Evening star., 1933-05-01
DECLARES CRISIS
MENACES RELIGION
Rev. R. J. CIinchy, in Sermon,
Criticizes Congress Pol.
icy on District.

The crisis in health, welfare and edu-
cation which confronts Washington is
also a threat to religion. Rev. Russell
J. Clinchy declared yesterday from the
pulpit of the Mount Pleasant Congre-
gational Church.
He described as fallacy the religious
proverb. Mans extremity is Gods op-
portunity,' and asserted that religion
foc ages has been under the bondage
OF the delusion that en- emaciated body
and clCsedin mind is a more fertile
soil for spiritual appreciation than a
well-nourished body and mind that
is trained and at home in the world"
DR.. Clinchy called attention to the
threatened breakdown of private family
welfare agencies. the inadequacy of
funds from public appropriations for
Emergency Relief. and the growing dis
tress among the unemployed
Jesus came to make men whole
Or. Clinchy said. He did not believe
for minute that a blind man. lame
man. sick man or man with
diseased mind provided a greater op-
portunity for God than whole and
healthy man"
Charity Plight Described.
Pointing cut that the Associated
Charities in Washington will be out
OF funds at the present rate of eX
penditure by August /. DR.. Clinchy
said that this organization is simply
counting on the possibility of transfer
ring to the Board of Public Welfare
a large number of current dependent
families which it believes are properly
the responsibility Of the public author
ities"
DR.. Clinchy declared every one of
the other organizations in the Com
n1unity Chest, which also ministers to
relief in the various areas of life. is
facing exactly this same situation. and
unless they refuse to give the adequate
relief that is needed, their funds, also,
will be exhausted by Summer"
The speaker called attention to the
fact that nationally the country has
met the emergency by spending seven
times as much for relief from public
funds as from private gifts. while Wash
ington lags far behind in this respect.
In 1892 he continued. "67 per cent
OF the funds for relief came from pri-
vate sources and only 80 per cent from
public funds.
The total number of applicants for
relief registered by the Emergency
Relief Division to date is 10000 The
number of families receiving relief dur
ing March was 1862.
The average amount of relief during
March was $6.21 Fer family and the
average family was 43 individuals.
Dr. Clinchy declared that an adequate
budget for such deStitute families should
be Spills per week. if something is
provided for clothing and household
supplies and something for health and
recreation.
ON April 2s." DR., Clnchy continued,
"the Senate committee reported the
District bill approving an amount of
one ano one-half million dollars. The
public relief will therefore be short
one million dollars in even granting in
adequate relief for the coming year
With regard to education. DR.. Clinchy
said there are actually not enough
school buildings and school rooms: not
enough teachers; not enough super
visers: not enough Fairgrounds. We
are not talking about China. We are
talking about the Capital of one of the
three or four great nations of the
world. 1t is not the common council
of some fourth-rate city which will not
provide an adequate education, it is
the Congress of the United States
which will not provide out of the taxes
of District citizens an adequate edu
cational system for the children of
Washington. The crisis in education is
acute"