Evening star., 1926-04-20
WELFARE SERVICE
PUT UP TO DISTRICT
In Address to Monday Eve
ming Club Mr.. Begg Fixes
Responsibility.

Divergent views on the RESPONSE
bility of the citizens Of the District in
formulating a model social service
\ code for the National Capital-and
all legislation for Washington in
general-were set forth by members
CT the House of Representatives last
night before the Monday Evening
club. which celebrated it's <hirtieth
birthday with banquet at Rauscher's.
Representative Begg of Ohio, de-
"laring Il unified charity program
10 be the only possible solution, placed
directly on the shoulders of the vote
less residents of Washington respon-
sibility for lack of co-ordinated efforts
and the bewilderment of Congress in
trying to decide what legislation the
Clty as a whole really desires.
Representative Moore of Virginia,
however, speaking eXtemporaneously,
defended the residents of the Capital
and decl4-@d that it would be impos-
Slble for q city of the size and COM
pleXity or Washington to present q
united front" to Congress on public
questions. The wishes of conflicting
groups form the great current of pub
hc opinion of the community, he said.
Serves Notice" OH CltiZenry.
Representative Fish OF New York
. Served notice" on the local citizenry
that while Congress had no desire
TO interfere with the affairs of the
District 1t would no longer tolerate
the activities of "fy-by-night" charity
organizat tions, conceived for the pur-
pose of fraudulent deception of a gull
BILE public for selfish gains.
IN, s.,Of% . 60 hot 6@ NSe,
trict does not have national repre-
sentation in Congress" Mr.. Begg de-
clared, "the responsibility rests
Squarely on the shoulders of the citi-
zenS of the District. The Government
We get in our Republic is a reflection
of the ideals Of the people participat-
: ing in the life of the community"
Charging that 1.-The present scat
tered methods" of public charity work
here are wasteful. eXtravagant, Mr..
Begg advocated the need of a ma
chinery" which would provide a
central authoritative body to admin
lister to the public charity needs.
Charity Unwisely Applied.
Charity unwisely applied does more
harm than good and tends to develop
a race of charity -tramps," Mr.. Begg
asserted. He pointed to the need
of a clear-cut investigation Of all
charity cases in order to eliminate
overlapping, to give the fullest re-
turn on the investment and to pre-
vent wrongful giving. For this. a
clearing house is essential, he said.
Mr.. Fish advocated laws providing
for compulsory licensing of all public
and private charity institutions, and
the keeping of accurate accounts of
all receipts and expenditures, the
books TO be open to the public at all
times. lie urged study of such leg
islatiOn for the District, but added:
Il am not prepared to say that such
q regulation is essential here How
ever, I do not place any great conf
dence in sporadic, volunteer organiza-
tionS."
Attacks Fraud Organizations.
Mr.. Fish then launched into an at
tack on fraudulent organizations,
which in New York alone, he said,
collect annually several millions of
dollars. These organizations, he said,
are made up of postwar heroes"
draft dodgers and sometimes
women. They have greatly injured
the worthy veterans organizations
through their deceptions, he said. The
National Disabled Soldiers League,
IilN'B tOlIOtAtd IL dlAsA1 LCL IilIlIOIl dOI-
lars through its pencil scheme before
it was put out of existence by a post
office fraud order, Mr.. Fish said.
1--WE have millions for charity, but
not one cent for impostors and
fakers.' he concluded.
Dorsey w. Hyde, jr.. president of
the Monday Evening Club, presided.
and John Barton Payne was toast
master. Right Rev. Philip NJ. Rhine
lander offered an invocation.