Milford chronicle., 1932-10-14
Continued From Page one)

and suburban towns) According Il
the figures obtained by the Federal
State, and City Employment Office
the active applications for employ
ment were in July of this year, il
New Castle county $4,000.
In the survey just completed re-
plies to questionnaires mailed TO al
/ listed applicants for work in New
! Castle county indicate that 12,50C
men and women are out of work
and 600 working part time, total
of $4,000 seeking employment. This
is probably too low a figure as many
of those not replying may yet be out
of work and others also who are
were not listed may lack employ
ment.
$4,000 Unemployed
From analysis of these figures it
is here estimated that the unem-
ployed at present number in New
Castle county 10000; Kent and Sus-
sex, 1900, total throughout the
State of approximately $4,000 men
and women who are seeking work.
The State Tax office estimates
that there are 141,000 adults in the
State. So it is indicated that almost
13 per cent are unemployed, or one
adult out of every eight.
OF the $4,000 applicants for en-
ployment about 1880 are heads of
families or men and women with
dependents. This is 81 per cent of
the $4,000 families in Delaware ac-
cording to the 1880 census. In other
words, it is indicated that about
one-fifth of our families who are
normally employed are now out of
work, in addition to unemployed
single men and women.
Future Need In Wilmington
The future cannot be forecast ac-
curately as no one can tell how long
the depression will last and the.
present amount of unemployment
continue. The Commission has felt
that the wisest assumptions to make.
are that the need for relief has now
reached a maximum and will con-
tinue at this level throughout the
coming year. 1t is therefore esti-
mated that a total number of $4,000
different families in the Wilmington
District, .Jhe same total number that
received help last year, will need
assistance this coming year. Not all
of these will require continuous
help and the executives of the Will
mington Mayors Committee esti-
matted that the number of families
which would have to be continuous
ly cared for throughout the coming
year would average 5000 per
month.
By examination of the monthly
figures over the past year and on
the assumptions mentioned above it
is estimated that provision must be
made for the continuous and prac-
tically entire support of about 5000
families in the summer months and
over 1000 families in the winter
and that the average num-
ber of families per month requiring
continuous support over the next
twelve months period will be $50
in the Wilmington District.
If expenditures for the twelve
period November 1882 to
October 1888 inclusive, were contin-
Ued at the same rate as the $896,000
spent in the seven months period
1881 to May, 1882 inclu-
sive, the total fund required for the
coming year would be $1,536,000. 1t
is estimated that at least a so per
cent increase may be needed or $2,-
300, 900 in the Wilmington District. !
Family Relief Budget J
Careful study has been made by
The commission of a relief budget
adequate for the minimum needs of
he average city family of 45 per-
sons per family is used throughout
his report because that was the
lverage size of family of all those
helped by the Mayors Committee;
t compares very closely with the
census figure of Al persons per
lverage family in Wilmington. !
The report further states that as
'esult of this study, the commission
believes that a relief budget for the
Jare necessities of life for a city
amily of four and one-third per-
ons lacking any other support is:
food, $50 per month; shelter, So
80; fuel, SO; light and in
.identals, so; or a total of $36 per
month.
While the amount required per
amily is greater in the winter than
n the summer, the above figures are
or the average month throughout ,
he year. In Wilmington over the
,ast year direct relief has been lin
ted almost entirely to food and the
allowance of $50 per average family
Der month appears to be the small ;
st sum possible for the mainte-
lance of health. Rents, taxes and ]
interest on mortgages are seriously 1
n arrears, evictions are becoming
nore frequent, and people whose {
livelihood is dependent upon rents 1
re becoming greatly embarrassed,
o that it now seems imperative to {
make some provision for the item of
helter. The figure of 50 has been
stimated to be one-half of the {
Monthly shelter cost of unemploy- s
d families and to cover taxes, in {
urance and mortgage interest only. {
linimum allowances for other
of the family budget
re also included. {