Evening star., 1954-12-18
Chority Rucketeers

In this cheerful holiday season and
its general atmosphere of good will to
all, We become especially conscious of
our less fortunate neighbors. Our purse
strings, as well as our hearts, open wide
in an effort to share what We have with
those who have not. Accordingly, many
essential charitable organizations find
it effective to conduct sorely needed
fund campaigns during this season.
Some Of the campaigns. however, which
purport to help the needy unfortu-
nately do nothing of the sort.
Thriving and unmolested here for
many years have been organizations
indulging in sinister frauds on the pub
lie. What makes their activities so
vicious is that their victims are the
poor. the hungry. the crippled child,
and the helpless aged.
These organizations hold themselves
out to the public as charitable institu-
tions, while in fact they are illegitimate
business organizations where the profit
OF the promoter is the predominant
motive behind solicitation. The innate
generosity of Americans coupled with
the spirit of this season of the year
makes it easy for charity racketeers to
thrive and multiply. District of Colum-
bia authorities are helpless to control
them.
The charity racket operates much
the same as any money-making busi-
ness enterprise. The promoters select
an appealing name and let it be known
that they are soliciting funds for the
poor, the blind, the crippled, disabled
veterans or any other group. They set
up an office and hire telephone solici-
tors on a percentage basis These tele-
phone solicitors may work in room
equipped with battery of telephones
and known as the boiler room" or
they may work out of their own apart
ments where they live. In the latter
cases the operators of the charity"
frequently pay the telephone bills. Tele-
phone solicitors commissions range
from 80 per cent to 40 per cent of the
funds collected
Once the pledge to contribute is
obtained over the telephone, messen-
ger is dispatched to pick up the con-
tribution. This messenger is hired on
a weekly basis for as little as $25 a
week. Owners of the racket frequently
furnish him with an automobile to
speed up his work.
Charity racket operators are always
smart enough to make certain a small
amount of their collections go for the
welfare work which they purport to
serve. Those requesting contributions
to buy shoes for poor children see to
1t that few pairs of shoes are actually
bought and given away. The fact
that this expenditure may represent
only 10 or IS per cent of the funds
collected is never brought to the at
tention of the public or the con-
tributors.
In March, 1853, Citizens Commit
tee for Regulating Charitable Solicita-
tions was organized for the purpose of
finding effective means for dealing
with the problem. This committee
recognized that legislation was urgent
ly needed, and promptly set about
drafting such legislation. The pro-
posed charity racket legislation" was
indorsed by the District Commissioners
a few months ago, and will be sub
mitted to Congress for enactment at
the next session. This proposed legis-
lation requires all charitable organiza-
tions soliciting funds to publicly reveal
the names of their key personnel and
to disclose how monies collected will
be spent.
Until such legislation is enacted to
expose the rackets. we individually can
help drive charity rackets from our
city by adhering to these two simple
rules:
Cd Do not make contributions or buy
tickets through telephone solicitor,
unless you know the solicitor personally.
% Do not make contribution to
any organization you do not know,
unless the organization makes avail
able copy of its audited financial
statement.
David F. LinOwes,
Chairman, Citizens Committee for
Regulating Charitable Solicita-
tions.