GOOD BY STEALTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1940, Page 6

GOOD BY STEALTH

HENRY VAN DEN BERGH'S

WORK. There passed on from our midst in 1937 a man who loved to do good by stealth. He was a millionaire, but he might have been seen almost any Saturday afternoon talking with poor folk in a hospital ward; and every Sunday he would visit the homes of four or five destitute people. He would wear an old grey coat, battered brown shoes, and a felt hat which had seen better days, but he gave away princely sums. He was Henry van den Bergh, the man who introduced margarine to the British public. A Jew. he hated publicity, and though he gave away big sums to charities, he found his greatest delight in adding to his list of pensioners, doing it all so secretly that few people had any idea of his kindly conspiracies, and hardly anyone knew that in this way alone he had given away £150,000.

Eight London clergymen were among his plotters. All had instructions from him to send the names and addresses of people they believed to be worthy of help. At the week-end. Henry van den Bergh would go to their homes and make enquiries. When he was satisfied that he could really help, he gave it gladly and at once. Year after year he paid pensions to old or sick folk, and in hundreds of homes his weekly gifts made all the difference between misery and happiness. One of his delights was to invite a few poor children to tea every now and then. He would talk to them and listen to their conversation, keeping a sharp look-out for the most intelligent. Then he would go to work behind the scenes, making it possible for the selected boys to go on to higher schools, and then on to the university. At this moment there must be many professional men who could never have taken up the career in which they have succeeded had it not been for Henry van den Bergh. For 86 years he loved to do good. He believed it was better to help people as you overtake them on the road than to leave large sums when you are gone.