Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-07-19
PLAN CONFERENCE
ON HUMAN NEEDS
81 Welfare Organizations
TO Cooperate in White
House Session.

with the country, as whole, bend
tng efforts toward one great objective
food and shelter for the unemployed
"a related problem OF corresponding
gravity, that Of carrying on such SerF-
lee for the needy sc disqualification.
pursinF, child and family welfare ana
recreation and guidance Of youth. viii
come I'D for action at q White House
conference on September %.
Designated as the 1884 Mobilization
Cor Human Needs. "a national welfare
organizations arc cooperating, as
they did last year. under the chair
manship OF Newton D. Baker. to re-
inforce the efforts Of all local COM
Fnunities 10 raise the funds necessary
for their own welfare work
President Roosevelt has emphasized
The movement is indispensable TO ma
tional recovery" and Mrs Roosevelt
again will be chairman OF the Ma
tionsl Women's Committee Of the
mobilization, which, last year, in
ass cities in 20 States. organized cru
eades to interpret the human needs
OF their communities.
President Sees Success.
The White House meeting will serve
10 launch the mobilization, and Presi
dent Roosevelt voiced his belief in
letter 10 Mr.. Baker that II will be- a
success. III every one than can will
render aid this coming Fall" Last
year, the President recalled. "invalu
able assistance was rendered the
Government by this movement.
Just exactly what the mobilization
entails is explained by John Stewart
Bryan. publisher Of the Fews-Leader
Of Richmond who is president Of
Community Chesis a. Councils, Inc,
the administrative agency for the "a
cooperating groups
In letter TO the editor Of The Star,
Mr. Bryan. urging assistance in clart-
flying the issues involved. explains that
g the first announcement Of the mobih-
xation has been "misinterpreted In
important quarters as announcing the
campaign primarily for material relief
1unds--that is, 10 keep the unem-
ployed from starving.
Such an appeal would be absurd,
in view of the fact Government
sources now supply more than 81 per
cent of such relief.
OvershadowS Other Needs.
"The immensely Of these relief ex-
penditures. now nearly II times as
great as five years ago, overshadows
the increased need for other welfare
services, such as hospitals, nursing,
child and family welfare. recreation
and guidance OF youth, The drain
on governmental resources merely
for material relief has thrown a dis
proportionate burden of other serv-
ices on private social agencies.
For example, So per cent Of all
hospital facilities are privately main
tanned Yet during the depression,
while free care of patients in Gov
ornamental hospitals has increased only
10 per cent, in privately supported
hospitals it has increased As per cent.
Free nursing by governmental units
has actually decreased per cent,
while privately supported nursing
groups have had to increase their
free service by 81 per cent.
Personal and family demorahza-
ton and defeat in this depression
cannot be met by mass methods OF
distributing food--your own acquaint-
ance with such human problems will
suggest how bafiiing they may be-
and they are still primarily the re-
sponsibility Of family welfare societies.
Their job is through skilled, friendly
service to reinforce families own ca
pocitieS to weather these storms. IN
employment relief. alone does not SIM
pity these troubles: in most cases 1t
complexities them.
Sees Other Problems.
Childrens homes and foster-care
agencies are still major responsible
ity of private citizenship, though the
need is likewise aggravated by hard
times. Boys and girls and young
people with spare time, but no money
and no guidance in their blind FUN
bling for a future-these, too. are
largely outside the scope of govern
mental expenditures. l am merely
limiting at some of the vast areas Of
suffering and of obligation not
touched, or barely touched, by the
public treasury.
In your own city the welfare