Evening star., 1932-10-23
Character Building and Food.

Character Building and Food.
It may be accepted as inevitable that
sooner or later there will be demands
upon the Community Chest to restrict
or even abandon its support Of the So
called character building agencies In
order to increase direct relief for the
needy. No doubt there will be some
attempt to reinforce such demands by
contrasting the need Of the hungry
family for food with the need Of Boy
Scouts. Girl Scouts, the young Y. M.
c. A. or Boys Club member for super
vised exercise and recreational direc-
ton. Accepted at its face value, the
argument is convincing that Boy Scouts
can fend for themselves. while no man
or woman should be allowed to starve.
But to accept such an argument at
Its face value is dangerous as well
as an erroneous thing to do. The rea-
sons why it Is dangerous as well as
erroneous should be discussed fully and
frankly before the issue is raised in
Washington, as it has already been
raised in other communities. Nor is it
suficient, as an answer to this argu-
ment. to rely merely upon the principle
that man cannot live by bread alone,
although that principle does underly
any enlightened concept of social re-
sponsibility.
There is one very practical reason why
the Community Chest cannot and
should not consider the neglect Of
character building organizations, such,
for instance. as the Y. M. c. A., in
order to place more emphasis on direct
relief in the form Of food, clothing,
housing and other such bare essentials.
The Y, NJ C. AS value In the life Of
the community is recognized. hxed and
definite. 1t -:-ould survive with or with
out Community Chest support. Denied
this support, it would Immediately ap-
peal for and receive the generous as
sistance of thousands of proven friends.
And such is the case with each Of the
organizations afiliated with the Com
munity Chest. The chest appeal is
the united appeal Of all these organ
izations. The Community Chest itself
is the expression Of organized, COM
munity giving To drop or to neglect
some organization that by acceptance
Of the Chests rigid standards has be-
come . constituent member is merely
to invite the disintegration Of the Chest,
the abandonment of intelligent and or
ganized giving and the return to the old
system Of competition and duplication
among rival philanthropies, with re-
sultant favoritism to some and neglect
of others.
Another point, however, is that the
character-building organization needs
no defense Of its right to expect sup
port regardless of other conditions de-
manding immediate attention. Their
work Is principally constructive and
preventive. rather than remedial. and
their fight is against the conditions con-
tributing TO dependency and delinquency.
rather than remedying the results Of
such conditions The depression has
increased their task and their respon-
sibility There Is no need here to
expound the Nciousfy demoralizing
influences Of unemployment and idle
ness, especially when these are COM
bined with bitterness and hopelessness
and blind resentment. Men and women
and young boys and girls especially,
need more than ever the guidance OF
friendly counsel, the provision of a
refuge from despair and. more than
anything else, something to do" As
it is, only 10 per cent Of the Com
munity Chest funds are utilized in this
constructive and preventive work, as
against the 80 per cent demanded for
the work of remedying damage already
done
A third point, which should be
clearly understood. is that the unemploy-
ment problem is economic rather than
social There is no reason why the
problem of supplying made work. or
food and clothing to victims Of unem-
ployment must be solved at the ex-
pense Of neglecting the vastly more
complicated problem of adequately
maintaining family welfare work, hos
pitals, children's homes, institutional
care Of the aged, infirm and the blind,
helping the wayward and the delinquent
and providing a purpose in life for
those to whom misfortune seemingly
has denied a purpose. The great portion
of this work Is carried on by the enter
prises associated with the Community
Chest. They are not provided for In
emergency appropriations for direct
relief
The appropriation Of public funds
for direct relief in Washington. to meet
the conditions created by actual lack
Of food. clothing and housing, Is
essential. This load must be shouldered
by taxpayers here as it has been
shouldered elsewhere. 1t can only be
conceived as an additional load, the
wearisome burdensonness Of which Is
not TO be relieved by the short-sighted
expedient Of seeking to throw on an
other one, as old as the world Is old
and heavier now because Of the slough