The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-25

Abraham Epstein brands this conception thread
bare myth. He says: Among the masses Of the we'll
TODD, not many give anything to charity even in
the most generous city, New York. negligible num-
Der Oh rich individuals support all the charities The
vast bulk OF the wealthy contribute to none"
In those American cities where charitable contri-
buttons are raised through community chests or well
1are declarations, the contributors never have ex-
ceeded II per cent of the population. There are $50
community chest drives in the United States each
year. Combined, they do not raise more than
S8o.OOo,0O0, less than one-forth of what England
spends annually unemployment insurance alone.
New York Is the richest and most generous of
American cities In Manhattan alone $4,000 persons
filed income tax reports in 1928 Yet only about one
in forty Of these contributed to the Association for
The Improvement Of the Condition of the Poor or
the Charity Organization Society
In Chicago, only $1,000 individuals out of 900
one out Of 225-gave to the United Charities ONLY
lO2 contributors gave than $1,000 in the
emergency year, 1880.
The Philadelphia Welfare Federation received
contributions of 500 more from only 394O persons
or corporations out Of population of 100000 one
IN 5Oo Only 33 per cent of the population of the
United States give anything to the Red Cross. The
ProsSer committee in New York City raised almost
one-third Of its 100000 from six generous indt-
viduals
The mayor of Philadelphia recently made an ener-
gency appeal Philadelphia reporter estimated that
II he made gift of the proportionate share Of
MS income as was given by Philadelphia's richest
citizen, it would amount to one thousandth part of
a cent
Neither do the rich remember the poor generously
In their requests and legacies The New York Asso-
citation for the improvement of the Condition of the
Poor has been in existence eighy-fve years It has
been administered by very wealthy and reputable
individuals.
Yet it has received only 264 "legacies, funds and
gifts The Charity Organization Society received but
173 gifts or legacies between 1882 and 1880. The
United Charities of Chicago has received onv 100
The Philadelphia Welfare Society has been remena-
pered by only six persons in their wills
Likewise with foundations DR. Epstein says: "T1e
OeneVolence OF dozen individuals such as Carnegie
tne Rocketellers, Hardness, Rosenwald, and a few
others accounts for considerable proportion of exist
Ing foundations. Of the estimated 81 900 600 ooo now
available IN these funds, the gifts of the Rockefelers
and Andrew Carnegie alone make up three-fourths of
the total
DR. Epstein concludes that private charity is utterly
inadequate to the task Of caring for the dependent
classes either in normal times or in emergencies:
When we talk Of caring for UNEMPLOYMENT and
drought by private philanthropy, we talk nonsense
Under this system the burden of social ills falls
almost entirely upon the few generous rich and the
bulk OF the poor wageearners who can not refuse to
give to charitable appeals when the boss asks them to
contribute
1t Is altogether contrary to the modern principle
OF fair proportional distribution Of the burden The
bulk of the well-to-do escape entirely from paying
their share"