The Society is very much in need of endowments and donations. A fund should be established, the income of which would be sufficient not only to maintain a proper building of modest proportions, in which the archives of the Society could be kept and the general headquarters maintained, but to compensate historians and writers for work and research on lines that would be dictated by a committee having that branch of our work in charge, as well as to furnish competitive prizes for historical essays.
If a substantial fund for these purposes were at hand we might reduce the dues from five dollars per annum to three dollars, leaving the life membership fee as at present, and place on sale copies of our publications under the direction of a librarian, who would have charge, with his other duties, of this branch.
All of the leading historical societies have substantial sums in their treasury, contributed by interested members. Yet the American-Irish Historical Society, nine-tenths of whose members are men of more or less wealth, has never, as far as I can see from an examination of the Society’s records, received a single dollar for these purposes, and the Society has done its work on its own meagre revenue, with no assistance save the dues of its members.
Contemplating the liberal endowment of other historical and antiquarian associations, the American-Irish Historical Society may justly be proud of its record; but this will not be a sufficient answer to the next thousand members that join our ranks. We must have suitable headquarters, a suitable library and a proper place for our archives; establish an exchange list with other libraries and institutions, and solicit additions not only of books, prints and engravings, but other articles that are of historic interest; and all these should be under the management of a librarian or custodian, by whom the large correspondence now entailed on the Secretary-General should be conducted and fostered.
It will take money to do these things, but not as large an amount as, at first blush, one would think. The Society having been incorporated in Rhode Island, its headquarters must necessarily be there, and it is fitting that the centre of the work of this Society should be somewhere in New England. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have many historical and antiquarian societies, and nowhere in the whole United States is the spirit of historical research and pride of ancestry more strongly developed than in these two states.
It is possible for an investment of less than five thousand dollars to purchase a lot and erect a building sufficient for our needs for many years to come, within the shadow of Brown University on College Hill, which has for so many years been regarded as the seat of learning in Rhode Island. This amount is mentioned after thoughtful consideration of the needs of the Society, and would equip the building to contain a substantial library as well as the entire present equipment, paraphernalia and archives of the Society.
In looking over the newspaper accounts of the wills of various members of the Society who have deceased within the past two years, I have noted no bequest to our Society, yet many bequests to other public and private institutions. I cannot help but believe that if our needs were brought forcibly to the attention of the members, as I am striving to do in this part of my report, it might stimulate a bequest from those of our members who are able and interested enough to make one, for outside of the charitable institutions there is no organization more worthy of staunch support than is the American-Irish Historical Society, nor one which would put a gift to better use.
Administration Expenses.
No officer or member of this Society drawls any salary, but each officer does the work allotted to him with a good heart and for love of the cause. We are under no charges for rent and pay nothing for the excellent articles which appear in our annual volume, the writers of these coöperating with the officers and furnishing the time, energy and ability necessary to make the researches entailed without any compensation.
The entire expense outlay of the Society is for the printing, binding and circulation of the annual volume, the printing of circulars, stationery, etc., and postage, and a small sum for a stenographer in conducting the correspondence of my office, keeping track of the dues and other details; but I can easily see opportunities for the dissemination of knowledge and an enlarged application of the purposes for which our Society was incorporated if we should have at our disposal the modest sum of money herein mentioned. The members of the Society residing in Rhode Island will gladly contribute in accordance with their means, and I embody this matter in my report at this time for the purpose of bringing it sharply for the first time to the attention of our members.