Evening star., 1933-05-09
National Unemployment Relief.

National Unemployment Relief.
Forty States and two Territories have
borrowed from the r. F. c. for relief
over $289 900, 900 from July. 1882
through April OF this year. Within less
an amount for relief that is more than
half Of the total amount provided in
the new relief bill for direct grants to
the States. II the States borrowed
S289, 100000 for relief in ten months.
how long will $500 900, 0,000-not to be
borrowed, but to be given away-.ast?
And how much more mUSt be added
to this initial half billion before the
Federal Government can withdraw from
the newly-entered field of directly re-
lieving 1.-The hardship and suffering
caused by unemployment"
The question will be answered in
part, of course, By the length of the
economic depression. But the prin-
ciple of extending grants to the States
Including the District Of Columbia
on the basis of local relief expenditures
from public funds i'll the preceding
quarter is apparently TO last only, to
October !, or to the end Of the third
quarter. The extent to which tina.
principle will be retained then is to b.
left largely to the discretion Of the Fed
eral relief administrator. whose deci-
sion 'as to the purpose OF any eX-
penditure shall be tinal"
Half of the 5000 900 900 provided in
the relief bill is to be apportioned
among the States on the one third
third Of the local eypendi-
lures in the preceding quarter. But the
balance Is to be used tor grants to be
made whenever. from an application
presented by State. the administrator
finds that the combined moneys which
can be made available within the State
from all sources supplemented by the
grants already made OH the one third
basis, will fall below the estimated
needs OF the States. including the Dis
trict. And after October the un-
expended balance Of the first $780,
100000 IS also made available for grants
OF this sort. The maximum limitation
on the amount of money that can be
given State is fifteen per cent OF the
total available-s75,O 100000.
For the first quarter of this year the
States borrowed $l29.S76,527 from the
r. F. c. for relief The Childrens Bu-
reau OF the Department of Labor, which
has been gathering statistics relating
TO relief expenditures estimates that for
the month of March r. F. c. loans con-
stituted from IS to 80 per cent of total
relief expenditures from States that
borrowed. If the same estimate is ap-
plicable to r. F. c. loans for the first
quarter it would indicate that total
relief expenditures in the States in
that period were in excess of 1852
100000. On that basis these States
would be entitled to r. F.. C. grants
of at least $54OOoO 600 for the first
quarter. AS matter of fact. it prob
ably will be shown that Federal grants
Tor the first quarter will be well in
excess of that figure.
Whatever ones opinion may be of
the wisdom or unwisdom of q policy
of National relief by direct donation.
there are certain features Of the Ma
tional relief law which are gratifying
to the District.
First, the District is fully recognized
as equitably classed with the States
when the Nation beStows benefits or
bounties upon the States spending
National tax money for this purpose.
Since the District bears all the burdens
that the Nation imposes upon the States
in National taxes and in requirements
OF soldier service in time OF war, it is
equitably entitled when offsetting ben
eflts are conferred. Since the District
contributes more in National taxes than
any one Of twenty-seven Of the States
1t Is entitled to share in these disburse-
ments of the Nations tax money. The
District has seldom received this equit-
able consideration.
Second, this donation, even though
extremely small in amount compared
with those given to the States, comes
at time when it is greatly needed.
If the appropriation for relief in the
pending appropriation bill is increased
as the Senate has recommended that
1t be increased. and made immediately
available, as the Senate has recon-
mended, the funds from this source
coupled with those under the National
relief bill, will go far to offset any i'm
mediate breakdown in local relief
machinery.