South Leads in United Jewish Campaign Fund, Incoming Reports Show

The South now leads all other sections of the country in the number of states “over the top” in the United Jewish Campaign, according to a statement by David A. Brown, national chairman, announcing results of recent local drives in the various states as reported to the national headquarters of the campaign, in New York.

Mississippi just reported over its goal of $50,000. The other states of the South which have exceeded their quotas are: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama and Kentucky. Tenessee is within $12,000 of its $125,000 objective.

Additional sums over the $50,000 quota in Mississippi are expected from small communities that have not yet participated or whose efforts have not been fully completed. Among the Burger cities that went over the top in the raising of their respective local quotas were Vicksburg, Belzoni, Canton, Drew, Greenville, Oxford, Laurel, Ruleville, Moorehead and Charleston. One of the features of the campaign in the state according to a report of the state treasurer, Ben H. Stein, of Vicksburg, is the fact that despite unfavorable business conditions resulting from the recent serious depression in cotton, more than one-third of the total amount raised has already been paid in cash.

Recently concluded successful local drives are reported from states in other parts of the country, together with progress reports for campaigns in a number of localities whose efforts are now in full swing.

Washington, D. C, which opened its campaign for $150,000 a few weeks ago, is reported with more than two-thirds of that amount raised and confident of reaching its full quota in a few days more. Salt Lake City, Utah, has passed the half-way mark toward its quota of $35,000.

Among the New York State communities, of which only a few remain whose campaigns are not yet completed, Batavia, which has never previously raised more than $400 for any Jewish cause, has pledged $2,330 to date. Port Chester will begin its drive January 19. Binghamton and Saratoga Springs are also expected to launch their drives shortly, and White Plains has set January 16 as its opening date.

In New Jersey, Atlantic City has exceeded its $25,000 quota for this year by $3,000 against $50,000 to be raised in 1927 and 1928. Jersey City is preparing to launch its campaign in the third week of January.

Two Western Pennsylvania cities concluded campaigns last week. In Mahanoy City, whose goal was $4,500, contributions representing 42 out of the 52 Jewish families of the city pledged $4,600, at an opening meeting December 19, and advanced its goal to $6,000. Shenandoah exceeded its $6,000 quota, raising $9,000, and set itself a new quota of $12,000.

In Illinois, which is raising a $500,000 state quota, outside of Chicago, the latest city to go over the top is Aurora, which raised $10,000.

Canada to date has raised $221,000.

Max Gabel, Jewish actor and manager, was feted at the Hotel Pennsylvania by his associates and friends, in celebration of his thirtieth anniversary on the Yiddish stage and his fiftieth birthday anniversary.

Health Commissioner Louis I. Harris represented the city Administration. Other speakers were Frank Gillmore, Executive Secretary of the Actors’ Equity Association; M. Richter, President of the Yiddish Theatre Alliance; Max R. Willner, manager of the Irving Place Theatre, and representatives of the Yiddish and English press. Reuben Guskin, manager of the Hebrew Actors’ Union, was toast-master.

A bronze bust of Mr. Gabel, executed by Aaron Goodelman, was presented to the guest. The cost of the bust was defrayed by contributions from many of the actor’s admirers. On the committee which sponsored the testimonial were David Belasco, David Warfield, A. H. Woods, Sophie Irene Loeb, Augustus Thomas and Fannie Brice.

BREVITIES

M. J. Karpf, Director of the Training School for Jewish Social Work of New York, will address the twenty-first annual convention of the American Sociological Society at St. Louis, Mo., on December 28th. His subject will be “Social Work Among the Jews.”

Among the other speakers are Dr. Louis Wirth of the University of Chicago who will speak on “The Ghetto, a study in isolation”; Fay B. Karpf of the Training School for Jewish Social Work, and Dr. Alexander A. Golden-weiser, formerly Professorial Lecturer on Anthropology at Columbia University and more recently of the New School for Social Research of New York, will speak on Social Psychology. A session on December 30th will be devoted to religion.

Gilbert Harris, Director of the St. Louis Young Men’s Hebrew Association, is on the local committee of arrangements.

The five-day week is more or less prevalent in American industry and has been developed through long years of practice in a number of lines, according to findings of a survey made by the Bureau of Labor statistics of the Labor Department. The bureau said:

“The recent announcement by Henry Ford regarding the establishment of the five-day week in the enterprises with which he is associated, has aroused considerable interest as to the extent to which the five-day week is in operation as a regular working practice.”

Data is given which makes it conclusive that Mr. Ford was not a discoverer in this field.

The bureau gathered information in its fields in connection with the gathering of statistics, wages and work hours and found some surprising results. The five-day week is most prevalent in New York city because of the nature of its industries and enterprises.