Evening star., 1933-07-27
DISTRICT WILL GET
$173,0)O RELIEF
Federal Fund to Be 0ne-Third
of Amount Expended in
Three Months.

The District will receive a grant of
approximately s173000 from the Fed
eral relief fund, to bolster local gov
eminent emergency relief measures,
Alan Johnstone. field representative of
the Federal Emergency Relief Admin
istration for this territory, today in
formed District officials.
The grant will amount to one-third
of the sum of public funds Of the
District expended during April, May
and June of this year, In keeping with
provisions of the Federal relief act
It also was revealed today that the
Federal relief agent and District off,
cials are considering the whole sub
ject Of the needs of the District for
relief funds during the current fiscal
year. which will end next June 80, to
determine what amount of additional
funds will be needed
Conference Called.
This subject will be discussed at q
conference late today between George
S. Wilson. director Of the Board of
Public Welfare; the boards Committee
on Emergency Relief, which is headed
by Sidney F. Taliaferro, and Mr..
Johnstone.
Mr.. Johnstone, who Is representative
of the Federal Relief Administration
for the District, Maryland, Virginia and
other Seaboard States, said the dis
cuSSion would include the possibilities
of additional grants to the District out
of the half of the Federal relief appro-
priation of S500,000,000 which may be
allotted to various communities on the
basis of actual needs.
Maj. Daniel j. Donovan, District
auditor, recently informed Lewis w.
Douglas, budget director, that on the
basis of the increasing appeals for
emergency relief here, available Dis
the expected grant of $173,0 900, could
not be expected to last beyond next
February l. This estimate raised the
question of how the District would be
able to meet emergency relief needs
during the remaining five months Of
the fiscal year.
Approves Relief Work.
Mr.. Johnstone, after conference
with Mr.. Wilson today, voiced general
approval of the manner in which the
District has been administering its re-
lief funds. He indicated, however, he
might have some suggestions for
changes in the relief organization, its
policies and methods of operation to
present to the Emergency Relief Com
mittee this afternoon. A statement on
this will be published tomorrow, he said
He said the District would receive the
grant of about $173, 900, on the basis of
expenditures during the second quarter
OF 1888, but that action would be de-
layed a day or two, until his organi-
ZatiOn has completed q check of item
lied statements submitted by Wilson
and Leroy A. Halbert, director of emer-
gency relief for the District. He said
there was no question In his mind as to
whether the District had obeyed the in
junction of Congress, that not more
than per cent of relief funds be spent
for administration.
Crucial Condition Avoided.
The grant of $4,000 at this time
will relieve the District of what might
prove to be a crucial situation, should
Director Douglas rule that the local
government can expend its relief funds
only at the rate Of one twelfth of the
appropriation per month, so as to make
the funds last throughout the fiscal
year. He raised this question in a re-
cent statement to the District Com
miSsionerS.
Because of the demands for relief
here, the District now is expending its
appropriation by Congress Of $780, 600
at nearly twice the rate Of $25,000 a
week. as would be the limit under a
ruling that the fund be expended only
at the rate of one-twelfth the sum per
month. While Director Douglas re-
Gently raised this question with q ref
erence to the anti-deficiency act, he as
yet has not informed the Commissioners
of his decision.
The grant Of $173,000 from the Fed
eral fund would enable the District to
continue its present outlay of about
$4,000 week until late In August,
regardless of what decision is reached
by Douglas on the rate Of spending the
congressional apprOpriation.