Evening star., 1948-12-04
Letters 70 Ask =.
Previous Donors
For Chest Funds
Campaign Officially
Closes 26% Under
4,566, ,790 Goal .

Letters asking donors Of previous
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 316,91S pledges were obtained
in the campaign. This would bring
the Community Chest $3,379, ,194.83,
or approximately IA per cent Of the
campaign goal of $4,566, 100.
In addition to the mail solicita-
tion of the previous donors who
have not been heard from this
year or otherwise have been missed,
the "mopping up" process calls for
completion of specific assignments
by volunteer workers, fulfillment Of
call-backs and turning in reports to
headquarters at 110l 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, situation which may
face the medically INDECENT.
II am convinced" Mr.. Parker
said, that if we are to preserve our
Chests and their agencies, more OF
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 and
Virginia Chest regions"
He said nothing else could be
interpreted in the failure of the
community to respond to- goal
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-
tion by our local governments Of
tax-eligibles for hospital care Of our
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 certification
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 the
community's failure was "at the ex.
pense Of people, dependent children,
discouraged families, the aged, con-
valescent children, the sick in need
of hospital and clinic and nursing
care, of our youth"
THAT will be the effect of our
failure because 100000 (persons)
able to give have ranged themselves
on the left side of our invisible line
which separates them from those
VINO cared and shared with their
contributions through the Commun.
ity Chest Federation"
Another speaker, Alexander r.
Jones, assistant to the publisher of
the Washington Post, suggested that
in next years Chest drive, there
should be all-year -round publicity,
articles on the work done
by institutions and agencies deriving
support from the funds.
Sees More Coming In.
"It's a matter of coverage," he
said. The business of getting
close to the people is the greatest
sales thing in the world"
Mr.. Jones said of this years cam
paign that he didn't think "all the
money we're going to get Is in" In
paying tribute to the 10000 volunteer
workers and officials who worked in
the drive, Mr.. Jones termed the
group "a nucleus Of hard-working,
real people who will see that the
Community Chest will continue for
many years."
Mrs. Ruth G. Willis, secretary Of
the Information and Referral ONCE
of United Community Services, told
the several hundred persons present
that more and more people are ap-
pealing to the Chest member agencies
because of difficulties arising from
the high cost of living, seasonal un-
employment, illness and other fac
tors. The agencies, with their cut
budgets, are finding 1t more and
more difficult to take care of the in
creasing case-load let alone their ex-
listing cases, she declared.
Il can't see how we are going to
handle new cases. The agencies are
doing a frustrating job in not being
able to help because of lack Of
fl1ndc - cha