Evening star., 1923-02-21
COMMUNITY CHEST
TOBE|NVEST|GATED.
Social Service Agencies De-
eide to Go Slow Before
Changing Present System.
IDEA IS BELIEVED GOOD
Fear Felt That Capitalization
Might Deaden Interest and
Proof to Contrary Asked.
IDEA IS BELIEVED GOOD

Appointment of a committee to in
quire into and ascertain If the COM
munity chest "or any other system"
would be n desirable improvement on
the present system of financing and
conducting the work of social service
agencies of the District was author
lied at a meeting held under auspices
OF the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association yesterday afternoon.
Cen. Anton stephan, president of
the association. who presided, will
appoint the committee within few
days. and active work upon the
proposition will begin. The resolu
.tious We're presented by a committee
composed of W. c. Balderson. Rev.
John O'Grady and John JOY Edison.
Prefer to Go Slow.
Leaders III local charity work dis
cussed the community chest propo-
sition pro and con. and, while most
of those present seemed inclined to
believe that the chest is good, II
was the consensus of opinion that the
matter should be entered into slowly
and full investigation made before
anything is done in the matter hero.
John Joy Edison, representing the
Associated Charities, expressed the
majority sentiment when he said that
the question of n community chest In
Washington should be gone into eau
tiously. He declared that while the
proposition seemed to have many
good points. he feared that such a
movement would take away the In
dividual Zest and joy in providing
for these things"
NewboId Noyes Wants Proof.
NewboId Noyes of the Council of
Social Agencies said that the indi-
| Yidual social agencies Of the city
! should be shown that the community
chest would he put across" before
/ they were asked to give up their
present successful methods of rails
ing funds.
! District Commissioners. declared that
! the commissioners are interested i'll
! the move and glad to help in any
| way possible.
! Miss Mabel T. Boardman said that
| she believes there is a great deal to
the community chest idea, declaring
that there is great waste at pres
: ent in the collection of funds for
charities in any city.
Experiment. Says DIR. o'Grady.
Maj. William Parker, executive
secretary of the National Council of
Social Work. declared that a commu-
nifty chest is ''inevitable."
Dr. John OGrady Of the Catholic
Charities declared that the com
! munity chest has not yet passed out
! of the experimental stage" He said
, the movement had a tendency to
F., deaden initiative and the interest of
! the people.
Those at Meeting.
Among those present at the meet
ing on the community chest were
bankers Association Of the District
OF Columbia, Corcoran Thorn and
! John B. Larner: Washington Real Es-
! tate Board. Charles $. Shreve and
John A. Petty; Automotive Trade AS
! sociation. Rudolph Jose; Endorsement
committee of welfare organizations
I NJ. \. LeeSe: Council of Social Agen-
! cieS, Newbold Noyes and Mrs Whit
! man Cross; American Red Cross
James L. Fieser; board of District
| commissioners, Daniel Garges; Fed.
| era ton Of Citizens Associations. Evan
! II. Tucker and William B. Westlake
! Optimists' Club, A. NJ. Fisher and G.
h. 5. Williams; Cosmopolitan Club
! r. Z. Herrell and William G.. Galliher
| Ctvitan Club, Rudolph Jose and w. O
! Hlltabidle; kiwanis Club, John. c.
| Wineman and Claude w. Owen; Ro-
! tary Club, Arthur D. Marks and Frank
! A. Weller: Chamber Of Commerce, w
| {. Balderson: Board of Trade, Frank
! T. Reeside and Joshua Evans, jr.; AS
sociated Charities. Newbold Noyes and
| John JOY Edison; Salvation Army, Maj
| Stitt and Capt. Smith: Monday Even
| ing Club, John Ihlder; Catholic char.
! tiles of District of Columbia, Father
; John O'Grady: board Of children's
! guardians. George Wilson, Instructive
| Visiting Nurse Society, Juvenile Pro
tectiVe Association, Mrs Walter {,
! Ufford and Louis A. Simon; Washing.
! tion Association of Cred it Men, Child
| Welfare Society, Mrs. John Ihlder
| Merchants and Manufacturers Asso.
! citation, Gen. Anton Stephan and
| Charles j. Columbus