Evening star., 1933-11-02
Leroy A. Halbert Terms
Charges by Citizens Asso.
citation Are Unfounded.
INVESTIGATION OF WORK
WELCOMED, HE DECLARES
Friendship Group Demands Probe
of Welfare Board and Emer-
gency Committee.

Charges that emergency relief funds
for the District are being misused and
that other Irregularities exist under the
Emergency Relief Committee here, made
last night by the Friendship Citizens
Association, were denied today by Leroy
A. Halbert, relief director.
The association demanded an inves-
tigation by Harry Hopkins, Federal re-
lief head, of the District Board OF Pub
lie Welfare and the administration OF
relief funds in Washington by the
Emergency Relief Committee. Halbert
said today he welcomed any investiga-
ton of the work of his committee and
he vigorously defended it in categorf-
cal refutation of allegations made In
report submitted to the citizens group
association.
Charges Termed Unf0unded.
Specific charges that Halbert today
termed as 'unfounded based on mcor-
rect or incomplete information or due
to distortion Of the facts" included asser-
tions that non-residents are given IA
vored positions on the committees pay
roll. that single men are being gwen ;1,e1
that too much money Is being paid for
shoes distributed by the committee,
that nav roll shortages exist and tnat
certain unworthy families are being
1iyen relief while others suffer. Ine
6olicy of the committee In employing
Howard University students ana gIaaui
ates as case workers also was criIlclzeu,
but Halbert said he had no apoiogy w
make for this. The colored workers are
assigned solely to colored cases. ne Ca
planned.
The, Hunter report cited two EN-
nloyes of the committee, Mrs. 6essle
Stewart and John F. Bergner, as oemg
non-residents. Halbert declared MIS-
stewart. record clerk, has been resi-
dent of the District for nearly " seven eTi
Move of the focal Y w. c. A. Bergner,
he said. has been a resident here Iol
fo,,r wears. and formerly was employed
bv the washington Y M G. A. The
report stated Bergner recently was dlS-
missed without explanation. but Hal
bert said this Is untrue, as beTgner 10
still on the pay roll. ,o,
verbal charges aimed at the rehet
committee were made at q meet,ns "
the Friendship association q montn az
A. the time Hunter was asked 10 pre-
pare a detailed report containing Iacts
and figures. This he submitted last
The Hunter report referred to a large
number Of single men working under
a "Mr. Hutchinson" on full time,
"while men with dependents are
working partially" This charge Hal,
bert denied, adding that no one named
Hutchinson Is connected WIN Ine coni-
report was that of certain single
ennnloye of the committee who Is en-
nIoyed on a full time basis and whose
relatives are alleged to be wealthy
Halbert said this man is not on the
relief roll of the committee, but is
regular employe required to work
f,Iil day. At the time Of his employ.
ment Halbert said. this man appeared
to be destitute.
No Extra Shoes Issued.
The report alleged that when bene-
fciary OF the committee called atten-
ton to the apparent overcharge being
made by a shoe contractor, the COM
mittee gave the beneficiary an extra
pair of shoes Ito make up the dif1er-
ence." Halbert inquired carefully INTO
this matter today and said there was
no foundation for the charge. No extra
shoes have been issued any one-beyond
the quota needed. he declared. one
minor complaint was received some
time ago about the $1.7O cost OF ShoeS
purchased by the committee. ne SAID,
but the complaint was considered un-
justified because a thorough inquiry
had been made of shoe prices before
awarding the contract.
There have been repeated shortages
on pay days, delays in payment OF
funds, substitution of food orders for
cash payments and "on September 16
the tabulating and headquarters division
was short the entire pay" the report
asserted. Halbert replied that the COM
mittee handles no relief funds, that
disbursements are made at the District
Building, that no improper supStltu-
tions of food for cash have been made
and that no shortages of any kind are
known to exist The September 16
shortage never happened" he averred
Admits Clerical Errors.
II know there have been, from time
to time, Halbert stated, some clerical
errors in issuance of pay checks OF
minor character-of sort likely to
occur In administration Of so varied
and large a pay roll. These errors, for
example, include the loss on one oc-
casion of a number of work cards show
ing how much time men should be
credited with. There was no large
amount involved and the matter was
adjusted eQuitably. The District auditor
and the controller general pass on all
our books and have found no rregu-
larities."
Six cases Of individual relief for
which the committee was criticized were
studied today by Halbert and his aides
and their verdict was unanimous that
the accusations were baSeleSs.
In one case the report declared a
colored man had received relief funds
to aid him in obtaining a divorce so
that he could marry the woman with
whom he was living as common law
wife.
Halbert emphatically denied that
any funds of the committee had gone
record Of this case to show that the
money had gone only for rent, clothing
and food. The report alleged this man
was "able-bodied," but records Of the
committee show him to be suffering
irom infectious arthritis and incapaci-
tated for most work. His wife also Is
incapacitated by arthritis. There are
SIX children. The committee is paying
rent Of $23 q month for this family OF
eight, and giving 1898 week toward
Its support.
Family Receives Relief.
In another case, the report said, the
man Of the house Is living apart from
his family, but Is receiving relief which
should go to his family. Ha1bert said
this statement is not in accord with the
facts, as the man is receiving no relief
whatever, although his family Is recelv.
ing $7.2O a week in addition to rent.
A third family was alleged in the re-
port to be receiving special favors in
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