Evening star., 1934-03-01
Estimates of $1,000, 900 to
S9,00O,000 Needs in
1885 Budget.
S280,OO0 FEDERAL
GRANT IS AWAITED
Commissioners Send Signed War
rants for Emergency Allot-
ment to Headquarters.

The question of how the District
will be able to meet its unemploy-
ment relief problem during the next
fiscal year will be laid before Con-
gress during consideration of the 1885
budget, it was stated today at the
District Building,
officials indicated that whatever
plans are made would have to go to
Congress since estimates of the ex-
pected financial need to meet the situ-
alton run between s8,000,000 and So
100000. This estimate was announced
last night by Commissioner George E.
Allen and was predicated upon figures
compiled by Maj. Daniel j. Donovan,
District auditor, indicating the Dis
trict will have spent approximately
100000 between last July l and
May ! next.
$3.50, 700 Grant Awaited.
While officials were planning a
general reorganization of relief meth
ods here, in keeping with the general
program outlined yesterday by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, the Commissioners
waited word of a grant of $280,000
from the Federal Emergency Relief
Administration for the conduct Of
District relief through this month.
This grant was requested by the
Commissioners, who today signed war
rants for the allotment and sent them
to Federal relief headquarters APP
proval of the request is expected in
q day or two.
The District now is entirely depend
ent upon the Federal Relief Admin
stration for relief needs up to July
/, District funds having been ex-
hausted. A grant of 5000 900 covered
relief work here during February.
BY the end of this month the
$4,000 civil works employees now on
the employment rolls must be cut to
1900 under orders received yesterday
from Harry L. Hopkins, head OF the
Federal c. w. A.
Commissioner Allen said the Dis
trict now is interested, wholly or
partially, in $4,000 cases. subject
either to relief or one of the several
employment measures.
New Applicants Received.
Leroy A. Halbert, emergency relief
director for the District. has Informed
the Commissioners new applications
for relief now are coming in at the
rate of about 800 week. The weekly
relief disbursements, he reported, now
amount to about $65,000. Before the
c. w. A. program was started in
November, the peak in relief pay
ments was $4,000 for one week.
The Commissioners made no state
ment of what plans they will propose
for meeting the financial problem for
relief next year Hope is held that
the problem will be reduced by new
public works grants to the District
appor tionment of available Fedora
relief funds and an increase in the
share of the cost of operation OF the
District Government by the Federal
Government.
The proposed 1885 budget, now
awaiting action by Congress, carries
an item of $l,3OO,0OO for emergency
relief next year. Commissioner Allen
is concerned over this since he has
been informed that from July last to
date the District has spent $5,844, ,00O
for various forms of programs for aid
ing the unemployed. This includes
some spent for C. w. A. and civil
works service" programs as well as
the several relief programs.
After May the District will develop
. new system of made work" pro-
grams to provide employment for those
subject to relief. Wages to be paid
will be less than those under the civil
works program, it was indicated. The
work will be less of the permanent
improvement" type more or less fol-
lowed in the c. w. A. program.
Commissioner Allen estimates that
he must plan work for as many Is
10000 persons who will be subject to
relief during the next fiscal year.