Group Opposing National Budgeting Asserts It Was Formed by Leaders of Jewish Federations

Ezra Z. Shapiro, chairman of the newly created Committee to Oppose National Budgeting, today issued a statement reiterating that the new group was formed “by leaders of Federations and Welfare Funds,” and not by”national and overseas agencies.” He also took issue with Jacob Blaustein, chairman of the Budget Research Committee of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, who last week declared that the principle of national budgeting had the support of a clear majority of the members of the Budget Research Committee.

Mr. Shapiro claims that only three cut of thirteen members of the Budget Research Committee voted for the proposal. ” The others either opposed national budgeting in toto, or called for a limited expansion of the fact-finding services of the council,” he declares. He emphasizes that it was not “premature” to organize a committee to oppose national budgeting since the Board of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds ” was persuaded at a June meeting to place the matter before the member agencies for a decision in a referendum starting September 1st and closing November 15th.”

“The later decision of the executive committee of the Council to cancel the referendum and present the proposal for action at the next General Assembly of the CJFWF in no way alters the need for full discussion and a clear understanding of all implications of national budgeting,” Mr. Shapiro says. The Board of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, he added, “is in no way more representative of local communities than is the Committee To Oppose National Budgeting.