Evening star., 1947-07-21
Survey yofChest
Split 3Ways as
Members Shift
3 Names Withdrawn
From Majority Report.
Leaving 1t Minority


Leaving 1t Minority
The Citizens Community Chest
Survey Committee has split three
ways with the result that two spe-
cial meetings, called for today and
tomorrow to consider the commit
tees report. will have three minority
reports and no majority report.
This became apparent when three
more committee members who had
signed what was previously the ma
jority report withdrew their names,
thereby reducing support for that
report to II of the Is members of
the committee.
Latest to withdraw their names
were the three representatives from
the Federation of Civic Associations,
who Joined the three Washington
Industrial Union Council (CIO) rep
resentatives and one Government
member on the committee in spon-
soring a separate report.
The seven said they had signed
the majority report in the hope that
1T would serve as workable COM
promise along the divergent views
represented on the committee.
Issues Held Unresolved.
"The extreme position taken BY
the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations and the Federation of
Businessmens Associations in their
minority report, coupled with the
ambiguous, critical and negative
tone of the majority report, have
made us realize that none of the
real issues was resolved and that
1t is our responsibility to bring
these issues clearly to the atten-
tion of the Community Chest and
the public" the statement from the
latest minority declared.
The Citizens Survey Committee,
which released its findings last
week after four month survey,
was asked to make an independent
study as the aftermath of criti-
cism centering mainly on the re-
lease by the Council of Social
Agencies of a controversial race
relations survey.
An eight-member group appoint
ed to study basic reorganization
of the Chest and Council will 90
over the findings at a meeting
today and the Chests Executive
Committee has been called together
for special meeting tomorrow at
which it may recommend calling
meeting of the Chest Board of
Trustees.
Prejudices Charged.
The latest minority charged that
certain members of the Citizens
Committee came with fixed pur-
poses and prejudices and had no
intention of being influenced in any
way by what took place at COM
mittee meetings" E- .
The original minority report, the
latest group declared, deals in large
part with matters not brought be-
fore the committee for considera-
ton. The statement quoted one
committee member as saying he had
been sent by his organization to
get the council out of the Chest"
and that if the committee failed to
do so, his organization would not
participate in the next campaign.
What was previously the majority
report recommended a closer in
egration between Chest and council.
The first minority report proposed
discontinuance of the council as
Chest member The latest minority
said the previous majority report
wanted to make the council subserv-
lent to the Chest.
Instead, the latest minority report
recommended increased co-opera-
ton of Chest and council, with each
working In its own sphere toward
more effective welfare program.
One of Is Surveys.
AS for the controversial race rela-
tions report, the newest minority
pointetd out it was only one of Is
surveys of health, welfare and rec
reation problems sponsored by the
council. To attack the council for
conducting the 18 surveys because
of disagreement with the findings
of one survey, the report contended,
is wholly unjustified.
The group took issue with the
other committee members on the
question of expelling some Chest
agencies. The first minority report
had named % agencies. The pre-
vious majority report, naming no
specific agency, set up set Of pro-
posed standards which the latest
minority contended would encourage
the expulsion of some agencies at q
later date
This action is based upon q
short-sighted and antiquated con-
cept that welfare should be re-
stricted to direct charity" the
seven members of the minority de-
clared. Such a concept was dis
carded by thinking people quarter
of century ago."
Prevention Is Stressed.
Modern welfare principles, the
statement added, recognize that ac-
tivities to prevent creation of charity
cases are as important, If not more
important, than remedial measures
in behalf of charity cases.
The three-way split in the COM
mittee now leaves this lineup on
what was originally the majority re-
port: Chairman William E. Leahy,
the three Washington Board Of
Trade representatives, the three
Junior Board of Commerce repre-
sentatives, the three Washington
Central Labor Union (AFL) repre-
sentatives and two of the three
Government representatives.