Evening star., 1932-04-15
To Whom Shall We Turn?

voiced by the President of the United
States, for an emergency appropriation
of S600000 Of District of Columbia rev.
enues for publicly administered relief
and welfare work to supplement private
charity. is a bitter blow to the men
and women whose daily contact has
made them familiar with the suffering
and tragedy of this bleak period And
1t is a dangerous blow to this COM
munity
The blow is bitter because it denotes
such harsh lack of sympathetic COM
prehension, on the part of those in
trusted with the omnipotent and ex-
elusive power of local legislation and
appropriation of local funds, of the
problems peculiar to this city alone in
all America.
The blow Is dangerous because, unless
rectified by more considerate action.
the unprecedented situation regarding
relief of suffering in this city may
easily assume disastrous proportions.
But there is hope that there will be
a change of mind and heart by the
members of Congress. That hope Is
founded on a sincere belief that as
there has been such obvious misconcep-
tion of the facts. due to some miSun-
derstanding on the part of the Ap-
propriations Committee, general
knowledge of the truth will present the
remedy.
The committee report makes the fol-
lowing statement:
4" The total amount actually ex-
pended by the Community Chest for
the year 1881 was $2.006,97l SO. In
cluded in this sum was S13S, ,935 6S of
borrowed money. The total net sub
scriptions to the Community Chest for
the year 1882 were $24l5,9 1882. After
paying the money borrowed to cover the
deficit of 1881, the Community Chest
will have available for use in 1882 the
amount of $2,276, ,98324, which exceeds
the 1881 expenditures by $2700l1.55.
There will undoubtedly be some
shrinkage in collections of the 1882
subscriptions to the Community Chest
but allowing for such Shrinkage the
committee finds that the amount avail
able for charitable work in the District
of Columbia for the year 1882 exceeds
by substantial amount the total ex-
penditures for such work in 1881.
The committee is of the opinion
that those interested in this item did
not justify the present need of the pro-
posed appropriation which was sup
ported, to large degree, by the paid
employees of several of the IS organi-
cations that participate in the funds
collected by the Community Chest. A
eurSory examination of the expenditures
OF the Community Chest and some of
the IS organizations indicates that a
considerable portion Of the funds is being
expended to pay employees of the Com
munlty Chest and the IS participating
organizations.
Here, then, are the reasons advanced
for turning down this request: The
Community Chest has available for 1882
$27O0O0 more than 1t spent in 1881;
the paid employees" of Community
Chest organizations did not Justify the
need, while "cursory' examination of
Community Chest expenditures ''indi-
Gates" a considerable portion Of its
funds goes to pay employees
What are the facts? BY whom were
they presented?
BY the President Of the United States,
who, in sending forward the request
for these funds, stated that in prac-
tically every municipality Of any size
IN the country it has been found neces-
sary to supplement the voluntary chari-
table and welfare relief work by appro-
priation of municipal funds and the
Commissioners of the District of CO.
lumbia find it necessary similarly to re-
quest the appropriations for the District
OF Columbia to supplement the activ-
tiles of the organized charitable and
welfare associations in the District Of
Columbia" BY the director of the
budget, who stated that although the
funds subscribed TO charitable agencies
exceed the amounts previously sub
scribed, they are still inadequate to
meet the existing situation and that
anticipated during the coming Fall and
Winter" BY the Commissioners Of the
District. By Mrs. w. A Roberts, eXecu-
tive secretary, Washington Council OF
Social Agencies, who, summoned before
the committee, testified that work must
either be cut down by Community
Chest agencies in the face of a growing
demand for need, or help given through
public funds BY Rev. Father L. j.
Sheehan, assistant director of Catholic
Charities, who summoned before the
committee, testified that relief by his
organization Tor the first three months
this year has exceeded comparable
work in the same period OF last year by
so per cent. BY Walter S. UfTord, gen.
eral secretary Of the Associated Chari-
ties and representing the Citizens Re-
lief Association, who. summoned before
the committee, testified to an increase
In relief so far of 100 per cent, and
who said that unless help is given
through public funds, the whole struc-
ture Of the Community Chest organiza-
tion is threatened. BY Mai. James Asher
of the Salvation Army, who, summoned
before the committee, testified to a 14l
per cent increase in the work of his
organization so far this year over last
BY Francis F.. Miller, director Of vel
fare, American Legion, who, summoned
before the committee, testified to l3(
per cent increase in the relief and well
fare work Of the local Legion.
Yet, there Is no mention of this evi
dence in the committee report, upor
which members of Congress are sup
posed to base their judgment and maxi
their decisions. There is only a mis-
leading statement of the financial con
,dition Of the Chest. coupled kgith