Evening star., 1932-11-20
DETRO|T'S NEEDY
ARE PUT TO WORK
JobIess Earning Food,
Clothes and Shelter
Provided by City.
Dispatch to The star.

epecial Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, November i9 (N.AN.A0.
Two months ago the Detroit Welfare
Department adopted policy requiring
every able-bodied dependent to earn
his dole.
Today the Work Requirement Plan
is fairly well developed. officials say
that at least the two major objectives
are being reached. The city is getting
a substantial return for its huge welfare
expenditures and about 10000 men
have the satisfaction of knowing they
are earning every cent they receive in
the form of food, fuel, clothing and
shelter for their families.
Detroit spends an average Of about
S25 a month for the support Of an indi-
gent family-or about $500 year. The
Welfare Departments load, dropping to
about 10000 families last summer and
expected to increase to about $4,000
during the winter months ahead, prob
ably will average 26,000 families for
the year These figures indicate total
expenditure for direct relief during the
present fiscal year Of approximately
$500. 900.
Considering only the economic aspect
of the situation, how much can Detroit
expect to get in return for this expend-
iture?
5000 Regularly Employed.
OF the 10000 heads of families now
on the welfare rolls, total of about
5000 are regularly employed in various
city departments. They received moth
ing except food, fuel, clothes and shell
ter. With a few exceptions, they are
assigned to jobs within walking dis
tance of their homes, so transportation
costs are eliminated. They carry their
own lunches.
When the plan is further developed,
it is expected between 10000 and $4,000
men will be so employed. This Is con-
Sidered the anticipated peak, because
thousands of men are unqualified be-
cause of physical or mental ailments
or inability to work
In addition, several hundred women
about $50 at present-are to be as
signed to Red Cross sewing centers to
transform cotton goods, furnished by
the Federal Government, into shirts,
underwear and other clothing for them
selves and other welfare families.
Lastly, every dole family is being re-
quired to keep his house and property
in good repair, to mend broken furnt-
ture. to repair any plumbing or electri-
cal equipment that has become defec-
tive and to keep his yard neat. II spe-
cial tools are required. they are sup
piled. In this way every man has job
to do. whether or not he is selected to
work for a. city department.
To return to the city's material ben
efits.
6,422 Work 113,461 Hours.
During the week ending october %,
6.422 men performed a total of 113,461
hours of work for 16 city departments
and institutions, according to w. A.
Stow, who directs the assigning OF men
to city jobs Figuring on a basis of 40
cents an hour, these men performed
work valued at more than $45,000, or
at a rate of S2,250,000 year.
If the present plan to increase the
number of men on city jobs to 10000
or more develops, this figure would be
boosted to approximately S4,500,000.
On paper. therefore, the city has
hopes of getting nearly two-thirds
return for the money it spends for
relief
Several city officials, however, are
not quite SO optimistic. Laurence @.
Lenhardt, commissioner Of public
works-the department that is receiv-
ing the greatest benefit from the plan
says that 40 cents an hour is too high
a value to place on welfare work per-
formed in his department.
THE plan certainly is not an un-
mixed blessing" he stated. ITO begin
with, many of the men assigned to us
are former factory employees who re-
quire weeks of experience before they
can do what we expect OF regular
employe.
Adjustments Demanded.
ay Of mo mt n thie yyav. Ol1r de-
partment this year would have to spend
about S35O,O0 for the work we expect
welfare men to do. We haven't the
s350,000 and we're getting the work
done, so we're all for the idea. But it's
demanding plenty Of adjustments and
organization work. It's not so rosy as
IL appears"
Both Commissioner Lenhardt and
John F. Ballenger, superintendent OF
the Welfare Department, believe two
detectives must be attained before the
plan can be called a complete success.
One Of these is to decide on appro-
pirate punitive MEASURES against dole
recipients who refuse to work, but
without penalizing lazy mans wife
and children. The second Is to set uF
an incentive for those who work faith
fully and well.
The most visible results Of the plar
are shown in the cleaning Of streets
and alleys and In the care Of city
parks.
Other welfare workers are regularly
employed by the Board Of Education
the Detroit Geological Park, the De.
partnent of Recreation, the Bureau
of Markets, the Department of Public
Lighting and other divisions of mu-
nicipal work