Evening star., 1934-10-23
ROOSEVELT URGES
GIVING FOR RELIEF
Radio Address Makes Plea
to Aid in Care of Human
Needs.
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt says every good
citizen should ease Governments re-
lief burden by giving what he can to
private charity.
The President made radio appeal
last night in behalf of the 1884 mobili-
Zation for human needs, headed by
Newton D. Baker. He stressed two
points.
THE first" he said, "is that the
Federal Government, State govern
ments and local governments are all
Of them bearing an unusually heavy
load of expenditures for relief and en-
ployment purposes load so heavy
that every good citizen should seek to
tighten it in every way possible"
THE other point would make" he
said, 'is that none Of us wants to elm
mate the personal factor in taking
care of human needs. Surely none Of
you wants to centralize the care of
relief. either in Washington or in your
State capital or in your city hall
Text OF Address.
The text of the Presidents speech
follows:
For the second successive year I
am making a direct and frank appeal
to the country to give support to
worthy local charities of all kinds.
You will recognize the necessity OF
the general rule which prevents the
President of the United States from
asking for assistance or contributions
on behalf of any specific or individual
good cause. If I were to begin doing
that would be on the air at least two
or three times every evening.
In this case, however, there is in
existence a central organization called
Needs' The object of this mobiliza-
ton is to encourage and tie in together
the many private organizations which
are seeking funds to carry on their
very essentiaLan necessary work for
the coming year.
In some communities these organ
izationS seek contributions from the
public by the means OF community
chests; in other communities they are
asking for help separately but stimuli
taneously.
Mentions Two Facts.
May I very simply explain to you
two facts which all of us should bear
In mind?
"The first is that the Federal Gov
ernment, the State governments and
local governments are all of them
bearing an unusually heavy load Of
expenditures for relief and employ
ment purposes-a load so heavy that
every good citizen should seek to
tighten it in every way possible. This
effort on the part of governments of
all kinds to bear their share of the
emergency needs proceeds very clear
ly on the assumption that the total
amount of relief of human needs,
heretofore borne by private contribu-
ttons to private organizations, will
continue in the future at least at the
same pace and in the same amount
as in the past
I hope that you will well realize
that it is contrary to sound public
policy to transfer more burdens to
the shoulders of government if it can
possibly be avoided and, therefore, that
private charity should, as a matter of
good citizenship, be maintained at
least at current levels.
Stresses Personal Factors.
THE other point I would make Is
that none of us wants to eliminate
the personal factor in taking care of
human needs. Surely none of you
wants to centralize the care of relief
either in Washington or in your State
capitol or in your city hall. The de-
Capitalization Of relief-the keeping
OF it in the hands of private organiza-
tlons as much as we possibly can
means that personal relationships, per-
sonal contacts, personal obligations
and personal opportunities to do good
will be preserved.
1t is, therefore, without hesitation
and with very deep feeling that 1 ask
you to support your local charitable
and welfare organizations in this 1884
mobilization for human needs"
The need for the fullest efforts of
private agencies of relief was set forth
by former Secretary of War Baker,
introducing the President.
Government Cooperating.
Inc Federal Government" Baker
said, "is cooperating with the State
governments, and they in turn are
marshalling the official local agencies
to provide relief for the purely ma
ter1al want, caused by depression un-
employment.
This, in itself, is so large and
strange a task, and the Governments
response so striking, that we are likely
to forget that it is, after all, only the
additional and unusual need that is
provided for
There still is left for us, as private
citizens and good neighbors, the ole
and customary burden which neighbors
have always borne and which in re-
cent years has been organized into a
great series of agencies which the for
tunate and the competent have always
supported and upon which the un-
fortunate and afflicted have learned
to depend.
Indeed, great as is the work the
Government is doing, it has not les
sened the private task, for there has
been, during the past four years, sn
ever-increasing demand upon the pri-
vate agencies"