Evening star., 1931-12-24
Questions and Answers.


Star almost invariably are promptly
tossed in the general direction of a
copious waste baSket-it being The
Stars theory that men or women who
are unwilling to subscribe their names
| TO their opinions are not entitled to have
those opinions taken seriously-one
such communication recently received
| is, because it deals with matters upon
which it is high time the public was
enlightened, herewith accorded unusual
privilege.
1t is signed by "15 Potential Sub
scribers" to the Community Chest. 1t
asserts that no concrete denial has been
made of the many stories" in circu-
lation as to the Chest. 1t asks the fol-
lowing questions:
What salary does Elwood Street re-
ceive?
Is the wife of Elwood Street now on
any time been on said pay roll, and, II
So what salary does she receive?
What percentage Of the money col
lected by the Chest is consumed In pay
ing salaries, commissions, rent, ETC.?
How many employees on the pay roll
OF the Chest, including Mr.. Street, were
brought to the city from elsewhere to
carry on the work of the Chest?
Mr.. Street recently said that the
money subscribed by Government en-
ployeS and designated for surrounding
towns would not go through the Chest
and that no commission would be
charged for collection. AS all the
money that was subscribed for Wash
! ington is to be deducted from the en-
/ ployes' pay and forwarded to the Chest
is it possible that the Chest is going to
charge commission on that?
Is it true that Mr. Street is paid a
commission on all money subscribed for
the Chest?
| The Star, being in a position to dc
so, is glad to answer these questions
seriatim
| Mr.. Street, the head executive of the
Chest, is paid a salary of $4,000 a
year. This salary is the smallest paid
to the head executive of any Chest in
the country comparable in size tc
WaShingtons. Mr.. Street was brought
| to Washington from st. Louis about
four years ago at this salary to start
the local chest. His salary here has
never been increased, despite the an
nually increasing scope of his work and
responsibilities. 1t is a fact unques-
toned by any Of those intimately asso-
lated with Chest affairs in Washington
that the extraordinary success of the
| three past local campaigns has been
J due to his energy, ability and experience
more than to any other three factors
combined. AS the responsible head OF
an enterprise involving in the neighbor-
hood of 100000 he is paid $4,000
and makes a substantial personal contri-
| button to the Chest. No one of the scores
| of leaders of this community who volun-
| teer their abilities in helping to direct
| the affairs of the Chest doubts that
| Mr.. Street earns every cent of the sal
ary paid to him.
Mrs. Street is not upon the pay roll
| Of the Chest, and never has been. She
does a large amount of volunteer work
| for the Chest, for which she, of course
receives no compensation save that of q
conscience assured that its owner is
playing fine part in fine civic en-
deavor.
About per cent of the money COL
lected by the Chest is spent for salaries
and rent. The total cost for raising
and disbursing the Chest funds is about
per cent, including the above indi-
Gated expenses. This compares to an
average cost of above Is per cent to
the individual agencies before the in
PRODUCTION of the Chest, cost which
ran in individual instances to above 80
per cent. In these last quoted percent
| ages the salaries of the chief executives
of the individual agencies did not play
| a part. In brief, the Community Chest
raises a great deal more money for its
component members than they ever die
| by individual effort, and at less thar
! half the cost.
The only individual other than Mr.
OVlecI VIII Was plOuBilI W washington
to carry on the work of the Chest was
his secretary, whose experience in other
Chest work has been most valuable te
him in organizing and carrying forward
the local endeavor.
The final two questions of the anony.
nous correspondents may be answered
together as follows: The Chest pays
absolutely no commissions whatsoever
on money collected for or subscribed tc
the Chest
| The Star reiterates that the charac-
ter and position in the community oi
those who are responsible to the COM
munity for the efficient and ethica
conducting of Chest affairs should make
questions of the above order absurd tc
any thoughtful citizen. But If 1t be
true that potential subscribers to the
/ Chest have been seriously considering
this type of propaganda and insinuatior