THE EXPANSION OF ORGANIZED CHARITY. 



BY ALFRED O. CROZIER. 



[Alfred O. Crozier, treasurer of the National Conference of Charities and Correction, 

 was for several years one of the guiding spirits in the Charity Organization society of 

 Grand Rapids, Mich. ; because of the excellent results accomplished in that city he urg- 

 es that similar steps should be taken in other cities.] 



Whether the extension of systematic and intelUgent meth- 

 ods of pubHc and private charitable administration should 

 be by design or left to mere accident is a problem soon to be 

 faced and settled. 



The splendid idea expressed in the work of the summer 

 school of philanthropic work in training men and women for 

 charitable and associational effort will fall short of its am- 

 bition if it simply results in turning out a lot of new candidates 

 to bid for the positions now held by present occupants. 



It is notorious that the salaries usually paid for service 

 of this kind are far below what such talents would command 

 in business life. Will the salaries be increased or even main- 

 tained, in the face of competition by a large number of new 

 applicants stirred with a desire to do good, and willing to begin 

 at almost any price to get a foothold and an opportunity to 

 help in the great humanitarian work to which they have de- 

 cided seriously to devote their lives? Unfortunately human 

 nature is approximately the same, whether found in the em- 

 ploying trustees of philanthropic institutions or in the man- 

 agers of commercial enterprises. Charity workers are not 

 unionized and probably never will be, and voluntary increases 

 of salary in either philanthropy or business are rare, except 

 when inspired by one motive, viz.: the fear of losing the ser- 

 vices of a valuable if not indispensable employe. The law 

 of supply and demand rules in the realm of philanthropy as 

 in business. 



The nations of the world are struggling to find or develop 

 new markets for the products of their industries. The meas- 

 ure of their success determines the demand and prices for their 

 products, and the wages of those producing them. China is 



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