Evening star., 1949-09-11
Chest Sets Goal Under Last Years
Continued From First Page.)

POI ClOIl 10 IIle dlIlOQlltS tlley
already are scheduled to receive
it was decided.
The cuts in the Budget Com
mittee's recommendations which
were made at Mr.. Luchs' request
applied chiefly to the six member
chests, the half million dollar hos
pitalization fund and the Wash
ington contribution to the United
Service Organizations.
Divided proportionately, the
cuts amounted to about 10 per
cent Of each agency's allotment,
They left these amounts: Wash
ipgton Omitted Community Serv-
icesJ, $2,096,129; Alexandria,
$116,742; Arlington, Sill, ,524;
Fairfax. $64,240; Montgomery,
$154,894: Prince Georges. STA
785; disqualification fund, $5l7,-
$40, and USO, $85, lilo.
Also reduced slightly were the
shrinkage reserve, set at S279, ,420,
and the sum designated for Com
munity Chests and Councils, ma
tional chest organization, which
was set at $13,306. Uncut, as be-
ing already at a minimum, were
the contingency fund, $4,000; re-
tirement reserve, $77,500; cam
paign expenses. $209,559, and ad-
ministrative budget, Sill, 1000.
Even with the 10 per cent cuts,
all agencies under the revised
budget will receive substantially
more money than they did after
last years unsuccessful drive, pro-
vided the 1850 drive succeeds, Mr.
Luchs emphasized.
The drive chairman himself
conceded, however. that even the
larger budget proposed by the
Budget Committee would not en-
tirely satisfy the chests require
mentS.
A spokesman for the hospitals
was one of those most opposed
to Mr.. Luchs' economy move at
the Friday meeting.
James E. Lemon, president OF
Children's Hospital, warned that
the hospitals would face serious
problem if their allotment was re-
duced.
Minimum Figure Set.
He cited the survey used this
year for the first time in deter
mining the average patient cost.
AS a result of this survey, it was
disclosed the federation budget
committee was able to calculate
the average impatient cost,
weighted to include X-ray. anas-
thesia and equipment deprecia-
ton, at $14.80 per day, and the
cost for infants at $3.75.
Estimating the case load for
1850 at 44,516 adult days, 6,61S
infant days and 43.516 clinic
visits leach at $2), the commit
tee recommended provision of
$571,314 in the budget, a figure
agreed on as a minimum.
Mr.. Lemon said it would be
every difficult" for the hospitals
to take reduction because
people are going to continue to
get sick" =
Maybe other agencies can cur
tail services, but we can't" he
declared.
T. Jack Gary. jr., of Alexandria,
a budget committee member, at
tackled all the reductions on the
ground that the budget commit
tees figures represent absolute
minimum needs" Citing public
budget hearings held in fixing the
committee recommendations, he
asserted that some are going to
figure we're not keeping faith
with them if we make arbitrary
cuts"
Bell Supports Luchs.
August L. Lahr, Montgomery
chest representative and another
budget committee member, also
challenged the desirability of
making arbitrary changes" but
urged that Mr.. Luchs be allowed
to set the goal as he saw fit,
leaving a readjustment of allot-
ments until the end of the drive.
Support for Mr.. Luchs' views
came from several top leaders.
Daniel Bell, past president of
the federation, warned that set
ting the goal as the budget COM
mittee recommended would mean
q loss of enthusiasm on the part
of campaigners who expected a
smaller goal.
Charles E. Smoot, assistant
budget chairman, termed Mr..
Luch's plan entirely reasonable. p"
II feel we've got to be realistic" ;"
he urged.
Caesar L. Aiello, federation sec
retary and mayor of Hyattsville,
also supported Mr.. Luchs, warned:
1--WE ought not to put our sights
too high and again have to ex-
plain to people why we didn't get
our goal. Let's give the campaign
committee a chance"
Fred Nauheim, who is in charge
or a new solicitor training pro-
gram for the drive, also stated
his agreement, stressing the i'm
portance of an assurance of sue
cess on the part OF campaign
workers.
Arthur H. Kruse, executive di-
rector of United Community Serv-
ices, declared that the most i'm
portant concern was Ito have a
goal which the campaign organi-
zation thinks can be achieved.
In the long run, the chests aim
should be to build up a higher
level of giving, and an increase OF
18 to 20 per cent this year would
be an excellent effort" he said.
Mr.. Luchs himself, emphasiz-
ing the belief of the campaign
organization that a goal just un-
der $4,000,000 had been intended,
told the committee:
IF we ask too much, we won't