Evening star., 1932-10-16
STEPS TO ALLEVIATE
DEST|TUT|ON HERE
ARE DUE THIS WEEK
City Heads Expected to Meet
to Take Up Appeals for
More Funds.
REPORT DECLARES DEATHS
by STARVATION POSSIBLE
Says Relief Being Given 12,724 Is
Reduced Almost to Point
of Futility.

| Confronted with the Emergency Relief
Committees picture Of misery and des-
titution in Washington, the District
Commissioners are expected to meet
this week to consider recommendations
for additional public funds to continue
the activities of the emergency relief
division Of the Board of Public Welfare.
Former Commissioner Sidney F. Tai
iaferro, chairman of the Emergency Re-
lief Committee, said last night he hoped
to have conference with the Commits
sioners and the Board of Public Welfare
in the near future to determine what
steps could be taken to avert the threat
of deaths by starvation.
In a report to the Commissioners,
Mr.. Taliaferro pointed out that the
rapidly dwindling appropriation s
S350,000 for emergency relief makes is
necessary to limit expenditures for aV
purposes to 100000 month until Mo-
vember Is. and unless additional pub
lie funds are made available by som.
extraordinary means" there VIII be
many cases in the next six months Of
destitute, homeless and helpless fani-
lies, and perhaps deaths by starvation.
Aiding 4,1s1 Families.
The report, considered one Of the
most startling appeals for public char
ity made in Washington since the be-
ginning of the depressed economic sit
uation, showed the Emergency Relief
Committee now is aiding Alb families,
representing 12,724 individuals Relief
given to these families, the report de-
clared, already has been reduced almost
to tie point of futility, with the result
that:
Additional public funds must be pro-
vided by some extraordinary means ade-
quately to continue the work of the dl-
vision of emergency relief of the Board
of Public Welfare, or,
Private relief agencies must take over
the major portion of the work now
| being done by the Board of Public We'll
| fare, or
During the next six months there
will be in Washington cases of destitute,
homeless and hopeless families, and the
Special Committee believes there may
actually be deaths by starvation"
Thirteen specific cases. of pitiabie con-
ditions found by the field staff Of the
committee were cited in the report as
an illustration of the serious conditions.
| These revealed that one man was feed
| ing his children food taken from
garbage can, that family of nine lived
in one room in a cellar, and that an
other family had no stove and lived
for three months without warm meal.
"A family of four. man and wife
and two babies under two years OF
age. had been allowed by the case
worker S11.20 per week" the report de-
clared. In an effort to reduce the
total expenditure, they were cut to So 40
every other week. The wife came TO
the Office in tears. She was unable to
provide milk for her babies ana they
had had only one meal of bread, tea
and beans during the two days pre-
ceding her visit. She WIS almost dis
tracted and threatened to steal milk
for her babies if necessary A small
allowance was made for milk for the
babies in addition to the relief Of S340
| every other week.
Faints Discussing Troubles.
"A woman tainted on the desk while
discussing her troubles She looked i'll
and worried. There were four in the
! family, but she had been compelled to
place her two small children in the
country with friends and she was living
in one room and could not afford larger
quarters The children are i'll because
the friends who are caring for them
are too poor to feed them properly. The
woman had had no food over the week
end excepting bread and tea. She and
her husband had been cut to an allow
ance of S840 every other week. After