MR CARNEGIE'S "HERO FUND."

Evening Star, Issue 12208, 28 May 1904, Page 11

MR CARNEGIE'S "HERO FUND."

Mr Andrew Carnegie has just created a fund of £l,ooo,oo4s.erhng for the benefit of those dependent on persons losing their lives in heroic efforts to save life, or for the benefit of the heroes themselves if they are only injured. The fund applies only to the United States and Canada. Air Carnegie sets out as follows details of the fund: First.—To place those following peaceful vocations who have been injured in heroic eu'ort to save human life in somewhat better pooitions pecuniarily tiian btfoie, until again aoie to work. In case of death, the widow and children or oiher dependants to be prov.dcd for, the widow until she remarries, and the children until tbey reach a self-supporting age. For exceptional chi.dren exccpt.onal giants may be made for exceptional education. Grants of sums of money may also be made to heroes or heroines as the Commission think advisable, each case to be judged upon its me; its. Second.—No grant is to be continued unless it be soberly and prope.ly used, and the recipients remain respectab.e, well-behaved members of the community, but the heroes and heroines are to be given a fair trial, no matter what their antecedents. Heroes deserve pardon and a fresh start. Third.—A medal shall be given to the hero, or widow, or next-of-kin, - \ shall recite the heroic deed it common , that descendants may know and bo pioud of their r .cent. The medal shall be given for the heroic act even if the doer be uninjured, and also a sum of money, should the Commission deem such gift desirable. Fourth.—Many cities provide pensions for policemen, firemen, teachers, and others, and some may give rewads for acts of heroism. All these and other facts the Commission will take into account, and act acco dinsly in making grants. Nothing cou'.d be further from my intention than to deaden or interfere with these most creditable provisions. . . . 3 ask from the Commission most careful guard arainst this danger. The medal ran, of course, be offered in such cases. Whether something more cannot judiciously be done, tit the request of or with the approval of ihic'ty authorities, the Ccmmission shall determine. I hope there can he. Fifth.—The claims upon the fund for some years cannot exhaust it. After years, however, pensioners will become numerous. Shon'd the Commission find, after allowing liberally for this, that a surplus will remain, they have pewr to mike grants in case of accidents (preferably where a hero has appeared) to those injured. . . . Sixth.—lt seems probable that cities and employers on this continent will ultimately he placed under similar conditions to U'ose o" Br'tain, Germany, and other European States and require to p-ovide against acc : dents to employees. Therefore, the Commission, by a two-t'-irds vote, may devote any surplutha_ f ncmips beyond p ovidinsr for heroes and tho'r dep"ndants (which provision must never he abandoned) to si-ch mode? of bene fitiiic those in want, chiefly earned throng'' no fault of their own as drunkenness laziness, crime, etc.). but through exceptiomi l cironmMat'ees. in such manner and to sue l ' extent as the Commission think advisabje and ' likely to do more food than if such sums wcrgiven to those injured by accident, where the I Inner may be suitably provided for by law or otTicrwi'e. Seventh.—Th" field nihmerd by the fund is Canada and the United Stales and t''e waterFherenf. ... No action [is] more heroir t''an that of doctors nnd juirsps volunteering their serv'ces in the case of op : demics. Kail road employers nr» remarlrahle for heroism. All these and similar case* a™ emb-aeed. . . EVht I '.—No personal liahi'ily sha'l attach to nr-'ebers for -iny act of the Commission. The Commission have p'wer to fill viean—'es. Ninth.—The Con-mhsio;i have full power io sell, irvest, or re : nvest all funds, to enVov all officials. inc'"din<r secretary, travelling acrents to visit and ovc-see beneftVnries, etc. and to fix their compensation. Members of the Commission shall be remihiu-sed all expenses incurred, i-clud-nt: travelling- expense attending rrecHue/s. The president shall he < r H'-'fod such I ouo-avia as the Cmvnvss'on think proper, and as he can be prevailed upon to accept.

Tn"*V—An anm'al report. inc'"ding a d"ta'led statpmen' of sums a"d -u'dals fruited and the reasons tVrofnr. he made each year and published in the principal cities.