Evening star., 1933-02-21

District Of Columbia without an ap-
preparation bill or without doing its full
duty therein in making provisions with
reference to relieving destitution, in
cluding whatever special provision may
be appropriate to enable the use of a
reasonable portion of the surplus in
the Treasury to the credit of the Dis
trict when need therefor may be shown.
The only real danger we can foresee is
the very serious one which would be
created by the enactment of this
S2.500 900 loan bill, since Congress
might be deluded thereby into emitting
necessary provision for relief in the
appropriation bill, with the result that,
with the inevitable failure to actually
obtain loans from the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation, no funds would
be made available for relief.
4. In the fourth place, we have every
confidence, from past demonstrations,
that the people of the District of Co.
lumbia will themselves rise to any ex-
traordinary emergency which may later
develop, and will effectually prevent
hunger and want seriously affecting the
bona fide residents of the District.
Surely no one can doubt this who &C
quaints himself in anywise with the
extent to which the people of the Dis
trict have actually gone in giving aid
even to transients and others from va
rious parts of the United States. If
an extraordinary emergency develops,
the people of the District can readily
take care of it, during the latter part
OF the year, by seeing to it that the
next Community Chest drive is re-
stricted to obtaining funds for the
needy Qncluding orphan asylums, of
course, but temporarily excluding mere
character-building units, similar to
what has been done in a number of
other cities, but which was opposed by
the Community Chest officials during
the last campaign in the District.
S. In the fifth place, we have every
confidence that the Congress will see
to it that the pending District of Co
lumbia appropriation bill, as it finally
passes, does not eliminate any of the
important provisions contained in the
original draft of that bill providing
for needed school and other con-
struction and repair work, which will
naturally provide substantial employ
ment relief" as contradistinguished
from unemployment relief" the for
mer being much preferable from every
standpoint wherever possible. In this
connection, we recommend that the
appropriation provisions for such con-
struction and repair work expressly
limit the laboring work of all kinds to
persons domiciled In the District of
Columbia prior to July /, 1881. This
ought to tend very materially to ale
viate the unemployment situation in
the District of Columbia, and at the
same time enable the furnishing of a
part OF the much needed relief from
congestion in the schools particularly
elementary and junior high with
which every one is familiar.
6. In the sixth place, we believe, and
recommend, that Congress can still fur
ther help to safeguard the relief situ-
alton in the District for the future by
expressly limiting the use of the
$625, 900, or more, to be appropriated
in the pending District of Columbia
appropriation bill to employment or
necessary direct relief, and prohibiting
loans" of any part of the fund. Such
loan" business has not been en-
barked upon as yet, and it would GER
tainly be a mistake to permit the Dis
trict of Columbia Commissioners, under
present conditions at least, to embark
upon it. We further recommend that
express provision be inserted restrict
ing the use of the funds to persons
domiciled in the District prior to July
l, 1881, and who, in addition thereto,
supply a regular address or recent reg
ular address or some other practicable
means by which his claimed domicile
and status may be verified.
Z. In the seventh place, we are con-
vinced that the passage of the pro-