Evening star., 1933-06-18

ployed is to conceal assets, usually bank
account. But every effort is made by re-
lief bureaus to discover all possible assets
before granting relief.
ALI bank accounts must be listed in ap-
plications, and if any large withdrawal
was made shortly before an application
for relief, an account must be given OF
the disposal of the funds The larger
banks are periodically canvasSed and the
investigator in charge of district keeps
a constant check on the neighbOrhood
banks.
Every anonymous tip" and any Incl
dent that excites the suspicion that
family is living beyond the allowance
given by relief is promptly investigated,
but it must be obvious that in large
city, such as New York, for instance,
which gives relief to more than 100000
families, infallible vigilance is humanity
impossible. There no doubt are persons
receiving relief who are successfully con-
cealing their possession of a bank &C
count, often under an assumed name.
All that can be said is that everything
possible is being done to expose such
cases. And when they are discovered
they are. prosecuted and the money ad-
vanced is by due process of law reclaimed
by the relief bureau from the discovered
assets.
Fear that bank account might be
discovered has caused some of the re-
cipients to resort to other methods Of
concealing funds. Such ingenuity Is
particularly necessary in smaller COM
munities, where the number of banks is
limited and inspection of accounts COM
paratively easy. In one of the smaller
New Jersey cities there was family that
had been living on the town for long
time. Finally an investigator made a
thorough inspection of the basement in
which they were living, and found the
place SO filthy and vermin-ridden that
an immediate cleaning of the premises
was ordered.
The mattress was so filthy that there
was nothing to do but burn it up, and
the wife gladly agreed to this on learn
ing that a new mattress would be pro-
vided. Later in the day the husband
came home, and when he learned what
had happened he collapsed, and event.
ually became insane. It developed that
he had hidden $4,000 in paper currency
in the mattress-a hoard of which his
wife knew nothing
Almost every large community in the
country has a social service exchange,
where all applications for relief are
cleared to prevent duplication. Last year
this exchange in New York City cleared
more than million applicants for relief
or other forms of social service, both
public and private-sometimes as many
as 10000 in one day. In cities where
this system is employed it is rare ex-
ception for a person to benefit from two
public sources at one time. But there
are communities where the system is
used careleSsly or not at all, and in such
places one often finds persons receiving
twice the aid to which they are entitled.
IN one large city in Alabama, for in
! stance, relief takes the form of made"
work. The needy head of family is
given days work, and in return is given
an allotment of food sufficient to sustain
the family for a week. One man con-
trived to get two such days of work and
weeks supply of food from each. One
allotment he consumed, the other he sold
at below market price, pocketing the pro-
ceeds. Depletion of relief funds in that
city provoked more stringent supervision.
An investigator called at the mans house
one day, but no one was at home The
inspector returned again next day, and
found the man at home, with his wife
and two children. Everything seemed in