Evening star., 1940-05-22
Citizens Welfare
Units Warned Of !,
Charity Rackets'
Phone and Door-to- Door
Solicitations Said to
Blk Public

The charity racket" is reaching
alarming proportions In Washing
ton, Harry ,Wender, president Of the
Southwest Citizens Association, told
the second joint conference of presi-
dents and welfare chairmen of
citizens and civic associations and
the Family Welfare Division of the
Council of Social Agencies at Barker
Hall last night. Mr.. Wender advised
against giving to charity which
solicits by telephone or sends rep
resentatives from door to door and
urged that before making dona-
tions. person consult Mrs. H. J.
Phelps, welfare chairman OF the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
who in this capacity would serve
as clearing house for charity in
formation.
Reputable charities are suffering
because of the charity racket in
Washington" Mr.. Wender said.
"Your money is needed" he added,
"but none of the genuine organiza-
tions is going to use the telephone
or paid solicitors to get it." t
Small Cost to Racketeer.
Mr.. Wender reminded the con-
ference that only $1.65 is needed to
enter the charity racketeering
business" For this sum, he said, a
person can secure the privilege of
soliciting as much money as he
wants without accounting for a
penny.
Charity racketeers, he said, re-
Gently have seized upon Southwest
as term most likely to wiring dona-
tions from the people because of
certain low living standards in the
sector. IF the name Southwest is
quoted to you," he admonished,
don't send dime"
Last year the Council of Social
Agencies drafted a law to require
the licensing Of all charities by the
Board Of Public Welfare. The
measure is under consideration Of
the corporation counsel's ofiice.
Dorsey w. Hyde, jr., chairman Of
the family welfare division Of the
council, who presided at the meet
ing, declared the charity racket
was growing in Washington because
of clever "sales talk" Of telephone
solicitors. He said the help OF every
organization was needed to secure
remedial legislation.
Mr.. Hyde termed the meeting
particularly significant to the city"
and asked those attending to make
reports of the proceedings to their
groups to get the reaction"
Discuss Social Service Problems.
Principal feature of the meeting
was a panel discussion of the five
major points Of social service work.
Representatives of various groups
propounded actual problems they
had faced and were advised in turn
by welfare experts. .s~
Rev. Harry v. Porter, pastor OF.
Westminster Methodist Church, and
q member Of the Southwest Citizens
Association, told Of his experience
with . family in need Of medical care
as well as charity. He was able to
make headway only after consulting
q Community Chest unit, he said.
Miss Gertrude Bowling of the In
structive Visiting Nurses Society
praised the Rev. Mr.. Porter for his
Intelligent" handling of a case.
Speaking of family welfare. Mrs.
H. O. Craver of the Petworth Citi-
zens' Association asked what should
be done to avoid duplication Of ef-
fort. Mrs. Helen Martin of the
public assistance division of the
Board Of Public Welfare said that
the limited resources of both public
and private agencies makes it high
ly desirable to avoid duplication.
She advised Mrs. Craver to first
clear a case with the application
bureau Of the Community Chest"