Evening star., 1948-12-04
10 Ask
Previous Donors
For Chest Funds

Campaign Officially
Closes 26% Under
$4,566, 100 Goal
Letters asking donors of previou,
years to contribute to the Com.
munity Chest will be sent from
campaign headquarters although
the Goth annual drive in the Wash.
ington area ended officially last
night 26 per cent under its goal.
At a final report dinner in the
Washington Hotel it was announced
that 316,918 pledges were obtained
in the campaign. This would bring
the Community Chest $3,379,l9
or approximately IA per cent of the
campaign goal of $4,566,790.
In addition to the mail solicita.
ton of the previous donors who
have not been heard from thi.
year or otherwise have been missed
the "mopping up" process calls fol
completion of specific assignments
by volunteer workers, fulfllment o1
call-backs and turning in reports tc
headquarters at 1101 M street NV
Parker Points to Effects.
In terming the outcome of this
years Chest campaign "a dismay.
ing result" Campaign Chairman
Chauncey G. Parker outlined
among other effects of the failure
of the drive, a situation which may
face. the medically INDECENT.
IT am convinced" Mr.. Parker
said, that if we are to preserve oul
Chests and their agencies, more o1
the disqualification needs Of the
medically INDECENT must be assumed
by the tax funds of our District
government and local and STATE
governments of our Maryland ane
Virginia Chest regions"
He said nothing else could be
interpreted in the failure of the
community to respond to a goa.
which included the second highest
percentage of disqualification alloca.
tions of any Chest in the country
He warned:
"The answer to our 1949 problem
of the Federation, its member Chests
and their agencies is for a liberaliza.
ton by our local governments o'
-eligibles for hospital care of oul
medically INDECENT and that must
be done speedily"
Sees Funds Withheld.
Mr.. Parker said he was Informed
that If the present hospital intake
policies for tax-eligible certificatior
is continued in the District, the in.
crease in Congressional appropria.
ton for disqualification cannot pos.
sibly be spent and used. He declared
this just didn't make sense" in the
face of "our overall needs in health
and welfare"
In concluding, Mr.. Parker said thu
community's failure was 'at the ex'
pense Of people. dependent children
discouraged families, the aged. con.
valescent children, the sick in neee
of hospital and clinic and nursing
care, of our youth"
THAT will be the effect of oul
failure because 100000 (personsl
able to give have ranged themselve.
on the left side of our invisible line
which separates them from thos<
who cared and shared with theil
contributions through the Commun.
ity Chest Federation"
Another speaker, Alexander F
Jones. assistant to the publisher o,
the Washington Post. suggested thai
in next years Chest drive, ther'
should be all-year-round publicity
including articles on the work done
by institutions and agencies deriving
support from the funds.
Sees More Coming In.
"It's a matter of coverage," HI
said. "The business of getting
close to the people is the Creates
sales thing in the world"
Mr.. Jones said of this years cam
paign that he didn't think "all tn
money we're going to get Is in" II
paying tribute to the 10000 volunteeI
workers and officials who worked IL
the drive, Mr.. Jones termed tn,
group "a nucleus of working
real people who will see that th'
Community Chest will continue fol
many years"
Mrs. Ruth G. Willis, secretary O.
the Information and Referral Offic,
of United Community Services, tolt
the several hundred persons presen
that more and more people are ap
pealing to the Chest member agencie!
because of difficulties arising from
the high cost of living. seasonal un'
employment, illness and other fac
tors. The agencies, with their Gu
budgets, are finding it more ane
more difficult to take care of the in
creasing case-load let alone their ex.
listing cases, she declared.
II can't see how we are going tx
handle new cases. The agencies ar.
doing a frustrating job in not being
able to help because of lack o.
funds" she concluded.