Evening star., 1936-09-19
PROGRESS NOTED
FOR YARDST|CK OF
INDUSTRIAL GIFTS
Human Needs Delegates to
Intensity Efforts for
Formula.
CONFERENCE PLANNED
BY UTILITIES LEADERS
Movement Receives Impetus From
Presentation of General
| Motors Method.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

Satisfied that progress mas been.
made toward Standardization of cor
poration contributions to community
chests and other private charities,
delegates to the 1886 Mobilization for
Human Needs left Washington today
with the intention of intensifying eff
forts to devise formulas for different
industrial classlfications.
In the utilities group a conference
on the issue already is scheduled in
White Sulphur Springs in October
with three leaders of that industry
assigned to the task of presenting the
framework for such a "yardstick."
Harvey c. Couch, president of Arkan-
sas Power & Light, was named to
head the special committee.
Impetus to the movement for q
definite formula for corporation con-
tr1butions was given at the conference
yesterday with presentation of a plan
now being initiated by General Motors
Corp. In brief, their suggestion is that
industrial contributions should bear
the same ratio to community charity
budgets as industrial taxes bear TO
total community taxes.
Then, among the individual con-
Germs the industrial total would be di-
vided roughly on the ratio of employees.
AS an additional modification local
plant managers would be allowed a
margin of discretion to meet peculiar
local conditions
Split Into Four Groups.
Receiving this proposal in a general
session, delegates to the conference
then split into four industrial groups.
Wendell Willkie, president of Com
monwealth g. Southern Corp, reported
the decision of the utilities group as
noted above.
From the chain store group came a
report by Albert H. Morrill, of the
Kroger Co. of Cincinnati that that
group had decided IAN established
formula for giving to charitable or.
ganlzations in the case of the chain
store industry is inadviSable."
In explanation he declared that q
formula would remove the social as
poets and benefits of voluntary con-
trioutions, that the ratio of employees
to sales is greater in chain stores than
in most industries, that stability Of
employment is greater and that the
social security act has imposed a
greater proportionate burden on that
industry.
Welcome Some Standard.
Recommending more discretionary
powers for local managers and more
intensive educational efforts by chest
officials, he concluded: Chains as a
whole will welcome some standard
practical and applicable to their func-
tions."
From r. v. Fletcher of the Associa-
ton of American Railroads came the
admission that railroads never have.
adopted anything like a uniform poll
icy on this question of the support
of charitable enterprises in particu-
lar communities, coupled with the
promise to bring the matter before the
October meeting of the executive
board OF the association.
Gerard Swope, president CT the
General Electric Co., speaking for the
manufacturing group, promised that
efforts will be pressed to stimulate
individual concerns to think over the
proposal and to watch closely the ap.
plication of definite policies by such
companies as his own and General
Motors.
The conference reelected Stillman
F. Westbrook of Hartford as president
of Community Chests and Councils,
Inc. c. Phelps Dodge. president of
the Washington Chest, was reelected
a member of the national board of di-
rectors which this year is to consist
OF 20 lay members and 10 professional
members. Previously the board of 80
has been equally divided between lay
members and social workers.