Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-08
CHEST SOLICITING
IN SCHOOLS 0. KID
Board Grants Approval After
Address by TaIiaferro on
Increased Needs.

Solicitation of public school pupils
and teachers In the interest of the
Community Chest drive for its 1881
funds was authorized by the Board of
Education yesterday when, after con-
siderable discussion of the extent to
which it would permit collections to be
made the board diSregarded its policy
prohibiting money solicitations of any
sort in the schools and agreed to prac-
tically every request made by the Chest
organization.
The board approved the collections of
Community Chest funds over the pro-
test of Rev. F. I. A. Bennett, board
member, who expressed himself as being
heartily in favor of the Chest drive
among adults, but in strong opposition
to appealing to children for money
which comes from their parents, who
are solicited elsewhere.
TaIiaferrO Addresses Board.
Sidney r. Taliaferro, former D. c..
Commissioner and Community Chest
worker, addressed the School Board at
its meeting yesterday. Mr.. Taliaferro
cited the increased demands made upon
the Chest resources this Winter and the
accelerated efforts that are to be made
in the coming campaign. He asked the
boards approval for six specific pro-
posals under which the schools would
be campaigned. These were:
/. That mass meetings be held at
each school in the District, at-which the
aims and purposes of the Chest drive
would be outlined.
O. That Chest posters be placed in
each school and that each building be
equipped with a chart indicating daily
progress toward the respective school
buildings quota.
3. That places be established in the
teachers colleges and high schools
where contributions may be made by
students and faculty.
4 That stations be established in
each elementary school where contribu-
lions may be made or, in lieu Of this,
that mite boxes be placed in con-
spicuous positions.
6. That each student in the city who
makes a contribution of any amount
be given a Community Chest button.
6. That each school which contributes
95 per cent or more of its assigned
quota be presented with banner.
Quota Plan Dropped.
The school Board approved each of
these proposals excepting those which
involved established quotas" Thus the
second half of item No. Q and the whole
of item No. 6 were disapproved.
During the discussion 1t was deVel-
oped that a new Chest unit, assigned
to solicit all schools and colleges, had
been organized and that this unit
planned to attempt establishing amounts
for each institution to contribute. Al
though he admitted no definite plan
had been agreed upon at this time, Mr..
Taliaferro said he believed the various
quotas would be based on the enroll
ments In each school building. Board
members took exception to this proce-
dure on the ground that any standard
amount for individual pupils TO contrib
ute would be unfair, since it would vary
in value according to the relative wealth
or poverty Of the different sections Of
the city. They pointed out further that
If an effort were made to assign lower
per pupil sums to the poorer schools,
even greater unfairneSs would be
wrought by officially recognizing the
difference in the wealth Of families who
| Theoretically are equal" so far as q
| public education system Is concerned.
Rabbi Abram Simon and Henry Gill;
| gan, however, proposed q motion favor
! ing the quota system, on the ground, as
Rabbi Simon phrased it, that every
child in the city should be given an OPP
1 portunity to feel he Is an active and
| responsible part of the community and
| Is, in effect, the equal of his dad in
contributing toward the city's charity
| This motion was lost, however. The
board then voted TO approve q solicita-
ton which would enable the pupils to
contribute any amount they could.
In explaining his opposition to the
solicitation, DR.. Bennett said he not only
was In sympathy with the chest, but
that he had on several occasions made
addresses In its behalta But he con-
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