Evening star., 1933-05-02
The Relief Bill and the D. c.

senate passage Oh the IeLei VIII Se0-
terday-making available $500,000, 900
for direct grants for relief to the States
and the District of Columbia-prob-
ably means the enactment Of this meas
ire before the end of the week. The
House has passed 1t previously, and
there are relatively few differences 10
be ironed out between the two houses
Under the terms of the act the Dis
trict is entitled 10 about $l25,00 OF
Federal aid for the second quarter of
This year, the amount being based on
the expenditure of public relief money
during the first quarter. There will be
additional amounts available at the
beginning of each quarter, based in
zach case on the public relief expend-
lures in the preceding quarter. And
should it be shown that combined
moneys which can be made available
are inadequate to meet the needs, addi-
fionsl grants can be made in the dis
cretion of the relief administrator, an
officer TO be appointed shortly by the
President.
The passage of the bill comes at
time when the District is faced with an
emergency regarding the continued SC
tivity of some of its private relief
agencies, which heretofore have been
forced to use disproportionately large
share Of their Community Chest funds
for the sort of work that should be un-
dertaken by public relief. 1t is to be
assumed that the definite knowledge of
what will be available under the relief
act. plus amounts to be available under
the pending District of Columbia ap-
preparation bill, will serve to hasten the
proposed division of responsibilities be-
tween public and private relief agencies
"A proposal now being considered by
the Board of Public Welfare at the re-
quest of the Commissioners.
When 1t beccme apparent a few
weeks ago that some private agencies,
supported by the Community Chest,
would have to close their doors because
OF lack of money 6y August l, if they
were not relieved OF part of their de-
pendent families, the Commissioners
were petitioned by citizens groups and
by the Council of Social Agencies and
the Community Chest to take steps that
would coordinate the work OF public
relief and bring about more definite
division OF responsibility between pub
lie and private agencies. The Com
missionerS have referred the matter to
the Board of Public Welfare, which is
considering with other things, the ad-
visibility Of setting up co-ordinating
or advisory committee of citizens. At
The same time, the board Is hearing
from the private agencies affected in
an effort to relieve them as much as
possible Of the emergency type OF d.
rect relief in which they are engaged.
The local community's allotment
under the relief bill will be relatively
small because its expenditures OF pub
lie revenues for relief have also been
relatively small. A far larger proportion
of relief work has been borne by volun-
tary contributions in Washington than In
sny other city of comparable size.
Washington's private relief agencies are
now faced with the possibility Of being
broken down and disrupted unless re-
lieved, by public funds, of the sort OF
work that in other communities has
previously been taken over by public
funds. They must, of course, be saved.
1t is inconceivable that they should be
abandoned.