Evening star., 1934-05-13
3-Point Program Mapped as
Hopkins Reports Ex-
cess on Rolls.
COMMISSIONER AWAITS
INVESTIGATION DATA
Rehabilitation of Families and
Better Case Workers Con-
templated in Changes.

A three-point program for improve
ment of the District Emergency Re-
lief Administration was planned yes
terday by Co., missioner George E. Al
len while awaiting a detailed report
from Federal relief officials on their
investigation of relief operations here.
Allen revealed he is planning to set
up research bureau to study par
ticularly means of rehabilitating FAM
lilies on the relief roster, the selection
of a business executive" TO control
relief operations and the employment
Of better trained case workers to re-
place inexperienced assistants on the
staff.
A general revamping of the relief
division was decided upon by Allen
when Federal Relief Administrator
Harry L. Hopkins announced yester-
day his agents had found that between
5000 and 5000 persons could be
dropped from District relief rolls.
Street to Make Study.
Steps to prune the relief list will be
delayed Allen said, until an official
report of the findings of the investi-
gators has been made available. He
said this might be ready by the mid
die of the week.
Allen has asked Elwood Street, who
will become District public welfare
director June l, to make a study of
the entire organization Of the relief
division. Following a conference yes
terday morning, Allen and Street said
constructive steps" would be taken
promptly to improve the local situ-
alton.
Revealing his proposal for re-
search bureau later, Allen said the
purpose would be to make careful. de-
tailed studies of various types of cases
on the relief lists with a view to de-
termining how they best could be
aided in returning to a self-sustaining
basis. This would not be either an
accounting or case work project, but
rather one of social work planning
Leroy A Halbert, now emergency
relief director, may be asked to take
this assignment, although Allen yes
terday declined to confirm reports to
this effect. He has indicated he IA
vors the selection Of a business man
ager to control relief operations, how
ever, because of the vast sums being
expended monthly in this field.
Allen said he does not propose to
order any stinting in disbursement
of relief. but argues that experience
shows the need of more economical
management. Efforts would be made,
under Aliens program, to obtain a
more experienced staff of case workers
If there are several thousand per-
sons on relief who do not really re-
quire public assistance, Allen said,
this outlay likely is keeping many
others from obtaining aid.
Division Strengthened.
Allen said the relief division had
been strengthened in the past several
months through a threefold increase
in the number of case workers. This
was done after survey of the sit
uation here by Arch Mandel. field
agent of the Federal Emergency Re-
lief Administration
Now, for the first time since pub
lie relief was started in the District"
Allen said. our relief administration
has reached point where a closer
examination of the families and in
dividualS on the rolls can be made
fairly and effectively.
Some persons are receiving relief
who should not, and some are not
getting it who should. We have
strengthened the organization Of case
workers so that careful removal of
families and individuals is possible.
1t is essential that no cases that are
genuinely without other sources Of
livelihood be deprived of public aid.
The reduction will be made on the
basis of adequate information.