Evening star., 1933-04-21
ACTION TO AVERT
RELIEF COLLAPSE
URGED BY,GROUPS
Welfare Board and ASso-
ciated Charities Ask CON-
missioners to Take Lead.
DISASTER THREATENS
IN LACK OF FUNDS
Cooperation Offered in Laying
Situation Before Congress in
Time to Save Suffering.

Board of Public Welfare and the As
sociated Charities have appealed to the
District Commissioners to take lmme-
diate leadership of the citys entire re-
lief forces and evolve a program, by the
coordination of private and pubic
agencies, which will adequately conquer
future distress.
The action of the two organizations
already has received strong support
from prominent citizens and civic clubs
interested in averting a collapse OF the
relief structure due to lack OF funds.
A number of other organizations, in
cluding the District Department OF the
American Legion, have announced they
would add the weight Of their pleas
10 the Commissioners for prompt ana
decisive action.
The Executive Committee of the
Associated Charities, in petitionlng the
Commissioners Ito take immediate
command of the situation by the study
and preparation of plans by which, as
far as possible, those in need will be
provided with food. and shelter during
this emergency period" said:
1--WE believe that public opinion Is
rapidly awakening to the seriousness OF
the present emergency and is looking
for leadership and that leadership must
come from the official heads OF the Dis
trict of Columbia"
Commissioners Petitioned.
The Commissioners were being peti-'
toned, the committees letter said, IN
view of the present serious situation
confronting thousands OF families OF
the District of Columbia by reason OF
inadequate public and private funds:
The average amount OF money avail
approximately $3.50 per family per week,
is clearly inadequate to provide shelter
and food" the letter continues. The
private family agencies are rapidly ex-
hausting their limited resources. Not
only must the public aid private relief to
the unemployed, but the time has come
when, following the example OF many
other cities emergency relief must be
extended to all those in distress for
whom the private agencies can no long
er care because of insufficient funds.
I'VE beg to assure the Commissioners
that, in common with other social
agencies In touch with the present
emergency, We shall be glad to cooper
ate with the Board Of Commissioners
in supporting such an adequate rene1
program as they devise"
The letter was signed by Coleman
dGIlIllIlBS, III. ASASAASA W =
Perkins, chairman of the board Dwight
Clark, Franklin H. Ellis. Clarence Phelps
Dodge, Charles c. Glover, jr., and
Arthur HELEN.
The appeal of the Board OF Public
Welfare was communicated to the Com
missioners by George S. Wilson, director,
on behalf of Chairman w. w. MILAN,
who said he has always felt that the
board, "as a subordinate part Of the
District government, must look to the
Commissioners for leadership" He
added:
There seems to be an opinion, In
some quarters, that the board itself
ought to ask Congress for more money.
This, of course, cannot be done except
through the Commissioners. However,
agree that 1t is the duty Of the board
to place all Of the facts before the Com
missioners and that will be done.
Facts Being Given.
"The board has endeavored, at all
times, to keep the Commissioners fully
informed and I shall endeavor to see
that they are made definitely acquaint-
ed with all recent developments and the
exact situation as 1t now exists"
1t was understood that the Welfare
Board, in addition to appealing to the
Commissioners, has advised the Senate
District Committee of the situation in
the Capital, pointing out that as matt
ters stand today the private relief
agencies will have to close their doors
by August l, while public funds, in
ADEQUATE to meet the demands prop
erly made upon public agencies, can
not. under current appropriations, be
expected to pick up the added burden.
Thousands of WaShingtonians, the
committee has been informed, are in
tragic need of aid and will become
homeless and hungry and desperate, II
the emergency is not met promptly and
comprehensively.
The committee was advised that the
Board of Public Welfare is spending
at the rate of S42,0 a week, but is
providing only the 'scantiest basis pos
sible to sustain life" A plea was made
to increase from 81 500 900 to $l,700,-
900 the amount carried in the 1884
District appropriation bill, with the
provision that expenditures can begin
prior to the opening of the new fiscal
year, July l, and that the weekly allot-
ments be unlimited. governed only by
need.
Action by the District Department,
American Legion, will be taken at the
Executive Committees next regular
meeting, according to Norman B. Lam
dreau department commander. Lam
dreau himself expressed deep interest"
in the welfare situation and said he
was greatly concerned as to what will
happen to this very necessary public
function after the meager funds which
we have are used up"
Necessity Of Relief.
"As department commander Of the
Legion and a citizen OF Washington, ="
said Landreau, II will do everything
Commissioners the necessity of having
relief from public funds to carry on
this very necessary and essential chari-
table work. I will Immediately have a
resolution adopted by our Executive
Committee and presented to the Dis
trict Commissioners"
The Washington Monarch Club be-
came the first civic organization to
adopt a formal resolution. At its meet
ing Wednesday afternoon, the club
passed unanimously resolution de-
claring that due to prospective early
depletion of relief funds, aggravated by
the separation of Large numbers OF
people from the Federal Service" re-
solved
That it would be inhuman for Con-
gress to adjourn without making ade-
Quate provision for the aid of the desti-
tute either by the direct appropriation
of necessary funds or the vesting in the
Commissioners of the District OF Co
lumbia of appropriate power to take ef-
fective action in the premises; and
BE it further resolved. that It is the