Random Reminiscences of Men and Events

e Value of the Co?perat

pter under the title of "The Difficult Art of Giving," I am tempted to take the opportunity to dwell a little

co?peration in giving for education, I have felt, scored a real step in advance when Mr. Andrew Carnegie consented to become a member of the General Education Board. For in acce

wealth for the benefit of his less fortunate fellows and I think his devo

em of helping to stimulate and improve education in all parts of our country. What this organization may eventually accomplish, of course, no one can tell, but surely, under its present board of directors, it will

help in every large philanthropic enterprise. One of the most satisfactory and stimulating pieces of good fortune that has come to me is the evidence that so many busy people are willing to turn aside from their work in pressing fields of labour and to give t

ted by wonderful enthusiasm, to give force by his own personality to work done in difficult parts of the educational world, particularly to improving th

y carrying out the work already begun, and agree with me that at least the same energy and thought shoul

ons of higher learning in the United States. The board makes its contributions, averaging something like two million dollars a year, on the most careful comparative study of needs and oppo

Many of the good people who bestow their beneficence on education may well give more thought to investigating the character of the enterprises that they are importuned to help, and this study ought to take into account the kind of people who are responsible for their management, their location, and the facilities supplied by other institutions round about. A thorough examination such as this is generally quite impossible for an individual, and he either declines to

THOLIC C

eally effective is their use of it. I fully appreciate the splendid service done by other workers in the field, but I have seen the organization of the Roman Church secure better results with a given sum of money than other Church organizations are accustomed to secure fro

om the office of our committee in New York. For an individual to attempt to keep any close watch of single cases would be impossible. I am called upon to explain this fact many times. To read the hundreds of letters daily rec

lt of experience, and I refer to it now only as one contribution to a general subject which i

EALS TH

task is not so difficult as at first it might seem. The letters are, to be sure, of great variety, from all sorts of people in every condition of life, and indeed, from all parts

ll must recognize as worthy of notice. T

perate with friends and fellow townsmen. But these local charities, hospitals, kindergartens, and the like, ought not to make appeal outside the local

and international philanthropic and Christian organizations that cover the whole field of world-wide charity; and, while people of reputed wealth all receive appeals from individual workers throughout the world for personal assistance, the prudent and tho

the results of long years of experience. For example, one is asked to give in a certain field of missionary work a sum, for a definite purpose-let us say a hospital. To comply with this requ

ssionary can be met by another hospital in its neighbourhood; whereas another missionary in another place has no such possibility for any hospital facilities whatever. There is no question that the money should be spent in the place last

eet beggars." I agree with him, I do not believe in the practice either; but that is not a reason why one should be exempt from doing something to help the situation represented by the street beggar. Because one does not yield to

is often not a true statement of fact, as proved again and again, and even if it were true in part it does not relieve the possible giver from the duty of helping t

AS THEY RELAT

ication, and one of the most difficult things in giving is to ascertain when the field is fully covered. Many people simply consider whether the institution to which they are giving is thoughtfully and well managed, without stopping to d

among the people who were asked to subscribe was a man who always made it a practice to study the situation carefully before committing himself to a contribution. He asked one of the promoters of

t was so well provided with such institutions that there were already vastly more beds for children than there were applicants to fill them, and that the field was well and fully covered. These facts being presented to the organizers of the enterp

l cases. My contention is that the organization of work in combination should not and does not stifle the work of individuals, but strengthens and stimulates

OF HIGHE

nd a vast amount of the crime in the world-hence the need of education. If we assist the highest forms of education-in whatever field-we secure the widest influence in enlarging the boundaries of human knowledge; for all the new facts discovered or set in motion become the universal heritage. I think we cannot overestimate the importance of this ma

at their source. My interest in the University of Chicago has been enhanced by the fact that while it has com

LIAM R.

y mind the figure of Dr. William R. Harper, whose enthusiasm for i

the guest of Dr. James M. Taylor, the president, to lecture on Sundays; and as I frequently spent week-ends there, I

and won the personal interest of their leading citizens. Here lay his great strength, for he secured not only their money but their loyal support and strong personal interest-the best kind of help and co?peration. He built even better than he knew. His lofty ideals embodied in the university awakened a

the rich and delightful experiences of our home-life that Dr. and Mrs. Harper could occasionally spend days together with us for a brief respite from t

ould picture Dr. Harper as a hypnotist waving his magic spell, or would represent him forcing his way into my inner office where I was pictured as busy cutting coupons and from which delightful employment I incontinently fled out of the window at sight of him; or they would represent me as fleeing across rivers on cakes of f

, and I am sure he would, were he living, be glad to have me say, as I now do, that during the entire period of his presidency of the University of Chicago, he never once either wrote me a letter or aske

of Benevolence, as to its needs. Their conclusions have generally been entirely unanimous and I have found no occasion hitherto seriously to depart from their recommendations. There have been no personal interviews and no personal solicitations. It has been a pleasure to me to make these contributions, but that pleasure has arisen out of the fact that the university is located in a great centre

n a good way, of securing what they want. Our practice has been uniformly to request applicants to state their cases tersely, but nevertheless as fully as they think necessary, in writing. Their

n, of consultation, and comparison of views between the differ

rview is enforced and adhered to not, as the applicant sometimes supposes, as a cold rebuff to him, but in order to secure for his ca

FOR CONDI

hich should be supported by others is not the best philanthropy.

tution shall constantly be making its appeals; but, if these constant appeals are to be successful, the institution is forced to do excellent work and meet rea

institution in the affections of as many people as possible who, as contributors, become personally concerned, and thereafter may be counted on to give to the insti

ay that it has not embittered me, nor left me with any harsh feeling against a living soul. Nor do I wish to be critical of those whose conscientious judgment, frankly expressed, differs from m

EVOLENT

ful must have, the help of men who have been trained along practical lines. The best men of business should be attracted by its possibilities for good. When it is

not only for the correct financing of the funds, but for the intelligent and effective use of every penny. To-day the whole machinery of benevolence is conducted upon more or less haphazard princ

in managing the machinery of the expenses. The teachers, the workers, and the inspired leaders of the people should be relieved of these pressing and belittling money cares. The

prove the truth of the assertion, have a high standard of honour. I have sometimes been tempted to say that our clergymen could gain by knowing the essentials of business life better. The closer association with men of affairs would, I think, benefit both classes. People who have had mu

their dealings to people who tell the truth and keep their promises; and the representatives of the Church, who are often prone to attack business men a

ft the intelligent standard of good work in helping all the people chiefly to help themselves. There are already signs that these combinations are coming, and coming quickly, and in the directo

f the University of Chicago, I was attending a university dinne

hing to me. As I thought of the latent power of good that rested with these rich and influential peo

d upon some course of action. Now, why not do with what you can give to others as you do with what you want to keep for yourself and your children: Put it into a Trust? You would not place a fortune for your children in the hands of an inexperienced person, no matter how good he might be. Let us be as careful with the money we would spend for the benefi

strongly on the subj