Evening star., 1934-04-01
District Leads in Localities Spending
O,un Money for Unemployment Relief
Local Taxpayers Garry
500 Per Cent of
Entire Burden.
States Rely Upon Federal
Aid for 6I.5 Per Gent
of Funds.

The District stands high among To-
calities spending their own money to
care for unemployment relief.
According to statistics covering the
first II months of the 1888 calendar
year, the latest statistics available
only two States outranked it in this
respect. In that period. the local tax
payers bore 87.1 per cent of the bur-
den and allotments from Federal
funds made up the remaining 1928
per cent. Federal funds composed
los per cent of Connecticut's unem-
ployment relief payments and 10.4 of
Wyoming's.
At the other end Of the scale there
were seven States In which the Fed
eral Government bore more than 95
per cent Of the burden. South Caro-
lima was at the bottom of the list.
Her people put up but three-tenths of
l per cent Of the cost and the Fed
eral Government the remainder. Ar
kansas contributed seven -tenths of 1
per cent and Mississippi 1 per cent.
States Supply 3s.5 Per Cent.
For all States together, the State
contribution was 385 per cent and
the Federal contribution 81. S per cent.
The amount of the Federal contribu-
ton was s452.432,925 and that put
up BY States and localities was $283..
O61 ,636.
Some Of the sums poured out to
the various States also are interest
ing. New York received s5S,325,774,
although this vast sum was only 43.6
per cent of the relief expenditures
Of that State. Illinois received s5S,-
436 .602, sum which represented
BOG per cent of the entire relief ex-
penSes there. These were the largest
individual sums.
The sum reported for the District
was s295. .172.66. which compared with
50 ,o01 .526 % put up by the local tax
payers. These figures are from q
report by the Federal Emergency Re
lief Administration on March 81, 1t
Is impossible to give the figures be-
yond the end Of November as to the
various States. From other sources.
however, the Districts experience can
be brought down to date.
s2,45o,00o Raised.
Figures from the Board OF Public
Welfare show that since the Summer
OF 1882, when the first appropriation
for emergency relief was made here.
there have been total appropriations
from local taxes amounting to 81
$50 900.
Contributions from the Federal
Relief Administration
to $3.50 1863, and are made
up as follows: Direct relief, s1.247.-
1871; civil works service. $l35,000:
relief for teachers. $4,000: allot-
ments for transients, $143,OO0; eggs.
s7,993; other commodities, Sl03,730;
allotments for college students, $7,965.
On the basis of these figures. ex-
tending over 20 months. the District
taxpayers have borne 596 per cent
Of the burden and contributions from
the Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
have taken care Of the
40.4 per cent.
All the money appropriated out Of
local funds for unemployment relief
has now been spent. and the District is
relying solely on Federal funds for car
rying forward the work until the be-
ginning of the next fiscal year on
July /. For that fiscal year the Bu-
reau of the Budget has recommended
an appropriation of $4,000 the
same sum appropriated for the 1894
fiscal year which has already been ex-
hausted.
Sum insufficient.
The fact that the 81, 300 900 would
not last the year was accurately pre-
dicted at hearings before the Senate
appropriations subcommittee last year
by District Auditor Daniel j. Donovan.
The House had recommended and
passed an appropriation of S1,l25,0 900.
The language Of the appropriation
bill as it left the House was such as to
make it necessary for the District only
to spend one-twelfth of this sum every
month. Insisting that this would not
be enough to meet the problem. Dono-
van and the Commissioners sought to
have the language changed so that the
Commissioners could use their discre-
ton in meeting the emergency which
confronted them. The Senate agreed,
and the Districts $1,000 900, even with
Of Federal money, ran out
last month.
In sharp contrast with the total
Of $4,l10,869 spent on unemployment
relief here in the past 20 months,
the District Commissioners are look
ing forward to the necessity of having
to spend at least $4,000 In the IL
months beginning July /. Commits
sioner George E. Allen is seeking to
have the s1,300,000 recommended by
the Bureau Of the Budget raised to
81 900 900, on the basis of which ap-
he is hopeful Of receiving
an allotment Of $4,000,000 from the
Federal Emergency Relief Admins
tration, making q total Of $4,000, 900.
Funds Exhausted.
District funds for relief now have
been exhausted and the latest Federal
grant of $50,000 also is virtually gone.
Tomorrow District and Federal. au-
thorities will confer on the needs of
the District to meet direct relief
problems during April.
The District now has between 49,
900 and 1900 cases or families de-
pendent upon relief. Direct relief dis
aside from the civil works
program expenditures. have been
was stated yesterday by Leroy A.
Halbert, emergency relief director.
7 PLANE DELAYS