Evening star., 1941-11-22
Spurt 70 Pass
Halfway Mark
In Chest Urged
WiIIett Sees Sign of
Needed Momentum
In Largest Single Doy

A weekend squirt that will carry
the Community Chest fund we'll
past the halfway mark and give
renewed hope that the goal Of
$4,000 900 will be. reached by the
end of the campaign period Thurs
day was called for yesterday by
Chest Director Herbert L. Willett,
jr., after group reports had increased
the total to 1901 ,42897, or 45!07 per
cent Of quota.
Yesterdays total. $277,43414, was
the largest for any single day. The
director said it exceeded daily fig
ures of at least two preceding cam
paignS and that, from all appear
ances. this years drive at last had
been given the momentum it needed.
The luncheon at which the last
totals were compiled was the fifth of
the two-week campaign. Charles
Phelps Taft, assistant tdirector of
the office of Defense Health and
Welfare Services, Federal Security
Agency, and vice chairman of Mob
ilization for Human Needs, was the
principal speaker.
More Individuals Give.
While the 1892 new pledges add
ed raised the individual gifts to "a
875, more than 1000 ahead of those
for the same period last year, con-
tributions remained nearly per
cent behind the 1910 comparative
figure. The money total at this
stage of the preceding drive was
1897 1892, shade under the half
way mark.
Two of the four campaign groups
have totals at present which exceed
the average for the current drive.
These are the Group Solicitation
Unit. with 1923 per cent, and the
Metropolitan Unit. with 47.l9 per
cent of quota.
The Group Solicitation Unit yes
terday turned in 5446 new pledges.
representing s72 ,9O69l, for a grand
total of 14,l5S pledges and s314,-
O5208 out of a goal of s678, 900.
With a quota of $4,000, the
Metropolitan Unit reported 1,757
new gifts, totaling s60,904. These
additions swelled the groups COM
plete results to 6952 individual con-
tributions and $l93,486.
Government Group, 1890.
Both of the two other groups were
within about per cent of the cam
paign average. The Federa1 Gov
eminent Unit, largest Of the four,
advanced to 1882 per cent OF its
1888 900 quota 1t reported 1924
new givers. increasing its grand
total to 59,406. and added $l25 ,637 .30)
in promised contributions to carry
its gifts to date to 1868 ,04394. .
The District Government UnR
brought in 1895 pledges and sig
985 SO. It's grand totals now stand
at 1859 g!vers and $3l ,846 SO. for ia
percentage OF 1903.
In his talk to the gathering (of
more than TOO volunteer workers,
Mr. Taft told them that people Who
work with the Community Chest
exercise privileges of local citisen-
ship" He said the idea that Chest
funds are merely a 'handout," that
they are meant for people who fcan-
not help themselves. is too generally
felt.
The Community Chest work goes
far beyond those who are sick or
i'll" he declared. I'VE must have the
type of social services it makes pos
sible and which is something a
Government can't provide. Our pri-
vate health agencies. for instance.
sticking pin in the public health
agencies, that are makingI expert
ments the public agencies never
make"
A Constructive Program"
The speaker cited the, venereal
disease bill passed by Congress and
said its adoption was due largely to
the influence of private agencies.
Community Chest work isn't a
question of handout, but ques-
tion of constructive program" he
asserted.
Mr.. Taft said the constructive
character-building effort of the
Community Chest is more important
in times like the present than at
any other period.
You're providing something no
Government can provide he con-
cluded. You're giving a self-start-
ing, constructive program. You're
helping to solve the social problems
OF community so that it will be a
fit place in which toilive."