Paul Underwood Kellogg to Jane Addams, November 8, 1916

November 8, 1916.

Dear Miss Addams:

Under separate cover I am sending you half a dozen advance copies of the Statement by the Editor, which will go out to all Survey readers with our issue of November 11.

So far as I know, we are the only journal which makes an annual report in this way, giving a complete statement of the year's operations. This year I have endeavored -- even at the risk of undue length -- to set down our general scheme of editorial engineering. The report is in truth made up of sections of perhaps a dozen letters written during the past year to readers or contributors who asked for detailed information on one point or another.

For two years we have been putting the horse before the cart -- keeping up the momentum of journalistic service, -- news paragraphs, reportorial articles, discussion over signatures, with the opportune element strong in them -- which it has seemed to me was the factor to carry the venture through this period of stress and constricted issues.

The recent dinner meeting of the Council was given over to the question of the cart and its contents -- present and prospective. Some wanted us to throw out some of the baggage (as poetry, sculpture, birth control, peace, preparedness, and what not). Others were more concerned with putting in an ampler freightage of foreign social work, first-hand investigations, more reflective writing, better craftsmanship and English, fresh drafts of experience from individual American communities -- the "how" of social practice --[page 2] and the like.

Of course such a discussion, dealing with many things which we have left undone, or done only in part, or just wanted to do and couldn't, rather than the things we have done and which have held The Survey intact and solvent, left something of a dour impression; which was at the same time very healthy. And I am hopeful that we can cash in this very impatience as so much free energy to help set us ahead in these much needed directions.

At the board meeting, I took the position that the staff could undertake (with the [cooperation] of individual members of the Board and Council) the raising of our general fund as in the past, but in view of the mounting paper market (prices have doubled) and other difficulties, I did not feel that we could undertake any notable pieces of construction out of our sorely pressed general funds, nor did I feel that it was legitimate for me to dissipate my energy in raising special funds until we had turned the peak of the year. At the same time I strongly urged upon the Board the fact that there were two lines of development, one domestic and one foreign, which it would be a crime to postpone; -- the first to bring our staff equipment in the field of poverty, charity organization, cost of living, social insurance, etc., to the level of our Industry Department under Mr. Fitch; second, the opportunity (emphasized by the war) to interpret foreign social work and developments as outlined on page 19 to 21 of the report. For this $3000 annually for three years would be needed.

The chairman was authorized to appoint a committee to consider the promotion of the first line of development named. Report was made of a conditional offer toward the second from Mr. Jacob Schiff (one third the amount, -- $1000 annually for three years -- provided the balance is raised). In line with Judge Mack's motion at the Board meeting, the Council acting favorably in the evening, we have engaged Mr. <Bruno> Lasker <(See page 20)> to come on to the staff as soon as he finishes his work for the Mayor's Unemployment Committee, which will be towards the close of the year.

Any assistance which members of the Council can give in raising these [page 3] constructive funds would be most opportune. More immediately, I should be glad to have your [cooperation] -- and that of other members of the Board and Council -- in two directions.

I

Last year, when grants fell off, we brought our contributions up to new levels, as shown in the following table. Can we carry this process by a further stage in the <new> year, to give stability and [widespread] backing to the undertaking?

Any help you can give in putting The Survey's needs before potential donors, or in putting me in touch with them, would be downright appreciated. I shall be especially glad to have your help in enlisting 50 and $100 contributors.

The lists on page 24 to 31 will show who is now giving.

II

Our weekly unit which begins November 18. With ampler space, even if with smaller staff, we want to parallel our work of chronicling with more consistent work of interpretation

"of the more deliberate processes of social advance and audit, the slower and less tangible accumulations of experience on which solutions may be based, the testing and employment of solutions once formulated -- these phases of all social work -- those branches of social work in which these phases predominate -- all of which have suffered by our narrowed editorial procedure of the last two years".

I hope you will send the staff suggestions along these lines which you would like to see The Survey take up. And give me if you will, your frank judgments on the underlying problems outlined in the report.

Sincerely,