Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-24
City Heads Ask Welfare
Board to Consider Enlist
ing Private Citizens.
PROBLEM IN DISTRICT
REGARDED AS SERIOUS
Available Funds of Agencies Are
Not Expected to Last
After August /.

vate relief agencies, the District Com
missioners today asked the Board Of
Public Welfare to consider formation
Of an advisory group of private citizens
to act with the District Board as a
welfare council.
At the same time the city heads
stated it should be borne in mind they
cannot under law delegate control of
disbursement of public welfare funds
to private agencies
The instructions were contained In
letter signed by DR.. Luther H. Reich
elderfer, president of the Board of
Commissioners, and sent to George S.
Wilson, director of public welfare
Mr.. Wilson will call meeting Of the
Board of Public Welfare to deal with the
matter. w. w. MILAN Is chairman Of
the board
The suggestion Of closer coordination
between public and private agencies was
laid before the Commissioners several
weeks ago by spokesman for the WASH
ington Council Of Social Agencies, the
ton Community Chest.
More Concrete Plan Asked.
At that time the group was asked to
consider the matter more fully and to
how the plan could be worked out.
DR.. Reichelderfer explained that the
Commissioners had not up to now taken
definite action on the proposal due to
the fact the terms of the present two
civilian Commissioners had expired and
that selection Of the two new city heads
was expected to be made known before
now. Since the pressure of national
and international problems before the
President has made the date of the an
nouncement of the new city heads I'M
certain. he added, it was not felt action
should be taken by the present Com
missioners to start consideration of
some possible new coordination.
The problem Of relief in the District
is regarded as serious, since the avail
able funds of the private welfare
agencies are not expected to last after
August l.
So far as District funds are con-
cerned, the city heads are pinning their
hopes on enactment by Congress Of the
several pending legislation proposals,
including the La Follette-Wagner-Co Cos
tigan direct relief bill, and the pro-
posal for liberalization of the District
relief appropriation items.
Reichelderfer's Letter.
The letter OF DR.. Reichelderfer to Dr.
rector Wilson states:
THE Commissioners will appreciate
an expression of opinion from the
Board of Public Welfare as to the
desirability of establishing an advisory
group of citizens of limited number
to act as a welfare council in con-
ferring with the Board of Public well
fare and the Commissioners on broad
questions of policy concerning both
public and private welfare efforts In the
community
1T would seem that in general such
mutual consideration of problems
should be helpful, though it should be
understood that under the law the
Board OF Public Welfare and the Com
missioners cannot delegate the control
or disbursement of public welfare funds
to private agencies.
If your board should consider such
a plan helpful, 1t is requested that sug-
gestions be formulated as to the COM
position OF such an advisory group
which, together with the Board of Pub
lie Welfare, might act as a clearing
house for consideration Of welfare prob
lens in general.
Points to be considered might prop
erly concern the size of the council, the
groups to be represented, methods Of Sc
lection, etc., and, of course, any fur
ther. general or specific suggestions the
board may desire to make"
500 Employed In Parks.
Diminishing District funds for unem-
ployment relief are reflected In the re-
duced numbers of jobless persons who
are employed to recondition the city,s
park system.
Frank T. Gartside chief of the park
division Of the Office Of Public Build
ings and Public Parks, explained that
the 500 average of men so employed
has now been curtailed to an average
of 200.
The unemployed are at work in Rock
Greek Valley, as far as the Maryland
line. cleaning debris out of the stream
and removing dead and downed timber
from adjacent parklands.
At Fort Bunker Hill, Fourteenth and
Otis streets northeast, the unemployed
are improving that area. They are at
work, Mr.. Gartside said, in Piney
Branch Valley and in East Potomac
Park they are restoring the parkland
formerly occupied by the United States
engineer wharf.
The unemployed are seeding the site
OF the Bonus Expeditionary Force camp
IN Anacostia Park, the park authorities
viewing this as an interesting aftermath
OF the former service mems encampment
here, as that group, out of work, has
PROVIDED temporary jobs for Washing
tonlans without regular employment.