Evening star., 1935-11-20
CHEST SOLICITORS
WAGE HARD FIGHT
AS CLIMAX NEARS
$468,671 Must Be Raised
by Tonight to Reach
Minimum Goal.
VICTORY BY s Pm.
is HERCULEAN TASK
Drive to Close Definitely at Rally.
Stranded Former U. S. Relief
Clients Face Starvation.

The Community Chest campaigners
today we're engaged in desperate
final effort to reach their minimum
goal of s1,877,9 900 before the close Of
the Chests annual mercy" drive to-
night.
It was a herculean task which con-
fronted the army of volunteers when
it set forth this morning, but, under
the encouragement of Campaign
Chairman William McClellen and
other leaders. the solicitors hoped to
close the s468.671 gap separating
them from victory.
Dispensing with the usual midday
luncheon rally of workers today, the
campaigners intended to continue
their canvassing relentlessly until the
zero hour" 8 O'Clock tonight, when
they will gather at what they hope
will be victory rally in the large
ball room of the Willard Hotel. Final
returns will be tabulated at the meet
ing, which will mark formal end OF
the drive.
S4OO, 900 More Than Goal Needed.
Even with the minimum goal at
tanned, the Chest would still be short
some 100000 needed. according TO
District officials, to care for stranded
former beneficiaries of Federal direct
relief. Actual starvation threatens
these unfortunates unless private
agencies are provided with the funds
to meet the critical situation, it has
been stated.
Whatever the outcome. the Chest
campaign will be closed definitely TO-
night, it was announced. AS the figures
stood today, the Chest was 25.55 per
cent short of its minimum goal. pledges
in hand totaling 81 4G9 ,228.l3. Chair
man Mcclellan today reiterated his
faith in his army" and stressed the
"desperateness of the situation" He
urged every worker in the Group So
licitation and Governmental Units who
has unreported pledges to be sure ana
get them in by 8 p.m- He urged the
most careful consideration Of all terri
tory with view to seeing that no one
misses an opportunity to contribute.
He urged every Washingtonian who
has not pledged, either through abb
sence from home or failure to be
solicited, to send in his gift to the
Chest.
Return of Begging Fought.
Again stressing the large number OF
homeless men'appearing on the streets
zf ~, o+n v1-ith RnraSanIlpr1f in
crease in street and door-to-door beg
ging. DR.. Mcclellan called attention to
the fact that this condition had been
almost eliminated in the last two years
and urged that it not be permitted to
return.
The city was thrown wide open" TO
the canvaSsers at yesterdays meeting.
This means that the workers in the
Metropolitan Unit can solicit any per-
son who has not yet contributed, re-
gardless of territorial or unit limita-
tons This was expected to produce
3 last t-minute rush among the workers
that would result in substantial in
creases in the amounts which will be
reported tonight.
Speaking at yesterdays meeting.
Elwood Street, director of the Board
of Public Welfare, declared: LAS I
look over this group. have two
thoughts in mind. The first is the
good as a whole that the Community
Chest has engendered in the COM
munity. The second is that a group
like this can do anything it wants.
The job can be done"
Too Many Small Gifts.
''It seems to me-" Street continued.
"aS I go over the results, that too
many people are not giving adequately
and do not seem to understand that
they are giving for IS service agencies.
There have been too many small
gifts. 1 have heard it said that
Monday should be a good day for
the Government group. of which
I am one, because Saturday was
pay day That is wrong premise.
There is too much tendency to take
the spare change that a Government
worker can spare on pay day. The
worker who can give one. two or five
dollars on pay day can. as rule, give
that much every month without miss
ing it. This applies to all other Wash
ingtonians as well. We should impress
upon givers the thought that their
gift its divided by 65 and thus bring to
them the necessity of increases.
GAS director of the Board of Public
1See CHEST page Al