Evening star., 1933-02-21
FederatiOn's Stand on Relief
Text of Report BY Laws and Legislation Committee
Suggests Contingent Fund to Be Used if
$625,OOO Allotment Is Exhausted.

have to bear their burden Just like
it is being borne elsewhere" (P. 80
of stenographic transcript of hear
ing on Senate Bill 5553.)
The plain truth of the matter Is that
Washingtonians are not only bearing
their own burden most magnificently
and cheerfully, that is to say, the bur-
den of caring for the needy actual
bona fide residents of the District OF
Columbia, but they are, in addition
being continually imposed upon by an
immense volume of transients and pan
handlers from various parts of the
United States who are invading almost
every branch of private local charity
as also private homes and offices, and
accoSting District taxpayers on the pub
lie streets and on wholesale scale, in
an effort to obtain through solicitation
of endless contributions. Instead of
ill-considered and unjust criticism being
directed against Washingtonians, it
would seem to be more in order for the
representatives of the Federal Govern
ment to take some immediate and rea-
sonably appropriate steps to relieve the
District taxpayers from the extra bur-
den referred to which ought to be the
concern of the Federal Government
itself.
How Shall Full and Ample Provision
For the Needy Be Assured?
If there be any real doubt or ques-
tion as to the entire suficiency of the
combined funds already referred to for
the requirements of the year 1888, that
subject should have attention in a wise,
sound, and dependable way. 1t is a
matter of easy and positive demonstra-
ton that about the most unwise, un-
sound and unsafe method that could
be devised for dealing with the subject
is the pending proposal, that reliance
be placed upon a new provision OF law
to enable the District of Columbia Com
missioners to apply to the Reconstruc-
ton Finance Corporation for loans not
In excess Of $2,500,000.
1. In the first place, we should not
delude ourselves into thinking that such
a new provision of law operates in any
wise an actual granting of an applica-
ton for loan when made by the Dis
trict of Columbia Commissioners. On
the contrary, the Reconstruction FL
nance Corporation has the sole deter
mination of the amount, If any, to be
loaned to a particular State or Terri
tory, from time to time, and, in the
course of such determination, Is ex-
pressly recognized as having the power
to divide the loan of the entire au-
thorized fund of $500, 100000 among
less than 10 States and Territories
combined, the only limitation being
that mot more than Is per centum of
such sum shall be available to any one
State or Territory" (Sec. la of Act of
July 81, 1882. Since those in charge
of the Reconstruction Finance Corpora
ton are necessarily well aware, as IS
every one else, that the city of Wash
ington does not at any time suffer from
depression as severely as do other
cities which lack that certain degree
of stability which necessarily results
from the relatively steady Government
pay roll here, we should, as a matter of
plain common sense, recognize that If,
and when, the needs for relief and
work relief here become so aggravated
that loan. is necessary from the Re-
construction Finance Corporation, those
In charge of that corporation will surely
be apt to find, in perfect good faith,
that the needs of other communities are
so much more aggravated that it Is not
possible to allot any loan to the Dis
trict of Columbia Commissioners. The
seriousness of such a situation can not
be overestimated, because Congress and
the District Of Columbia Commissioners
would have relied upon a broken
reed'' so far as the District of Columbia
Is concerned, instead of having made
other arrangements which would be
dependable and effectual. Moreover,
the seriousness would, obviously, be
multiplied by reason of confident, but
unfulfilled expectations of the District
of Columbia Commissioners that the
loan from the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation would be actually obtained
whenever applied for, in consequence
of which the unit measure of relief
afforded in the early months of the
year toward the aid of families in
distress would naturally be SO greatly
changed and increased that the regu-
larly available funds, which would or
dinarily be spread over the complete
year, might be entirely exhausted be-
fore the year was half over, and with
out any other dependable means of
obtaining further funds having been
provided due to misplaced reliance upon
the Reconstruction Finance Corpora
ton providing the same. Every one
knows, as the House Appropriations
Committee stated in a recent report,
that IAN unlimited sum could be ex-
pended for relief purposes in any large