Evening star., 1934-05-28
miss HILL TAKES
POST AS SD|RECTOR
OF LOCAL RELIEF
Leroy A. HaIbert Chosen as
Assistant in Charge of
Research.
U. S. WILL CONTRIBUTE
S650,000 ON MAY WORK
New Official to Stress Case Work
in Determining Persons
Eligible for Aid.

Pa, social work expert, today took
Office as District emergency relief d.
rector
At the same time the Commission
ers designated Leroy A. Halbert as
assistant director in charge Of re-
search. Halbert has been serving as
director.
Two other steps in the much dis
cussed District relief administration
reorganization are expected to be
taken soon with the appointment Of
a business manager in the emergency
relief division and the selection of a
director of case workers.
Meanwhile it was learned that Dis
trict relief ALLEGATIONS from the Fed
eral Emergency Relief Administration
will be limited to s65OOO0 for May.
The Federal Office today announced
a grant of s25O.O00 to add to the
previous 100000 grant. Approx
mately 100000 was left over from
the April grants. however, thus af-
fording S750,00O for relief work here
this month. The total used during
April was approximately 100000,
Halbert declared.
Hopkins Asks Cut.
Some time ago when the admins
tration of the local relief rolls were
ordered investigated by Federal
Emergency Relief Administrator Harry
l.. Hopkins, who claimed from 5000
to 5000 undeserving persons were re-
ceiving relief. the Federal administra-
tor said he believed the District could
get along on 100000 or maybe a little
less during May.
This reduction in the total relief
expenditure for the month was made
possible through various economies in
the local administration Offices. While
no official figure has been divulged.
Mr.. Hopkins has said great number
of ineligible recipients of relief have
been dropped from the rolls as a re-
suit Of inquiries conducted. This was
made possible largely through the
services of many additional case in
vestigators who we're able to 60 over
the rolls thoroughly and throw out
all undeserving cases which came to
their attention.
Wilson Retires.
Announcement Of Miss Hills selec-
ton as director was made Saturday
by Elwood Street, who on Friday will
become director of the Board of Pub
lie Welfare, succeeding the veteran
George S. Wilson, who voluntarily sub
ay,t
in middle February when he reached
the age of 65. Wilson leaves District
service Friday after having directed
District welfare matters since 1900.
AT a conference this morning with
Commissioner George E. Allen. Street
and Wilson, Miss Hill famiharized her
self with some of the major matters
now before the Districts relief admin
istration She did not profess to know
the details of Washington's situation,
but said she had in mind four general
principles of operation which she had
gained in her 18 years of social work
activities.
The first of these, she said, Is an
adequate method of case work investi-
cation to determine the eligibility Of
persons applying for public aid.
Individual Problems.
As a second point, she said it was
essential that the individual problems
of the individual applicant for relief
be determined so that the relief given
would suit the needs of the applicant.
She emphasized there must be a flex-
ible system of administering relief
even though the problem appears to
be mass operation.
Miss Hill proposes real co-ordina-
tion of all public and private agencies
interested in all forms of relief work
as third major point in any program
of relief administration.
Simply because the Government
has taken over the majority of the
load of public relief does not mean
that the work of other agencies should
be pushed into the background" Miss
Hill declared.
She said she recognized that relief
of the unemployed now has become
the responsibility of the Government
but added: 1T would be a great pity
for this work to dry up the desire of
people to do something for others
and to let only taxes fill the needs"
She desires to have full co-ordina-
tion with the relief division of such
public institutions as hospitals, schools
and playground officials, as well as
the private charitable relief organiza-
tionS and civic groups.
Adequate Aid Pledged.
Miss Hill said her concern would be
not to pinch pennies" in shaving
down the amount of public funds dis
bursed for needy families, but to see
that needy persons receive adequate
relief, and assistance in such form as
would benefit them beyond the mere
giving of subsistence.
Told of the plans for development of
a research bureau in her department,
Miss Hill promptly remarked: That's
a corking good idea" She said such
a bureau should produce valuable data
as to how relief should be administered
in different kinds of cases, with the
objective of returning as many as
possible of the relief cases to self
sustaining basis.
This fits in with Miss Hill's fourth
idea as to the major principles of
public relief administration; that Is,
development of a program which has
rehabilitation work as one of its main
objectives. While Miss Hill believes
that the Government must handle un-
employment relief, to some degree, she
believes it an important function of
the Government to strive to solve the
problems of relief recipience. She has
in mind cooperation with the public
employment centers to find jobs for
those on relief, development of voca-
tional training 50 that those on relief
can find new jobs to replace old ones
lost through industrial changes
"ChiseIers" Are Few.
Coronnantipo nm q rey,ort that there