Evening star., 1928-04-01

There are many fine, outstanding citi-
zens OF washington who would never
think Of passing beggar In the street
without dropping a coin In his tin cup.
They cannot stand the sight OF suffer-
ing and they derive humanity pleas
urable thrill from the clink Of metal
upon metal provided some Of the metal
Is their own. But many Of these same
citizens will never deposit a coin In,
say, the Golfers Of the Associated Chari-
ties. Here they are denied the sight OF
the suffering they appease and the clink
of their coin Is muffled. That Is, and
always has been, one Of the handicaps
faced by the Associated Charities and
other private agencies in collecting
money. II they could exploit the mis-
cry with which they deal. as the street
beggar exploits his. there would be
different story to tell But they cannot
1t Is not only unkind and brutal, but
highly unscientific as well, to set up
the helpless beneficiaries Of welfare
work and mark them Exhibit A or Ex-
hibit B. with legend to read, Before
Helping--and After"
So, in its annual Easter campaign,
| the Associated Charities must deal, as
always, with supporting public that Is
| potentially generous and readily re-
sponsive to charitable impulse, but
which finds 1t very hard 10 get worked
up over the fact that the Associated
Charities needs some more money to
care for a certain number Of eases. :"
In letters sent out by the Joint Finance
| Committee of the Associated Charities
and Citizens Relief Association there Is
the following quotation from a typical
appeal for help: MY husband has been
out of work for over two months. I
have seven children and am in bad cir
| cumstances, as I have not had any coal
in the house for two weeks don't
like to ask for charity, but am compelled
| to. This Is the first time except for a
vacation in Summer at Camp Good
Will. If possible, please send a worker
to see ME. as it Is hard for me to come
there, as I have 50 much to do at
home
Now, no one will contest the fact
that such letter Is indeed appealing.
But somehow it lacks the touch that
produces the coin. An eficient sob
sister" on q newspaper could supply
the deficiency by inserting a few poig-
nant adjectives. Instead of badly stat
ing that there has been no coal in the
house for two weeks. this sob sister
might set forth that Inside the little
home, once so snug and CHEEKY, 1t was
cold--bitter cold. There was no heat,
for two weeks ago the last lump of coal
had gone. There was no money TO buy
more. The children, one of them a
laughing, golden-haired, blue-eyed tod
dler, were shivering, their tiny hands
were numb with cold; their lips. once
SO rosy. were blue"
Publish an appeal couched in such
language, as puerile as 1t might be. and
there would be immediate response.
There would be bushels of coal, baskets
Of timed goods. toys for the children
work for the husband and possibly a
checking account placed at the family's
disposal. But what of the 1897 other
families now receiving and who need
assistance In one form or another from
the Associated Charities? How may
their varying degrees of need or misery
be so eloquently depicted that funds
necessary for their rehabilitation will
be forthcoming? That Is the problem
that always presents itself to the Asso-
ciated Charities whenever 1t launches
an appeal. Failure to solve the prob
lem explains the fact that the Asso-
ciated Charities now has a deficit star
Ing it In the face; that it has more work
70 40 tnan II mas money with which To
do It, The money and the impulse to
give are both available. The trouble
Is to get at them.
The Associated Charities is no more
deserving than other privately organ
lied and reputably governed charities
In Washington. But 1t comes closest to
representing the city's public. non-sec-
tartan welfare agency dealing with the
family and the home Upon its shoul-
ders falls the responsibility for care OF
those numerous leases" that for one
reason or another cannot be cared for
by some one else. One of the interest