, continue un-
til the social conscience expands TO
embrace them. Then the tax-paying
public steps in and the far-seeing and
Charitable individuals are left free to
pioneer in other fields of human well
fare. They establish new activities and
wait until the Government sees fit to
take them over. They are the eyes
and the heart of social work.
The work of the pioneers naturally
has been unco-ordinated and expensive.
Depending on the whimS of individual
generosity, it seldom has had secure
financial basis. Its energies have been
consumed in supporting itself. Orphan
ages, hospitals and character-building
institutions continually are appealing
for funds. Sometimes they get them
and sometimes they don't. 1t depends
on the temporary generosity of various
sections of the public. Begging is hu-
initiating. 1t makes bitter the hearts
of those whose duties demand hearts
overf1owing with the milk of human
kindness.
The problem has been to make the
dual SyStem-by taxation and indlvld-
ual giving-more satisfactory and efh-
eient.
The difficulty has been encountered
in the fields of private charity and
welfare. The general public recognizes
that it owes duty to its poor and un-
fortunate members. which Is not met
by paying a tax BILL 1t has not known
exactly how to meet this obligation
with any certainty that its contr1ttu-
tions really would be devoted to the
purpose for which they we're intended
and that there was real need for the
work. Consequently contributions
have Jagged. Organizations doing
work of primary Importance have been
unable to secure support while other
organizations, with intentions equally
worthy but without efficient director
ship, sometimes have had more money
than they know what to do with.
Idea Ten Years Old.
During the past 10 years a method
has grown up in American cities which
is about to be applied in washington.
This is the community chest organiza-
ton. Under this system any charity or
welfare organization which can con-
vince expert sociologists that it is do
ing worthwhile work and is expend-
ing its money with certain standard OF
business efficiency is included in gen.
eral fund which is raised once each
year-obviating the scores OF smaller
appeals made by the individual societies.
The societies do not lose their au-
tonomy. They continue their work ac-
cording to their own principles. But
they do recognize that there are many
sides to the social problem and that 1t
is their duty to expend their money ac-
cording to business principles. Social
work is becoming an exact science, re-
Quiring the application OF scientific
methods.
Under this system the citizen gives
once each year as much as his con-
science dictates. He can rest assured
that only or per cent of his money,
at the most, is going to pay the costs
Gt the campaign. Under the old meth
ods of individual financing it ran any
where from 10 to 80 per cent. Gases
where solicitors kept so per cent OF
all the money they secured were not
uncommon, even with the most reputa-
bic organizations. Naturally people be-
came chary of giving under such cir
cunstanceS and felt that they could
do better by relieving privately cases
of distress which came under their
direct observation.
Some education of the public consci-
ence is necessary in order to make the