Evening star., 1928-12-08

making these men pay up. The result
was that very large sums had to be
expended by the various family relief
and child-caring agencies in order to
keep the families together. This has
been so corrected by the educational
process that now 100000 a year is
contributed by these vagrant fathers,
and it has been done with very few
court orders or arrests. It has been
entirely a project in constructive So
ciology.
With the increased amounts contrib
uted by the public and the increased
earnings, Cincinnati now spends ap-
proximately $5,000,000 year in charity
and welfare work exclusive of amounts
contributed by State and city for tax
supported activities.
The Community Chest organization
and the Council of Social Agencies are
not distinct organizations here, as they
are IN most cities. Such duality between
the money raising group and the group
whose work is actual charity Is
mistake; Mr. Bookman believes. Sooner
or later, he says, they are almost GER
tain to work at cross purposes. The
social agencies who understand the field
will be demanding more money for
problems which they see around them.
The financial group, on the other hand,
will insist on further economies and
close their eyes to the growing needs.
Council Is Delegate Body.
The Council of Social Agencies is
delegate body from the different organ
iZationS. The community fund board
consists of SO members, IL of whom are
elected each years by the council, 3
by the campaign organization of 36
district chairmen, and 4 by the board
itself. The budgets are passed upon by
an executive budget committee of nine
members. Four are appointed by the
Community Chest board and five by the
Council of Social Agencies. Any agency
which feels that it has been mistreated
by this committee can appeal to the
Council of Social Agencies as whole.
In IL years this never has happened.
The council has done much valuable
work in building up preventive pro-
grams which will save the money of the
public and human misery in the future.
Just now the National Child Welfare
Association Is making a study of the
situation in Cincinnati which is ex-
pected to result In some radical i'm
provementS. Some time ago a similar
study was made by the National Mental
Hygiene Association. Among the rec
concentrations was that mental hy-
giene clinic be established This would
cost $4,000 a lar. The sentiment of
group Of 500, representative cross
section of the previous years commu-
nifty fund givers, was sounded by let
ters. Approximately so per cent re-
piled. The clinic was established, and
revealing, Mr. Bookman says, the ex-
tent to which the city has been edu-
cated-the first patients were not sent
in by physicians, but were husbands
brought in by their wives, who sus-
pected they were going "daffy"
Cincinnati, despite its public gener-
osity, still is far from its ideal, but it
Is making rapid progress. But, after
ALL says Mr.. Bookman, the acid test is
not the amount Of money raised but
the spirit of the giver. The gift with
out the gtver is bare.
The outstanding result has been the
fostering of the spirit of democracy and
Of responsibility.
Responsibility Is Held Key.
The key to the success of any COM
munity fund, he says, is a proper ap-
probation of responsibility. Spreading
the thought of giving over wider
circle of people Is not sufficient, but
those who are able to give generously
must be shown that the success of the
movement depends upon their steady
substantial c. itributionS year after year.
A large number of SIS gifts will not
make up a substantial Community
Chest. There must be proper pro-
portion of $4,000 and $4,000 contribu-
tions. There should be few well above
$4,000.
The following summary Of the work
done with the Cincinnati community
fund in a typical year illustrates the
extent of the activities:
Different individuals served during
camp season, 4,375.
Days care given, 1888.
Total attendance at other activities,
787, ,9O5.
Public and parochial school pupils
enrolled in the Civic and Vocational
League, 4985.
Claims In behalf of service men ad-
| justed, 581. Thousands of other serv-
Ice men given recreational and club
privileges.
Victims of injustice to the number of
2,789 had legal difficulties adjusted by
the Legal Aid Society
Persons cared for In Community
Chest hospitals, 1891.
Days of free service, 37,319; days of
part-pay service given, Ill ,689.
Different parties given medical care
| in dispensaries, 28,745.