THE HUB WAKES UP

The report of the Boston Chamber of Commerce which has been investigating the financing of social service institutions discloses a not unusual situation and attendant problems. Out of 43,000 contributors to such agencies, one percent gave more than half the money. The problem before the committee is a more equal distribution of this financial burden over the community, and a more equal distribution of the funds between institutions, with an elimination of overlapping and unnecessary activities.

The principle of the community chest, which has been in successful operation for so considerable a time in other large cities that an explanation is superfluous, is the obvious solution, and has been so considered by the committee in addition to providing control of finances, moreover, the community chest may also serve as a powerful weapon against undesirable institutions. Although this consideration seems to have escaped the committee, it has been thoroughly established by experiment in other cities. An organization which has not received the stamp of approval of the community chest by being included in its budget may fairly be suspected of not doing a useful work. Such an institution finds it almost impossible to make a successful public appeal for funds. When the community chest is officered by the leaders of social work in the community, that fact is an assurance that agencies in it are or real value, and--which is equally important--that they are not duplicating the work of others.

By its wide appeal to a larger number of persons, the principle of the community chest makes social service finance a relatively simple matter; and by its control of institutions, it assures the public that the money of contributors is neither misdirected nor wasted.