COST OF RUNNING THE RED CROSS

Evening Star, Issue 16992, 14 March 1919, Page 3

COST OF RUNNING THE RED CROSS

. U lO yalue of America’s recent generous giving is emphasised in the report of the War Council of the American Red Cross, iunde so large pay the costs of their administration in the very interest they earn before they are disbursed. So, it is stated, that “for each dollar contributed by the American people for war relief work more than one dollar and one cent is expended for that purpose, the 'extra cent being provided by interest on the funds.” Expenses of operating the national and divisional headquarters of the organisation enmo from a fund provided by membership dues, the war fund not being drawn upon for any but relief expenditures. For the lover of details a. succession of interesting statements has been compiled by the ‘ New York World.’ and we quote these: “The total management expenses of the organisation for the fiscal year was 2,164,865d01. Included in this total was the amount necessary to maintain the organisation at national headquarters in Washington, the heart and brain of the Red Cross, and the 14 divisional headquarters, the arteries of the organisation running through continental and territorial United States. These divisions have immediate supervision over some 3,864 chapters, which in turn divide themselves into many thousands of branches. _ “ Tho above total expenditure for the administrative bureaus at headquarters was divided as follows ;—War Council stall, which includes advisory committees and clerical forces reporting to the War Council, the latter body directing all Rod Cross activities, 58,537d0l ; general manager’s office, lll,640dol; department of development, which directs the money-raising and membership campaigns and the work of the chapter organisation, 197,126d01; department of publicity, including costs of printing, postage, etc., 197.812d0i; department of accounts, 76,222d01; office of treasurer, 22,348d01; office of secretary, 17.980dol; bureau of standards, 36,329d01; operation of buildings and grounds, 92,058d01. The expenditure for maintaining the 14 divisional headquarters was 1,303,910d01. At the time the report was compiled there were 8,612 persons employed in various capacities at _ national, divk : nial, and the different foreign headquarters of the organisation, close to 2,000 of this, number being volunteer workers. More than 3,500 workers are employed overseas.” The small army of paid workers necessary for the enterprises undertaken number by this report 6,234. A majority receive between £l2O and £2OO a year in salary, though £3OO and over is the wage for some. Specifically, “ There are 723 employees receiving salaries of from l.SOOdol to 2.000d0l a vear, 214 from 2,000dnl to 2,500d01, 94 from 2.500d0l to 3.000d01, 77 from 3.000d0l to 4,000d01, 28 from 4.000d0l to o.OOOdol, 16 from 5,000d0l to o.OOOdol, 12 from 6.000d0l to 6,500d01, 6 from 6,500d0l to 7,800da1, and 1 10,000dol. The Rad Cross is a great business as well as relief organisation, and requires specialists in many lines. Many of the executives are volunteers who gave up high salaries in private life to work for the Red Cross, not as e dollar-a-yeaT-men,’ but absolutely without salary recognition. The unpaid workers on th© roster are not to be confounded with the more than 8,000,000 volunteer women workers who perform Red Cross labors in the work rooms of the organisation. The fact that these patriotic women give their services free, turning out last vear alone finished articles with a vane of 44.000,000d01, makes it possible tor the Rod Cross to keep its operating expenses at such a low level. “ After 107,716,348d0l had been appropriated for work in Europe and the United Stales there remained in the treasury on July 1, 1918, the beginning of the current fiscal year, the sum of 60,879,020d01. The appropriations for foreign relief were divided as follows-.—France, 06£10,680 dollars ; Italy, 6,410,630d0l : Great Britain, except Canada, 5,684.029d01; Belgium, 1.432,574d01; Russia mania, 2,714,610d01; Serbia, 1,000,582 dpi, Switzerland, 807,937d01; Armenia Syria, and Palestine. 3.461,8Z7d01; Canada, 500,000dol; Poland, 200,000dol; Portugal, 6,000dol; miscellaneous foreign relief expenditure, 1,739,813d01.