Evening star., 1948-02-11
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Vote Next Week
Set on Plan for
Chest Merger
New Agency Would
Give Civic Leaders
Greater Influence

StNS SiVIC LSOuSfS
Greater Influence
The governing bodies of the
Community Chest and the Coun-
Gil of Social Agencies will decide
next week whether the organiza-
tions will combine their func-
tions in proposed new United
Community Services of Wash
ington."
Details of the proposal, an
pounced yesterday by leaders of
both organizations, promise large
measure of control by the COM
munity at large, as expressed by its
various representatives, and by Or
ganized groups outside the social
welfare field.
The long discussed merger of the
two agencies has been agreed on in
q new formal by the Chests Execu-
tive Committee and the Councils
Board of Directors, after revisions
embodying recommendations of
committees appointed to study and
coordinate the expressions of men,
Der groups.
Would Include Public.
The new organization would in
clude community organizations and
the public at large, as well as Chest
supported, privately supported and
public, tax-financed agencies.
The Chests board of trustees and
the delegate body of the Council
will vote on the plan at meetings
next week.
In addition to including COM
munity organizations, the plan pro-
vides for determination more rep
resentative of the community in de-
Gliding which agencies warrant COM
munity support, a more careful
evaluation of what agencies shall be
included under the Chest and a
stronger front in support of both
public and private needs.
The agency, according to the
planners, would perform these
tasks:
Gather facts and make special
studies dealing with social needs,
problems and services; provide uni
form standards of services and per-
sonnel practices, stimulate develop
ment of new services where needed
and eliminate duplicating service;
budget funds for Chest agencies,
formulate basic principles to guide
member agencies on health and
welfare matters and work to insure
adequate funds for these services by
keeping the public fully informed.
General Assembly of 373.
Community organizations eligible
for membership would be city wide
ones that have been actively con-
cerned with social welfare for at
least two years and have depart
ment or committee currently work.
ing on these problems.
The body would have a general
assembly of about 373 members,
about half of whom would repre-
sent community organizations or
the public at large; a board of
trustees, and a 25-member execu-
tive committee, of which 10 men,
bers would be chosen by the Board
of Trustees.
The general assembly would act
as a selniannual forum and would
be responsible for conducting an an
nual community wide social welfare
conference.
While the utmost value Of pro-
fessional social workers would be
sought in an advisory capacity, they |
would have severely limited voice
under the proposal.
OF some 200 members of the pol
icy-making board of trustees, for
example, a maximum of 28 profess
sional social workers could be in
cluded, and planners expect the
number to be less than that.
Professional Control Charged.
Criticism of the Chest and Coun-
Gil, which included renewed attack
last week by civic leaders and busi-
nessmen, was based partly on the
contention the two agencies are con-
trolled by paid workers.
The board of trustees, under the
proposal, would include lay men,
ber of the board from each of the
private agencies included. a repre-
sentative from each public agency,
two professional workers from each
Of six welfare divisions and a layI
member from each community or
ganization.
The number of trustees from the
public at large and the member
community organizations would
equal the total number of the other
trustees.
Since some public agencies have
boards of laymen, it is expected the
number of paid professional workers
above the IL from the welfare divi-
sions would fall short of the maxi
mum provided.
At a press conference yesterday,
Lee D. Butler, president of the
Washington Chest, said he consid-
ers the new organization would re-
suit in the obvious economy of a
single executive director, public re-
lations staff and other administra-
tive set up in place of two.
Costs Held in Doubt.
Miss Jane Hoey, acting president
of the council, added, however, that
since it is impossible to know what
new types of activity would be de-
cided on by the reorganized body, it
could not be said whether the COM
bined setup would result in less cost
Under the criteria of membership
in the new organization, the plan
states the agency must perform al
service needed in the community of
a preventive, remedial or educa-
tional nature in the field of health
and welfare, and must not dupli-
cate the work Of any other agency
in the field"
Mr.. Butler explained that an ad-