Evening star., 1928-01-15
BY BEN McKELWAY.

The pot is boiling again in WASH
ingtOn over the community chest pro-
posal. and this time the flames are
being fed slowly but steadily, with the
hope that they will not languish from
want of fuel. but will increase in hea.
as time goes on and in the end pro-
duce results. The proposal for estab-
fishing q community chest or financial
federation in Washington Is. of course,
not new. The subject was agitated in
1925, and the District Commissioners
then appointed committee TO study
the plan for the District. The COM
mttee had no money, nor has the Dis
trict Government any funds to draw
on for such investigations. But. de-
spite the handicap, the committee Sc
cured information from other cities
which have the community chest. TO-
gether with the views of some Of the
social agencies and business men in
Washington. It found that COM
munity chest was not deemed practi-
cable for Washington at that time. the
reason being lack OF information.
and a resulting lack OF interest. con-
corning the plan In addition. the COM
mittee found that unless a careful
study of the plan was made with
regard to local conditions, and unless
knowledge Of it became generally avail
able, the community chest would never
be acceptable to washington. Recon-
mendation was made. therefore, that
undertake a study of the project and
go into the whole field of financing
private social agencies and institutions
in Washington; that this committee be
provided with sufficient funds to de-
fray the expense Of the inquiry. and
that this new committee report, with
recommendations, on the community
chest or some other plan for improv-
ing the methods of financing local
social work. But nothing came OF the
committees work. Its report was made
10 the Commissioners. given due pub
licity and placed securely in one OF
the many pigeonholes conveniently
maintained at the District Building.
Last May at the request Of group OF
business men. the committee on CO.
operative financing OF the Washington
Council of Social Agencies composed
of some 20 agencies within and outsids
of the council formed an investigating
committee to look once more into the
community chest plan. This committee
secured from IL of the largest social
agencies here list Of 1880 undupl-
Gated givers. and found that in 1926
90 of the IS indorsed agencies in the
city secured by public appeal $468.-
873 AZ to support their budgets for that
year These figures were reported TO
the cooperative financing committee
in November, and the report led to the
appointment OF subcommittee, di-
rected to continue the work Of investi-
eating the field in Washington. A
meeting last December. called by this
subcommittee. brought enthusiastic
| Endorsement Of the community chest
proposal from speakers representing the
| city's trade organizations. and the dis
| cusSion was made more valuable oy
/ informative remarks contributed oy
| William j. Norton and Sherman c.
/ Kingsley. directors. respectively, OF the
| Detroit and Of the Philadelphia COM
| nun!ty chest organizations, who were
/ in Washington az the time taking part
| in arranging for the nationwide meet
| ing. TO be held here February 20. al
/ which the pros and cons of the COM
| munity chest movement throughout the
/ country will be debated Following this
! encouraging meeting. the suocommit-
/ tee sent a prepared resolution TO some
I % social agencies, asking heir
early action. This resolution. adopted
so far by the Y NJ c. A.. Y. ". c. A.
". N S. Social Hygiene Society. AS
sociated Charities. Summer Outins
Committee. Boys Club. Boy Scouts,
Citizens Relief Association. Neighbor-
hood House, Phyllis wheatley Y. ". c.
A. Travellers Aid Association. Friend
ship House and the Juvenile Proiec-
tive Association, places those organixa-
t!ons on record as favoring the
community chest plan IN principle.
% long as there is reasonable as
surance tha. through IL the o-gan!za-
t!ons viii continue 70 receive adequate
support. At the same time, the sub
committee mas requested the names OF