The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-19


roll, Indiana Bell Telephone Co.
president told the assembled work
ers last night
Termed Social Duty
Mr.. Morrill, said in part:
Community Chests, or funds, or
by Whatever name they are known,
are not charity today. They con-
stitute social duty, social neces-
sity for you and me, just as do our
duties toward those to whom We
are bound by ties of blood and af-
lection.
Our Community Chest in Gin
clnnati has operated successfully
year after year. 1t has become so
much part Of the community life
of our city that I find people have
become accustomed to it. They
think it will continue to function
somehow, some way.
once in so often We have to Jolt
the good citizens of Cincinnati out
of their complacency and make
them realize that it is only by con-
tinued effort, continued realization
of the needs, that our Community
Chest can be continued.
Appeals to Workers
There is no doubt but that here
in indianapolis the same COM
placency regarding your Community
Fund is to be found. Your citizens
come to think of it as we do in Gin
cinnati, and it is for you army of
workers who generously give of your
time and your effort to jolt the
citizens of indianapolis, high and
low, rich and poor, old and young,
out of their complacency; to make
them know that the needs of the
Fund are real, unacceptable, and
that they can only be met by in
creased giving.
During your campaign, you will
find Woeful ignorance of the diff
ference between state and Federal
contributions for relief, and the
contributions which your citizens
are asked to make to the Commun-
ity Fund.
why, they will say, should we
contribute when the Federal gov
eminent is spending billions for re-
lief? That was a natural and
legitimate question in recent years.
1t was completely answered here
and elsewhere by the fact that in
most cases Federal relief con-
tributed nothing for the support of
the agencies under most Community
Federal relief contribute any sub
Stantial sum.
U. S. Aid Withdrawn
But whatever the answer was in
former months and years, the
answer to this question today is
that the Federal government has
already withdrawn most of it's relief
funds; that in the course of a
month or two all relief funds will
be withdrawn. And this is as it
should be. The maintenance of the
Sc agencies which are supported by
the indianapolis Community Fund
is essentially a local responsibility
Locally you are better able to
say what should and should not be
supported Through local super
vision and direction you can effect
economies and get results that could
not be obtained through long dis
lance appropriation and direction.
The decentralization of the sup
port of charities and the shoulder
ing of local burdens is fundamental
in our theory of government and
management of public affairs. 1t
leaves to each community freedom
to handle its own affairs, freedom
to develop it own initiative and to
bear its own obligations.
But the fact that bearing local
obligations and making local con-
trlbution is sound, does not in any
degree lessen this burden. In fact,
1t increases it. Here, in Indianap-
oils, you have fixed your goal at
1924, $50 This is $4,000 more than
last years fund. But last years
fund was $4,000 less than you
raised in 1882. And the goal which
you have fixed this year was de-
termined on months ago, before the
prospect of withdrawal of Federal
relief was known.
New Burden Apparent
ALREADY Federal funds formerly
available for direct relief have
been withdrawn. Already the Fed
eral Transient Bureau, which took
care of the floating population. has
been closed. Already the inevitable
drain and strain on your fund
caused by these Withdrawals is felt.
Placing of destitute individuals in
private families has had to be
abandoned because of lack of funds
and the difficulties of obtaining
these funds promptly.
True, under your law, poor relief
is now administered by township
trustees, but these trustees alone
have neither the organization, nor
the money to adequately and
promptly provide for the wants of
the INDECENT.
Indianapolis can not turn its
back on the INDECENT transient, the
poor residents, the person who is
helpless because of youth, age or
illness. This class can not be al
lowed to float here and there, de-
pendent on begging and casual
charity. indianapolis and its Com
munity Fund must provide for the
care and protection of this class