Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-23
By WILLIAM HARD.

The well-tO-do OF this country seem
10 be on their way toward getting the
shock of their lives this FAN. GIVE
till 1t hurts" viii be q mid description
of the character of the appeals that
win be launched at them by the agents
Of the President In the matter OF funds
for the relief of unemployment distress.
The President Is reliably credited
with the view that 1t is fairer 10 get
the necessary funds out Of wen hlled
private pockets than out Of taxes to
which people Of the smallest means as
well as people Of the largest means ul-
timately In fact contribute. Some OF
the Presidents critics hold that the
Federal income tax cannot be ana IS
not passed along by the weil-to-do
PAYERS OF It TO the shoulders OF their
less fortunate fellow citizens. The
President Is said contrariwise 70 main
tain that all taxation rests ultimately
upon the community at large and that
in the present emergency there Is q
specfal obligation upon men and women
Of wealth TO relieve distress not by
taxes, but by outright personal gifts.
-
It Is expected accordingly that Wal
ter S. Clifford Of the American Teie-
phone & Telegraph Co., heading the
Presidents Emergency Relief Commit
tee. VIII organize q determined drive
upon the resources Of the rich and
near-rich throughout the country. He
viii not be daunted, 1t Is believed. by
the distressing fact that similar efforts
In the past have fallen far short OF tins
optimistic expectations entertained re-
garding them.
nxe6 for the Red Gross droAght relief
expired with only some 20 per cent OF
success in the seeking Of ten million
dollars. At that time James q. Blaine,
on behalf Of the New York chapter OF
the Red Cross, stated that recent re-
portS indicate that Chicago, Baltimore,
Detroit, Boston and Philadeiphta have
succeeded In raising only about nan OF
the funds expected. although the GATE
originally set for the conclusion Of the
campaign has passed"
In the end the Red Cross drought re-
lief drive was saved from failure, not
by the weIl-to-do, but by the run-oi-
mine people in humble financial CIR
cumstances. In New YORK CITY, toL
instance, the press reported that RED
cross ofdcials give credit to the con-
tributors of small sums for a major
part In the success Of the campaign.
At about the same time, ON the SUD-
iect of relief in general, Mayor Mackey
Of Philadelphia issued . statement
saying:
ton Of the relief funds has oeen con.
tributed by the working class. No'
one-tenth of our citizens have re-
spcnded, and It is lamentable fact
that many of our wealthy men and
women have failed to respond, while
many others who are rich have sent
contributions for Insignificant sums.
~
An able research into this field OF
s'ponlllar giving" has been conducted
h,y Abraham Epstein Of New YORK
CITY. who alleges as follows:
That not as many as $4,000 persons IN
the whole Of New York City contribute
anything 10 the eity's three leading gen.
eral charities.
eyery 225 contributes anything to the
| leading general charity OF that city,
while among those who did contribute
IN 1880 only lo2y gave as much as $l'ooo
such figures. ahundantly collected and
| promulgated by Mr.. Epstein. convinced
most politicians in washington that the
well-to-do win have to perform much
| thew are TO merit President Hoover's
confidence In them Skeptics among
thee politicians, whether insurgents or
! rerTllarx. contend that the well-to-do
Win rot relinquish their hold upon their
money In sums adequate 70 prospective
needs until they are compelled 10 do 50
| By the tax gstherer.
| x& y
At that point the Presidents special
reason for vigorously refusing TO sum-
mon an extra session Of the Congress
comes into play. The President believes,
and Mr. Clifford believes. that eontripu-
lions from people Of large incomes
| would not be ut all forthcoming IL an
EXTRA session Of the Congress. meeting
| IN October, should at once begin. as It
! would doubtless begin, to canvass the
| idea Of Federal relief subsidies.
with that belief IN mind. the Prest-
dent at this time would be obliged TO
repei the suggestion Of an extra session,
even II simultaneously he suspected mat
| an extra session might after all become
| Inevitable. He cannot afford. from his
point Of view. to countenance an extra
session for fear that his wealthy con-
| trIbutors might ilastantaneously aban-
don him. His position would seem TO be
that In order TO net his millionaires he
must be careful not to let them think
that the net Of the income tax authori-
ties Is also being spread Tor them.
1t is remarked here that large con-
trihukions from the millioiiaifes would
be justified By o sense OF gratitude On
theft parf toward the President for
striving to save them from some Of the
Iecononnic and financial legislation which
an extra session Of the Congress would
facilitate.
A senatorial subcommittee. headed by
Senator Robert Marion la Toilette Of
WISCONSIN, win probably presently begin
10 hold hearings on the subject Of Mr.
Ia FcIletfe's bin for the creation CT q
national economic council Il Is be.
lieyed that eminent nnanciera and m