Evening star., 1948-01-02
Grim Year Predicted
by Agencies Because
|0f Chest Drive Failure

~ ~bSSb DHbvS WsuVuS
Notice of the 1s48 allocations for
operation of Community Chest
supported agencies here drew pre-
dictions of grim year from agency
spokesmen today.
The budget recommendations,
adopted Tuesday by the Chest
Board of Trustees, are based on
IS per cent of the amount sought
for Washington in the campaign
for funds.
In making his report F. Elton
Rogers, chairman of the, Budget
Committee, declared that unless
the public of Washington and
vicinity Is willing to assume
financial responsibility for the
social welfare needs of the area, We
are dangerously near breakdown"
Tragedy Seen for Many.
In statement made public today,
Miss Elsa M. Peterson, president Of
the Instructive Visiting Nurse So
ciety of Washington, declared the
failure to reach the minimum"
goal in the campaign spells trag-
edy for many people who depend
on the services of Chest agencies
for care"
It will mean fewer nurses on the
society staff to visit and care for
the sick in their homes, she de-
clared. The patients include those
on the rolls of other Chest agencies
and those of official agencies such
as the Board of Public Welfare, she
pointed out.
Fewer nurses mean fewer visits
to fewer patients regardless Of how
great their need" she declared.
Thomas L. Eagan, president of
the Boys Club of Washington.
called the extent of the failure
"the most disastrous of any in pro-
portion to the needs and the re-
suits, and leads us to believe that
wo do not understand the princi-
pie of collective effort and finance
for the needs of our own people
right here in Washington. or we do
not care"
~ Funds Lowest Since Al. ii
/ He said the effect OF, continual
failure of the community to pro-
.EriNae funds necessary for proper OPP
Grafton of character building and
youth guidance agencies through
the Chest "has now reached criti-
cal stage and unless there is quick
solution, our services will become
inefficient and ineffective"
IF this trend continues" he said,
'the Boys Club Of Washington may
have to look to other sources for
funds" The funds allocated to the
club for 1948 are less than it re-
ceived previous to 1941, he pointed
out.
The agencies are suffering hard
ships which cannot be measured in
cold terms of an IS per cent cam
paign," Mrs. Henry Gichner, chair
man of the child and family well
fare division of the Budget Commit
tee.
Instead of suffering a is to 20
per cent cut, the agencies will have
to stand a IS to 40 per cent cut
against their carefully screened bud
get requests" she declared.
Situation Is Described.
The agencies in the last two years
have had to retrogress, and now,
with a devaluated dollar and in
creased demands, are put back to
something like the level of 1914
grants in dollars, she asserted.
Trying to do a years job with
funds adquate for about eight
months will mean results such as
the following, she said:
There will be unmarried moth
ers whose problems cannot be solved
due to lack of funds; babies who
should be taken care of in foster
care institutions, but who cannot be
taken care of because there is no
money for operation of existent, yet
partially idle plants; families de-
pendent on > makeshift charity,
when counseling services might have
made them self sustaining de-
Hnquents who might have been oc-
cupied through wholesome programs
of group-work organizations for
which there is no money"
The funds, she said, "are entirely
too small to even begin to cover the
needs" and the community 'is en-
titled to a coldly realistic picture Of
What ic ho,1nd IN ha an acttJalitv "