Rfvifir of Hcrii'iiy . Ij7j0'>. 



SOCIAL SERVICE, 



The Craftsman, 

 an illustrated 

 niunthlv magazine 

 fur the simplifica- 

 lit.m of life, New 

 York, contains an 

 interesting account 

 (jf the aims and 

 work of the Ameri- 

 can Institute of 

 Social Service, 

 fruiided in 1903, 

 and of which Dr. 

 josiah Strong is the 

 president. Of this 

 Institute, President 

 koosevelt, writing in 

 1903, says: — " Ap- 

 panntly it is proving 

 to be the beginning 

 ot a world move- 

 ment. ... In 

 England. Russia, 

 Ital), lapan, and 

 S wf '1 e n steps 

 ha\f bei n taken to organise institutes along the 

 lines of our own, while in France the Music Sociale 

 of Paris has been doing a great work along similar 

 although not identical lines." 



Dr. J isiah Strong describes the Institute in the 

 article abnvi- referred to, which is from his pen, as 

 " a clearing hou.se of human experience." In every 

 country experiments are now being made in legisla- 

 tion, philanthropy, religion. The knowledge of what 

 has been done, what has failed, what has succeeded, 

 and what others interested in human progress and 

 bettermtiit are thinking on great living questions, 

 must be of great importance to workers all over' the 

 world. The American Institute of Social Service 

 seeks to bring thinkers on the great problems of to- 

 day into touch with one another, to collect informa- 

 tion from all parts of the world, and by corres- 

 [londence, by the press, by collecting books, pamph- 

 lets, clippings, photographs, and by well-equipped 

 lectures, to disseminate this knowledge. Should 

 one, for instance; be interested in the Drink Pro- 



W.A.Cooli' 1 [PAoto. 



Dp. Josiah Strong, of New York. 



blem. or the Land Question, or Prison Refonn,. 

 let him write to the Institute whose headquarters 

 are New York, and the information he desires will 

 be forwarded, or he will be directed where to get it. 

 In places where no lectures are available, "reading 

 Itctures " are provided, and illustrative lantern slides 

 can be had, or photographs from which slides can 

 be made. The specimens of the illustrations which 

 are given in The Craftsman are of a high order. 



The American. Institute of Social Service is a 

 step towards " the Parliament of Man, and the 

 Federation of tlie World." If we in Australia w'sh 

 to know what our American brethren are doing for 

 the housing of the poor, or the treatment of neglect- 

 ed children, or what Glasgow reformers are doing in 

 the way of " Municipal Housekeeping," we can have 

 full information, and New York and Glasgow' can be 

 sent to us in. photographs which caTi easily be 

 thrown on a lantern screen. 



" Inquiries come to us," writes Dr. Josiah Strong, 

 ■' not only from nearly every State in the Union, and 

 from Canada, but also from F.ngland, Scotland, 

 Russia, Sweden, Germany, France, Switzerland, Avs- 

 tria, Italv, Belgium, Australia, Japan, South Africa, 

 Syria, and Siam. John Burns is one of our most 

 active collaborators abroad. These number about 

 ninetv prominent men in nearlv all civilised coun- 

 tries." 



A Year-Book is published containing valuable in- 

 formation up to date. Australia, we are glad to see, 

 is not overlooked, short articles being contributed 

 by Mrs. Locke-Burns and Dr. Charles Strong. We 

 under.stand, also, that Mr. Samuel Mauger, M.P., is 

 a contributor. The Hon. Mr. Reeves represents the 

 Institute in New Zealand, and vice-presidents and 

 correspondents are being appointed in each State of 

 the Commowealth. 



Conditions of course varv in different countries, 

 and methods which suit one country and people may 

 not suit another ; but it is of the highest importance 

 that thinkers and workers in one land should be able 

 to compare notes with those in another, and that 

 all w'ho love their fellowmen, and are labouring for 

 the uplifting of humanitv, should interchange idea.s, 

 and catch the inspiration and glow of each other's 

 sympathy and experience. 



See Editorial on Pa^e ii. 



