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BUTTON DAYS
WORKING OP "CHARITY WEEK."
THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.
In view of tho decision of Cabine
to nllow no more button days or streci
sales of produce, but to set aside om
week in the year for charity appeals
?united or otherwise (as announced ir
"The Mercury" yesterday) it is oi
interest to recall the system in use in
the United States with most successful
results, as described in an interview bj
Lady Adams, wife of the famous educa-
tionist, Sir John Adams, who visited
Hobart last year.
ONE BIG FUND.
Lady Adams took for an example the
American University city of Berkeley,
California, which, she said, had a popu-
lation about thc same size as that of
Hobart. Berkeley, she said, had a new
system of organised charity, and had
watched 170 other American towns be-
fore giving it a trial. It was extra-
ordinarily simple and direct. Early in
the year a pamphlet was issued and dis-
tributed to every citizen, giving details
of the 21 organised charities of the city.
The "budget" for the year was given, and
it was explained how much each charity
needed and was to be allowed by the
finance committee. The citizens were
given 10 days in which to respond. They
wroto their private charity cheque for
the year, and, if they desired, enr-mark
ed certain amounts for certain favourite
organisations. The total amount sub-
scribed ns a result of this communal
appeal was 149,010 dollars. Many
people sent in their cheque to the gene-
ral fund-the "community chest"-real-
ising that each individual cause was a
deserving one.
TREMENDOUS SAVING.
"The economical saving of such n
scheme is tremendous," continued Lady
Adams, "it does away with the need
for the various money-making devices
with which everyone is so familinr
bazaars., button-days, house-to-house
collections, charity balls, and church
appeals." The community chest, placed
every deserving object oh its feet. The
budget committee found out how much
was needed to keep each one going,
went closely into all the facts and cir-
cumstances, deciding whether it was
really a deserving cause, and in this
way did away With nil overlapping. The
committee also safeguarded the money
of philanthropic men and women who
were willing to give freely when they
knew their contributions would go to
the purpose for which they wore intend-
ed. The working of thc scheme was in
the hands of experts, and she was sure
that business men would appreciate its
practical value when she mentioned that
the overhead cha'rges worked out at only
6è per cent.-3 per cent, for collection
and 3J per cent, for maintenance. Those
whose heart was in uplift work could
keep it there, [ree from carking finan
cial care, and thc experts in the back-
ground san- that thc chest money was
wisely expended. Naturally, Berkeley,
with its list of 21 organised charities,
did things in a comparatively small way.
but Cleveland financed 110 separate
agencies, and Philadelphia had 130.
PRACTICAL .WORKING.
Thc Berkeley chest committee consists
of representatives of the University, the
business community, thc schools, wo-
men's organisations, improvement clubs,
thc Church-indeed, every body which
is interested in such movements. Last
year's pamphlet which was distributed to
citizens was an attractively arranged
booklet, printed in two colours, bearing
the title: "Berkeley-the City with a
Heart." It contained concise and com-
prehensive information as to the city's
charities and their needs, described the
scheme, and appealed to the civic jiride
of residents to raise the money. The
total amount desired for the city's chari-
ties is 149,010 dollars, roughly, £31,700
-this for a city of approximately the
lame size as Hobart.
If such a scheme is successful in a
Californian town, why not in Hobart?
Perhaps the spirit of thc scheme is con-
veyed in two paragraphs of the appeal
pamphlet: "Ypu, living in Berkeley, aro
?vitally concerned in what is being done
to make this a better place in which to
live. It is your home, and you want
your home-your family-your children
-protected and insured in every way
possible, . . . Berkeley's prosperity and
progress is your problem-your respon-
sibility. -For your own sake, you must
help'solve that problem. As a Berke
leyan you must meet your responsi-
bility."
MAYOR FAVOURABLE.
SAFEGUARDING THE CHARITIES.
The Mayor of Hobart (Alderman F. D.
Valentine) endorses tho Government's
decision to confine the granting of per-
mits for button days to one week in
each year, and expresses the hope that
the charities will not suffer as a result.
"Button days," thc Mayor remarked
yesterday, "came into prominence
during the war, and after the war period
they wore permitted to continue. In tho
first place the City Council had thc
authority to grant permission for these
days to be held, but this power was
handed over to the Police Department.
Business people, I know, resent the
frequency of theBe appeals, and I am
told that many people remain at home
on button days rather than come into
the city to be pestered by tho workers.
"I hope," the Mayor added, "that a
charity week will be satisfactory to the
various organisations which obtain
funds by moans of street appeals. It
Bhould be possible to placo them all on
a fair basis, so that each will obtain a
just share of tho receipts. If thc Gov-
ernment's decision is found to operate
harshly, no doubt. Ministers w;ll not
hesitate to relent a little. The Govern-
ment, of course, must not loso sight of
the fact that if the funds of such insti-
tutions as the Sanatorium for Consump-
tives fall away it will be called upon to
increase the amount of its grants."
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