Evening star., 1932-05-18
CHARGE AGENCIES
BLOCKED OWN AID
Chest Members Deny Refusal
to Submit Data Asked
by Committee.

The charge that Community CheSt
members themselves were responsible
for the failure of Congress to appropri-
ate $6oo,O00 of authorized District funds
for unemployment relief in Washington
was made last night by James G. Yaden
before the Petworth Citizens Associa-
ton.
Yaden tcld the association the reason
the House Appropriations COMMITTEE
had failed to pass upon the request OF the
Community Chest for the appropriation
which had received the approval OF
the District Commissioners, the Budget
Bureau and President Hoover-was be-
cause the charitable organizations be-
longing to the Chest refused to give the
committee statements as to their an
nual operating expenses.
Charge Denied.
Oficials of the Community Chest,
however, denied today they had refused
to give the committee the information
requested. In the absence of Director
ElWood Street they said the House Com
mittee made the request for the infor-
nation on March %. The data were sup
piled three days later, it was said.
On behrlf Of the Council Of Soc1cl
Agencies, Mrs. w. A. Roberts secretary,
also denied today that the Community
Chest members had refused to give the
information.
"All of the family agencies of the
Chest-the Associated Charities, Catho-
lie Charities. United Hebrew Relief So
ciety, Salvation Army, American Legion
and the Disabled American Veterans
sent in everything that was asked for,
said Mrs. Roberts. These are the agen-
cies which administer relief and are
the ones that would be affected by the
appropriation.
"I think the members of the COM
mittee misunderstood the request for
the s600,O0O appropriation. Apparently
they took the position that the private
agencies of the Chest would benefit
from the funds; but, as a matter OF
fact, the agencies would not get penny
the money would be administered
publicly"
Only or s Replies Received.
In making the charge last night,
Yaden said:
THE chairman of the subcommittee
of the House Appropriations Committee
considering the request for the appro-
priation requested statements from
members of the Community Chest as to
their overhead. A committee mem
Der told me only six or eight repnes
have been received.
That is the reason why the Appro-
priations Committee failed to appropri-
ate the $500, 900 fund requested" Yaden
shouted.
When Mrs Frank H. Schwartz, an as
sociation member and member of the
Board of the Episcopal Home for Chill
dren, replied to Yaden's charge and said
the congressional committee could have
gotten the information from the Com
munify Chest and need not have asked
each charity for a statement" Yaden
broke in:
Saw Letters to Committee.
"Since the lady has brought the mat
ter up, I will say that saw several let
ters in reply to the House Committees
request refusing to give the information
asked for And can make that state
ment without fear of successful contra
diction"
Though he did not make a direct
charge Yaden intimated salaries paid
by the various charitable organizations
which belong to the Chest were excess
sive. Mrs. Schwartz replied that as di-
rector of an organization which is a
member Of the Chest Il know that the
salaries within the associations are not
too high"
The controversy broke out after Col
E. G. Bliss, chairman Of the Work
creation Committee Of the Committee
on Employment, had addressed the as
sociation on the "block-aid" plan of
unemployment relief He urged the resi-
dents of Petworth to apply the scheme
III Alaafv of%
experience Of Chevy Chase as proof
that the system is practical and bene-
flcial
Three bills now before Congress were
Endorsed by the aSsociation-the Glass
Steagall banking bill. the measure to
raise the qualifications for jurors in the
District and the bill to establish an
athletic commission to regulate boxing
and wrestling.
Statements Asked.
Walter S. Ufford. chairman of the
Chest Executive Council, disclosed this
afternoon he wrote the various Chest
agencies requesting that the statements
asked by the Appropriation Committee
be sent in promptly. The letter fol-
lows:
ITO all Executives of the Executives
Council:
Dear Fellow Workers:
I'VE are now informed that the re-
quest of President Hoover for a public
appropriation of 100000 for relief to
residents of the District of Columbia
who are unemployed or otherwise in
distress because of the existing emerg-
ency' may be denied by the Committee
on Appropriations Of the District of Co.
lumbia of the House Of Representatives
because not all the member agencis of
the Community Chest have furnished
the committee, as requested, with the
SPECIAL NOTICES.