Evening star., 1946-10-21

The cost of living in Washington
has gone up 33.5 per cent since 1899,
according to Labor Department sta
tistics, and therein lies the major
reason why this years Community
Chest Federation's goal Of 81, 200 600
is double the goals Of prewar days. Y
Just as your own budget has been
affected by price rises, so have the
budgets of the 125 agencies that
make up the Community Chest
Federation.
And with more than $4,000 volun-
teer workers ready to start solicita-
ton tomorrow, chest officials gave
the following additional reasons for
this years goal as against prewar
quotas: Il
/. The federation takes in more
territory and more agencies.
2, The increase in population in
re MetrbSpM4n Area with corre-I
sbonding increase In the demand for
chat Agancies services.
Reserve funds heretofore avail J
able to the fund have been used.
Cover Metropolitan Area.
The Chest Federation, in taking
In more territory than any other
peacetime chest drive, now includes
the Community Chests OF Washing
ton, Alexandria and county chests
of Fairfax and Arlington in Vir-
ginia and Prince Georges and Mont
gomery in Maryland. They have
united to make one appeal to the
residents of the entire metropolitan
Area.
The Washington Chest was organ
lied in 1928, the Arlington Chest in
1899. Fairfax in 1889 and Alexandria
in 1910.
Until 1912, each of these chests
put on a separate campaign. In that
year they carried the idea of fed
Grafton step forward The Chests
of Arlington, Fairfax and Washing
ton (Which at that time included
Montgomery and Prince Georges
agencies) and later Alexandria,
combined for a local campaign and
added the National War Fund agen-
cies in one overall effort.
The Montgomery County Chest
was organized in 1943 and Prince
Georges County Chest early this
year.
There are obvious advantages Of a
united appeal. 1t means a contrib
utor who lives in nearby Virginia
or Maryland, but who works in
Washington need give but once to
the total area need. It also means
that the overhead cost of conducting
a campaign will be much less for
one than for six separate campaigns.
Each Chest formerly spent about 8
per cent Of contributions it received
for campaign collection and admin
istration expenses. These same ex-
penses last year for the Community
War Fund were only 6.04 per cent Of
the total contributions.
AllOtments to Areas.
If the 1947 campaign goal of $4,-
200, 900 is reached, each Chests al
lotment has been tentatively set as
follows: Alexandria. $97, ,240; Arling-
ton, $103 $50; Fairfax. $51 ,070: Mont
gomery, $150,880; Prince Georges,
$4,000, and Washington, $2,o96. 100.
The USO, which was not included
in the 1S41 budget, is to receive it's
funds through the Chest Federation
campaign this year. Its quota is
$165,010.
Other budget allotments which
will be made If the 81 200 900 goal
Is reached are: disqualification
Fund, $464, 800; to be divided as
needed among Recreation Services,
Inc; American Youth Hostels, Fos-
ter Day Care and Counseling As
sociation and the Soldiers, Sailors
and Marines Club, $780, 800: for new
programs (but not to be attempted
II the goal is not reached estab-
lish an Alexandria colored YWCA.
a Prince Georges County recreation
project, a metropolitan planning
council, to make a further study
of area welfare needs, and to estab-
lish camps requested by the Wash
ington Chest, $50 2,460.
Four other items complete the a.
zoe, They are $4,000 for the
Community Chests and Councils,
Inc, the national organization
which is carrying on some Of the
national activities that were handled
by the National War Fund during
the war; $4,000 for retirement
fund for Chest Federation employees
who are not eligible for social
security benefits; 1885, 800 for head
quarters expense, including salaries
Of workers, and $4,000 which Is
required to cover unpaid pledges inf
order to cscsd r,sking appror-ia-
sio1- p = .=-''-'e.i1 cannot be
fulfilled - astaal collections.