Evening star., 1939-10-17
Bondy Stresses
D. {.
Welfare Work
Monday Evening Club
Told Washington Is
U. S. Testing Ground

Iold Washington Is
U. S. Testing Ground
Robert E. Bondy, the Districts new
public welfare director, last night
urged social workers to direct their
thoughts and energy toward unity.
ing Washington's varied welfare ac-
tivities and developing national
welfare plan designed to meet every
social need.
Making his first public address
since he tackled the Districts tan
gled welfare and relief problems a
month ago, Mr.. Bondy told the Mon
day Evening Club he is confident the
District can develop co-ordinated
welfare program on simple plat
form having as its slogan: go for
ward, meeting human need with skill
and economy"
As a practical move. the welfare
director said the District first should
distinguish between it's immediate
and its ultimate objectives, and plan
its work along those lines. He placed
cooperation of child welfare services
and extension of protective services
for children high on the list of i'm
mediate objectives.
Adequate Facilities Urged.
In the public assistance field, ade-
quate physical facilities should be
provided so the service can be car
ried out to the benefit of the tax
payer and beneficiary alike, he said.
Prompt service and economy in ad.
ministration also should be impor.
tant characteristics in this field, he
added.
"We must see that every one in
need of public assistance is helped"
Mr.. Bondy said. mo part should be
left out when we undertake to meet
human needs"
Under his longtime program, Mr..
Bondy listed the need for co-ordina-
ton of parole, probation and Gus.
todial services and for a construc-
ton program to provide better fa-
cilities for the many welfare activ.
tiles of the Board of Public Welfare
Then, looking beyond the work OF
the board itself, Mr.. Bondy said he
considered the following objectives
of great Importance:
/. More unity in all District em-
ployment services.
2. Keeping the unemployed at
home.
3. A strong public health program.
Includes Lowe Housing.
4. Extension Of low-cost housing
5. Strengthening of organizations
such as the Community Chest and
the Red Cross.
6. Fostering of well-rounded FAM
lily life.
7. Strengthening of public admin
istration personnel and standards.
Mr.. Bondy prefaced his speech by
asserting his belief in the demo.
cratic process and in Americas abil.
ity to develop well-rounded social
welfare scheme for the Nation.
Under our Federal Social Secur.
ity Act" he said, we've made a start
toward developing national social
welfare plan, but we haven't adj
vanced very far. Whole fields are
untouched. There is chaos in many
fields because of lack of unity in
administration. The Nation actu-
ally is not aware Of the existence Of
many social needs"
Mr.. Bondy said he became inter.
ested in the Districts welfare pro-
gram because he regarded it as espe.
cially significant and because he be-
lieves the Nations Capital is the
ideal testing ground for public well
fare services.
This should be the place where
we can demonstrate the way Amer
lea deals with adequancy and kind
| ness to the needs of our own ciCi-
zens," he said. "And our program
| should be one to which we all can
point with PRIDE
Cites Bondy's Training.
In introducing the speaker, Judge
Fay Bentley of Juvenile Court, presi-
dent of the club, spoke of his OUT
standing service as national director
of disaster relief for the American
Red Cross. She said she believed
this training would be of great BEN
eft to him in his welfare work here.
Herbert L. Willett, jr., director Of
the Community Chest, urged the
club members to rally support for the
forthcoming campaign by telling
every one you meet that the Chest
is the American way of doing the
things necessary to meet the needs
of the community"
An appeal also was made for sup
port of the Red Cross Roll Call in a
brief skit presented at the meeting.
held in the Y. w. G. A. Building,
Seventeenth and K streets NV.