Evening star., 1932-03-22
COMMUNITY CHEST
PLAN DISCUSSED
Inter-Federation Will Study
Proposal to Extend Work
to Nearby Area.
BY HOWARD M. BAGGETT.

A study of the possibility Of extend
ing the activities Of the Washington
Community Chest to include the en-
tire metropolitan area in Maryland and
Virginia will be made by the Inter
Federation Conference, 1t was decided
at the meeting in the United States
Chamber OF Commerce last night. The
conference also went on record as favor
ing the main features of the street car
merger plan now before Congress.
A subcommittee to study the possibil-
ity Of extending the activities Of the
Community Chest was authorized on
motion of Col. A. B. Barber. Appoint
ment of the committee was deferred by
Chairman Stephen James.
Street Suggests Plan.
Suggestion that the activities Of the
Washington Chest might be logically
extended to include the entire metro
politan area was made by Elwood
Street, director Of the Chest, who was
present at the meeting. Mr.. Street
called the attention of the conference
to the fact that Washington as a COM
munity is not bounded by the District
line.
Have We in the Community Chest
method principle which could be ex-
tended to Virginia and Maryland?" he
asked. THE Chest" he continued, has
no desire to force over any idea of ex-
pansion, but the question Is, Do you Of
larger Washington believe some arrange
ment whereby the entire territory could
be so handled is desirable?"
The conference, made up OF delegates
from the Arlington County, Va; Mont
gomery County, Nd. and District of
Columbia Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations, had asked Mr.. Street and his
assistant, william j. Plunkert, to at
tend the meeting and discuss the Chest
in its relations to the surrounding terri
tory.
Plunkert Cites Figures.
Mr.. Plunkert.. assistant to Mr.. Street,
also spoke and gave figures on the
number of free and part-pay patients
from Maryland and Virginia treated In
Washington hospitals. Out of 5,432
Maryland and Virginia patients during
10 months of 1881, Mr.. Piunkert stated,
2,372 were part pay and BAT free pa
tients.
Both Mr.. Street and Mr.. Plunkert
were subjected to a large number of
questions by the members of the con-
ference and by DR.. J. w. Bird, presi-
dent, and Miss Willie Green Day, ex-
ecutive secretary, OF the Social Service
League Of Montgomery County, who
We're present at the invitation of the
conference.
Some arguments which 1t was main
tanned would prevent the amalgama-
tion OF the surrounding territory under
the Chest were presented by w. B.
Armstrong and others, while Col. Bar
Der expressed the opinion that he was
not impressed by any Of the arguments
presented at the meeting against such
action.
Adopt Merger Report.
The conference adopted a report on
the street railway merger presented by
a committee headed by Col. Barber
This report favored the main features
OF the merger and proposed to leave
the details of its being carried out in
the hands of the Public Utilities Com
mission. F
Discussing the matter Col. Barber
stated that 1t was the feeling of the
committee that the merger subject
should be settled and the transporta-
ton service improved and that the de-
tails could well be left in the hands Of
the Public Utilities Commission.
A discussion on the Mapes bill deal
ing with the estate tax, following a re-
port of committee headed by Hugh j.
McGrath, resulted In a decision to post
pone action on this and other Mapes
bills pending further committee study.
President James was instructed to call
special meeting of the conference on
this subject If it was deemed necessary.