Evening star., 1933-05-21

these, all but 50 have refunded in full.
Many of them made their applications
in ignorance, thinking that any citizen
over 10 was entitled to place on the
pay roll. Several voluntarily came In
and made restitution; others refunded
their grants as soon as they were told
they must.
THERE was one old lady who had drawn
$1,040 in old-age relief before the
inspectors discovered that she had bank
accounts totaling $4,000. She was writ
ten to, she was called on; finally she
came in and gave up the $1040, saying.
I'm glad to get it of my mind" In
all, $4,000 has been refunded. There
remain the 50 cheaters, representing
some $4,000 still due for recovery, and
recent legislation empowers the district
attorney to prosecute such cases in the
criminal courts. A vigorous campaign Of
prosecution Is planned and the cheaters
are faced with the possibility Of peni-
tentiary sentences.
From such frauds and money-grab-
bings one turns In relief to the letter
recently received from an old lady up
state. For several months her 87-year-
old husband has been receiving small
monthly grant. In March she wrote that
circumstances now made it possible for
her to support her husband and his PEN
sion would no longer be needed. Inquiry
disclosed that she had just come into
tiny legacy from q distant relative IA
England.
Another instance is that Of a daugh-
ter who brought back to headquarters
the monthly pension check that had az
rived in the morning mail for her father.
The old gentlemen had died at noon.
In one Of the smaller cities is black
smith who refused to keep up with the
motor age and found himself at 10 with
no horses to shoe, no wagons and car
riages to repair, no business of any kind.
A $50 monthly grant was allotted him.
Recently the local welfare commissioner
called at the little home adjoining the
idle shop to see how the old people were
faring. The wife, whose hair is almost
jet black, though she is nearing 10 her.
self, was all afutter.
ooh, I've done something terrible" she
said. Last week was our wedding anni-
versary. He has always been proud Of
my hair, and as a special celebration
went to the hairdresser's and spent 50
cents having it curled."
The administration admits friendly
tolerance. "Our policy is to administer
the law with as little rigor as possible.
said Richard Cadbury, district super
visor in New York City. THE idea Is
not to annoy the old people or their chill
dren, struggling under the strain Of un-
employment, but to deal gently with
every case and to ease the burden and
tighten the shadows of the last years..
h IEAR Buffalo is an old riverman who
~ built a shack for himself under
bluff on the Niagara, not far from the
falls. It seemed lonely, isolated spot
for an 80-year -old to inhabit alone; his
shanty might catch fire in the night, he
might fall or become i'll or meet with
some other accident; the welfare agent
tried to persuade him to move into town.
But NAV, sir!" Uncle Jerry had built
this house with his own hands, fabrt-
eating it Of driftwood that he picked up
along the river, and he proposed to live
in it. There was fire station up on the
bluff. The welfare agent called there,
explained his fears and asked the IRE
captain to see II he couldn't persuade
the old chap to move into town.
month passed. The agent called