Evening star., 1933-07-20
Commissioners Are Expected
to Reply to Douglas on
Rate of Spending.
$4,000 WEEKLY BUDGET
FOR HELP OF JOBLESS
Demands of Unemployed Here Con-
stantly Increasing and Money
Badly Needed.

District officials today were awaiting
word from Harry L. Hopkins, admins
traitor of the Federal emergency relief
fund, of his expected approval of re-
quest for a grant of $173,353 to the
District. to enable them to meet its in
creasing demands for aid of Washing
tons destitute.
The appeal was forwarded to Hopkins
late yesterday. the sum asked amount
ing to one-third of the total OF public
funds expended for relief here during
April, May and June.
Meanwhile, it was revealed at the
District Building. approval of this grant
would solve for the time being seri-
Gus problem over the rate of District
expenditures for relief. A question re-
gard;ng this point was raised recently
by Lewis w. Douglas, director of the
Bureau Of the Budget.
In his answer to the District Com
missioners on their request for the ap-
proval of use of the Districts gasoline
surplus fund of 81 100000 for employ
ment-giving highway projects, Douglas
raised the question as to whether the
District was permitted by Congress to
spend its appropriation OF Sl,300,OOO
for emergency relief at a rate greater
than a twelfth of the sum a month.
Indications at the District Building
today were that the District Commis-
sionerS have sent or will send to Doug
las a reply on this point. The Com
missioners and District Auditor Daniel
j. Donovan declined to discuss the mat
ter 1t is believed, however, they will
argue that Congress did not require
that the relief fund be spread over the
entire fiscal year regardless OF the de-
mands for meeting relief needs.
roy0rtS ShOU that the weekly
expenditure for emergency relief of
the unemployed is running to about
s48, 900. If the District relief appro-
priation of 81 300 900 were to be ex-
pended at an equal amount each month
for the fiscal year the weekly allotment
could be only $25,00o.
Makes S193,353 Available.
At the close of the past fiscal year
on June 80 the District had remaining
in its relief fund about $4,000, from
various sources. If Federal administra-
tor of relief approves the new District
request for a grant of $l73,353. this
will make available the sum of $193.-
353 over and above the District relief
appropriation by Congress.
Therefore, District officials estimate,
they could carry on through August at
the present rate of expenditures re-
gardless of decision on the rate of
spending Of the District appropriation
item
When Douglas told the Commission
ers he had postponed his decision on
the use of the gasoline tax surplus, he
added this statement:
There is contained in your letter Q
statement that the funds appropriated
to the District Of Columbia for direct
relief will be exhausted by February l
and that there will be further require
ments after this date. l would be re-
miss in my duty if let this statement
pass unnottced. must suggest to you,
therefore, the consideration whether
the administration of this fund as such
administration appears to be contem-
plated from the terms of your letter,
agrees with the provisions of the anti
deficiency act"
Provision Eliminated.
It IS recalled that when the House
Appropriations Committee recommended
relief item of $1.25o,000, which the
House passed, the committee expressed
belief such an amount would be sufi-
cient for the entire fiscal year. The
Senate, however, not only raised the
item to 81 500 900 but inserted a clause
which in effect would have permitted
the Commissioners to spend the fund
at q rate sufficient to meet relief de-
mands. In conference the SPECIAL Sen
ate provision was stricken out and the
appropriation was set at 81, 800 900.
The act itself in appropriating the
sum Of $1,300,000 merely states it was
to be expended "by the Board of Public
Welfare of the District of Columbia
by employment and /or direct relief, in
the discretion of the Board of Com
missioners and under rules and regula-
tons to be prescribed by the board and
without regard to the provisions of any
other law, payable from the revenues Of
the District of Columbia
What further action Director Douglas
may take in regard to this legal point
could not be ascertained today at the
District Building.