Evening star., 1933-04-02
100 TURNED AWAY.
DAILY AFTER SLASH.
In RELIEF BUDGET
Reduction Cuts Off Accept.
ance of New Applications
at Agency.
FAMILIES NOW ON ROLLS
GET rs PER CENT LESS
Men and Women Of Education Are
Applying for Aid in Increas-
ing Numbers.

There is no court Of appeal for those
| unfortunateS who must be turned away
at the rate of 100 a day from District
Emergency Relief headquarters, now
that the agency's funds have been cur
tailed
Mute resignation and blank faces of
disappointment are more eloquent than
the words so often repeated to relief
workers these days:
IF you can't help us, who CAM"
Orders came through Thursday re-
ducing the weekly relief budget from
i SAL 900 to $31 900. an economy which
stopped acceptance Of new applications
and cut IS per cent from the assistance
being extended to families already on
the rolls.
The agency has operated since its
establishment last August on sl,150000
in appropriations and an additional
100000 donated by the Community
Chest. 1t is possible that this sum
year beginning July l.
Nine Hundred Disappointed.
Bitter disappointment must be the
lot OF 900 applicants who registered
within the last few weeks and many Of
whom still are confidently looking
forward to emergency jobs.
White collar workers and men and
women of education are applying for
| aid in increasing numbers. dating from
| the recent banking crisis. Most of them
| had never asked charity before, but
| consoled themselves with the idea that
| they might work for the money About
80 per cent Of the fund is distributed
In this way, through made" jobs in
the parks. Fairgrounds and various
public works.
Some typical applicants who had TO
be turned down were described ycster-
day by Leroy Halbert. supervisor of
emergency relief for the District.
| One woman said she had pawned her
wedding ring and gold filling which
had come loose from tooth. Almost
all the applicants have already pawned
their personal effects, including clothing,
leWelry and even furniture, before ask
ing for public assistance.
| A number OF cases were reported where
families broke up their furniture and
burned 1T in stoves during the bitter
cold weather, and hundreds of families
have no heat In their homes but that
furnished by cook stoves.
They are burning oil lamps and
candles in places where the electricity
has been turned off
| One resident had $500 in a closed
bank, but was being evicted for nom
payment OF rent, while an architect was
in a similar plight, although clients
owed him hundreds of dollars in fees.
Couple With Baby Suffers.
A young couple with a 3 weeks
old baby were living with the wife's
| parents who In turn had only a IS gro
| Gerry order from charity once every two
| weeks. Both families were trying to
| live on this allowance. The wife was
16 years old and the husband 49,
Another young couple with a baby
was evicted in August and, having no
place to go. lived with friends who
promised to keep them a few days. The
husband, former bookkeeper at bank.
lost his job year ago and must pay
IS week board for two children by a
| previous marriage
The couple stayed on with the friends
but the latter can no longer keep them.
The man has no prospect Of job and
his household furnishings are in stor-
age, running up bill which he doubts
he will be able to pay.
Another man and wife, both college
graduates, have 10 children, all living
on the wages of a girl who earns $12 a
week as clerk. They have paid no
rent since December and the mans last
job was lost more than a year ago.
A second daughter makes SO a week
working in lunch room but must use
this money to support herself The fam
lily is In danger Of eviction.
A man who once held highly-paid
job and his wife are months behind in
their rent, have no food and only meager
clothing and must obtain their fuel
picking coal along the railway tracks.
These are only few of the typical
cases which must be refused because of
lack of funds, Mr. Halbert said. They
rarely apply until their plight is almost
desperate. and seem bewildered and un-
certain where to go next when turned
| away.