Evening star., 1933-08-29
Slight Falling Off in Past
Week Noted, but May
Not Be Permanent.
FIRST ENCOURAGEMENT
SINCE EARLY SUMMER
Heretofore Applications Have In
creased Steadily, With Weekly
Variations in Both Directions.

A slight decline in the number Cf
new applications for emergency relief
filed last week, bringing the first break
in the upward trend of appeals since
July 8, was reported today by Leroy
A. Halbert, emergency relief director.
The record of the past week was
gratifying to officials concerned over
the condition of Washington's unem-
ployed. whose appeals in recent months
have swamped the District relief staff,
but they pointed out one weeks total
could not be taken as establishing a
trend.
This first ray of encouragement in
nearly two months left Halbert hope
full the demands for relief would con-
tinue to lessen. although the approach
of Winter is expected again to bring
new seasonal increase. Halbert said
he had hope that general improve
ment in conditions would serve to re-
lieve the situation here.
The number Of new applications for
assistance filed last week totaled 557
and the number of old cases renewed
by applicants totaled 162. For the
253. The totals for July were 542
and 100 The peak in appeals was
reached July Is, when there were 662
new applications and 212 reopened
cases.
Weather . Factor.
Halbert said his records for this year
show that number of weeks must be
taken into consideration before an esti-
mate as to trend could be determined.
He pointed out also that the stormy
of 1act u-opk have callSPd
the decline in new appeals.
The records of the emergency relief
director show that the figures for new
relief appeals have showed considerable
variation from week to week. although
since January the trend over any con-
siderable period has been upward. This
shows that the increase in one week
was considerably greater than the
amount of the decline last week.
The weekly record of applications for
assistance shows the upward trend OF
the demands for unemployment assist
ance. During the week ended the 21st
Of January, $50 new applications and
81 renewed appeals were filed with the
relief director. The figures for succeed
ing weeks are as follows:
January 28 400 new appeals and 127
renewed applications; February 4. 461
and lis; February IL. 432 and Sc; Feb
ruary. 18, 443 and 100; February IS,
1855 and Is; March 4, 369 and go:
March II, sos and 80; March 18. 500
and 30; March 25, 482 and 1l6; April
T. 3ea'and 70; April 8, no new applica-
lions were taken because of the virtual
exhaustion of the Districts available
relief funds; April Is, las and 49; April
70, 266 and 70; April 20, BIT and AIS.
Nav Increases
May 8, 295 and ia; May 10, 342
and 1876; May 20. 354 and 140: MaJ
n, 1862 and 121; June 3, 294 and lis:
June 10, 434 and 104; June II, 538
and 1l9; June "a, 532 and 160; July
/. 585 and 100; July 8, 542 and 100;
July Is, 862 and 212; July %, 724
and 242; July 20, $50 and 25l; August
s. 622 and 1863; August IL, 765 and
1877; August 10. 709 and 253; August
26, 557 and 1852.
The monthly statement Of expendi-
tures for relief work here by the Dis
trict shows even more clearly how
the load of meeting the needs Of the
unemployed destitute has increased
since the FIRST of the year.
The total expended during January
was sos, ,662.67; February, $128,910.78:
March, $174, 4,z75.28; April, $l23,141.62;
May, $l61 52s.65; June, $202, ,S99.56;
July. 2o6,3s1.25.