The initial step towards the organization of a central committee to gather contributions for the destitute people in Northern Sweden was taken by Mr. G. G. Falk.

Thirty-five Swedish men and women met at the Sherman House on November 21, 1902, and there organized the Swedish Central Aid Committee. An executive committee was selected composed of: President, Robert Lindblom; Treasurer, John R. Lindgren; Recording Secretary, Frithiof Malmquist; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. Othelia Myhoman; and in addition, three vice presidents representing the south, north, and west sides of the city, Mr. Klas E. Ostergren, Dr. P. W. Thorelius, and Mrs. Anna Frost. The main office was located at 80 Dearborn Street, where the executive committee held daily meetings, and the central committee met every Friday evening.

The work of the treasurer has been very strenuous and taxing. It was necessary to have expert work and this was provided by the treasurer, Mr. John R. Lindgren, without extra cost to the Committee.....The recording secretary, Mr. Frithiof Malmquist has been present at every meeting of the central committee and the executive committee. His report of our deliberations constitutes a brief and at the same time complete record; in other ways Mr. Malmquist has also been of great assistance. Mrs. Othelia Myhoman, the corresponding secretary, has done service every day and evening, and it would be difficult to say how we could have made much progress if she had not guided and helped as intelligently and energetically as she did.

The vice presidents have also been of great help, especially those from the North and South Sides, with their advice and through their energetic work in collecting money. The Swedish press has been very liberal in opening its columns to the committee free of charge in the weekly editions.

The American press also has been very generous, presenting clear statements concerning the needs in the stricken regions, and many financial contributions have come to the committee through the influence of these papers. But it is only fair to state that the preponderance of contributions has come from men and women [of Scandinavian origin]. Capitalists and firms in Chicago are overrun with pleas for domestic aid, but there are examples of great generosity about which we might make special report if it were not so difficult to draw the line. The Swedish churches and the numerous associations have as usual led the ranks of donors. Much money has also been sent directly to the stricken districts, but of this we have no record.

It is a satisfaction to be able to state, in spite of criticism from certain quarters, that of all the money which has been sent through this Committee, every dollar was distributed without any strings attached, and that the 4central committee in Stockholm, Sweden, as well as the Committee here was working without any compensation. All the expenses of the Chicago Committee for printed matter, postage stamps, paper, envelopes, stenographers' work and work in general amount to $213.38.

At the beginning of our work we took our stand against the collection of money through entertainments arranged by individuals. Our experience since then has justified this attitude. In spite of our provisions on this point, certain attempts were made to further personal interests under the cloak of charity. Our entertainment at the Coliseum illustrates our objection to charity entertainments. Hundreds of persons were working for weeks; many valuable contributions were brought us; the public paid $2,500 for tickets, and the destitute in Norrland received from the whole affair $1,200. The City Council of Chicago, which started by appropriating, illegally $20,000, 5wound up by appointing a committee which contributed $20 to our fund. Of the funds which were gathered through the Daily News, the Illinois legislature, and from other sources in America, we freely placed our half at the disposal of Finland, a country with which we have been united for seven hundred years by common historical interests, a country which has suffered and bled with us. The Finnish committee offered to make restitution by giving us one half of all gifts which in similar manner were contributed to that committee, but this offer we declined since our nation is numerically superior to Finland, and therefore, Sweden is better able to help her own. The treasurer's final report shows the amounts collected and amounts paid. (The total collected is $77,581.99. This amount has been sent to the central committee in Sweden).

In addition to the amounts mentioned, our treasurer has sent to Finland one half of the Daily News fund, about $7,500. Contributions sent to Finland 6and to Norway, gathered especially through efforts of the Norwegian-American paper Skandinaven amount to about $32,000, so that the contributions transmitted through Chicago total no less than $117,000, or 433,000 Scandinavian kroner (crowns), a result which under the circumstances surpassed our expectations, but which could easily have been doubled if an official call for aid had been received. The result is clear evidence that much can be achieved through collective activity. The committee is especially indebted to the Swedish National Association whose rooms have been at the Committee's disposal since the work to aid the destitute in Norrland was started.