Evening star., 1932-04-15
Money From Chest Appro-
priation Likely to Be Used
Up in July.
ORGANIZATION CARED
FOR 1900 IN MARCH
Leaders of Philanthropic and We'll
fare Groups Picture Relief Needs
Before Legislators.

y
told the directors the situation resulted
from steadily mounting expenditures
Tor relief, an increasing number OF
families in distress and cessation OF
made" work formerly furnished by the
District Employment Committee
Mr.. Ufford revealed the organization
had sob families, or 10000 individuals,
under care in March He added the
number of families for the same month
in 1881 was 1,444 Relief expenditures
IN March were S44.485.44, as compared
with only S2l ,063.54 in March, 1881.
Applications Increase.
The secretary said the Associated
Charities spent $l28,36675 in the first
three months of the year or 40 per
cent of its entire budget for the year
He explained this included a reduc-
tion of per cent, asked because the
Chest failed to reach its goal in the
recent campaign. He placed the eStl-
mate for the current month alone at
SCI 400.
Mr.. Ufford stressed the increase in
number Of applications for help re-
ceived since the Employment Commit
tee abandoned its made" work pro-
gram due to a shortage Of funds. He
said many individuals who have been
relying on the Employment Committee
now are forced to seek funds from the
Associated Charities.
The directors were apprehenSlve over
what would happen in July should
Congress deny the appeal for funds.
Needs Pictured TO Legislators.
A graphic picture of the need for
unemployment relief funds was painted
by leaders of Washington's charitable
and welfare organizations before the
House subcommittee on appropriations
during recent hearings on President
HooVer'S recommendation for an emer-
gency appropriation of 100000 for the
aid of the jobless. This was revealed
yesterday when the transcript OF the
proceedings was made public by Chair
man Cannon.
The President had urged that the
100000 item be included in the 1888
District appropriation bill. In spite of
his plea, the bill was reported to the
House without recommendation for
the appropriation.
"Grave Emergency" Cited
At the very outset of the hearings
Mrs. w. A. Roberts, executive secretary
of the Washington Council Of Social
Agencies, told the committee a very
grave emergency" existed in the District,
due to the unemployment situation, and
that the need for relief is 100 per cent
greater in some cases than 1t was a
year ago. The jobless, she said, were
among the laboring group principally,
although the so-called white collar"
class-the clerks. stenogaphers and
others-also are suffering very seri-
ously."
Mrs. Roberts pointed out that Wash
ington is one of the few cities that has
no public appropriation for the general
relief Of the poor in their own homes,
whereas the average percentage given
by public departments in most OF the
cities is IS per cent.
Chairman Cannon questioned Mrs.
Roberts as to the source of unemploy
ment and whether it was due to dis
nisSals from the Government service.
She said she did not know the per-
centage of dismissals, but was aware of
the TACT that many more applications
for work had been made to the District
Employment Committee than hereto
fore. She said the Census Bureau had
dropped a number of temporary en-
ployes, and that a great many of them
They were advised at the time of
their appointment that the work would
be temporary, and that they were to be
dismissed at the close of the work" +"
said Mr.. Cannon.
Paul l.. Benjamin, executive Secre-
tary Of the District Employment Com
nittee, told the committee that 25 per
cent Of the applicants for relief were
formerly employed by the District or
Federal governments or by contractors
doing work for the Government
Up 10 March 18. Benjamin said, his
committee had received applications
from 6,456 individual residents of the
District for work relief The commit
tee, he declared, had test study made
OF 202l OF these applicants and found
that s02 were white and 1,219 colored.
OF that number sol we're white mar
ried and 86l were colored married.
There were 375 women in the group, he
said, and of that number 104 were
single and 27l were married Fifty-six
Of the applicants were more than so
years Of age and a small number under
20. The rest OF them ranged between
20 and 90 years.
Requests Increasing.
Mr. Cannon asked If requests for en-
ploymcut are increasing or decreasing
and Mr. Benjamin replied: My i'm
preston u that they are increasing
especially among the white collared
group"
Rev. L. j. Shehan, assistant director
Of Catholic Charities, told the commit
tee applications for relief to his organi-
Zation are running go per cent above
last years expenditures, and that the
Community Chest had allowed budget
increase of 40 per cent over last year.
The increase, he said, was granted by
the Chest as an emergency fund, but
since the Chest has fallen short OF its
goal he was not certain whether the
Catholic Charities would get the entire
fund.
IF we do not get the emergency
fund" said DR.. Shehan, I'VE will fall
S34,379 short, which will mean that our
funds will be exhausted some time in
September"
Ufford Presents Chart.
Mr.. Ufford submitted to the commit
tee a statement showing the serious
ness of the general situation in the
District as viewed by the Associated
Charities This statement follows:
81 Community Chest obliged to bor-
row Sl37. 900, largely because of the
extraordinary demands upon the family
welfare or relief agencies. The Asso-
ciated Charities alone spent $130,I18
for relief in 1880 and $188,963 in 1881.
Other family agencies. like the Saliva
tion Army, the Catholic Charities, had
much the same experience.
% This deficit had to be charged TO
the Chest budget OF 1882.
IS. This budget, estin ated at $2.60i,-
900. fell short approximately s185 900.
a. 1t - not probable that many