Evening star., 1934-08-31
STREET D|SCLA|MS
PRA|SEFOR RELIEF
Says His Administration
Has Not Accomplished
All Sinclair Gains.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Elwood Street, director of public
welfare, modestly disclaims most of
the praise given the District relief
set-up by Upton Sinclair. Democratic
nominee for Governor of California,
in Sinclair's recent speech. The
Californian said that the principles
of his End Poverty in California
Plan" had already been applied in
the District of Columbia.
Street said today his adminiStra-
ton had not accomplished all Sin
clair indicated toward putting the
jobless to work and letting them
trade products among themselves
'Self-help" in the District relief
program still is in the formative stage,
Street asserted, and he will be well
pleased if it takes 1000 families of
relief rolls this year.
Explains District Plan.
Here, he said, is what the District
is doing about relief:
A corporation controlled by the Fed
eral Government, with three repre-
sentativeS of the Federal Relief Ad-
ministration and the Department of
Agriculture on its board of trustees,
has been organized to develop a
rural community like that built re-
Gently with relief funds at Woodlake,
Tex.
The community is to provide homes,
small farms, part-time employment in
nt itad
tries, a school and community CEN
ter for not more than 100 or 200
families selected from District relief
rolls.
Lawrence Westbrook, director of
rural utilization for the F. E. R. A.,
wants the community to be demon
stration fo- the rest of the country
Street added actual work had been
delayed by the absence of several
trustees from the Capital.
If the original community is judged
a success, the District of Columbia
Rehabilitation Corp has power to back
additional such ventures with relief
money.
"SeIf Help" Groups Formed.
Another related District experiment
which the corporation might take
over, is the organization of self
help" groups These are composed
of people on relief, or on the verge
of relief, who have similar interests
and want help to start industries or
farming enterprises of their own.
About a dozen cooperative self
help groups have been formed in the
District.
Two such projects have been ap-
proved by District relief officials. One
contemplates establishment of sewing
rooms for white and colored women
Another-the Capital New Deal
Cooperative several schemes
in mind, most ambitious of which IS
to take cattle purchased by the Gov
ernment in the drought area, fatten
them in nearby Virginia, slaughter
and can the beef, use what its mem
bers need of the product and trade the
rest for goods made by other self
help" units.
Action on Funds Delayed.
The District government has asked
the Federal Relief Administration for
$500 to start the two projects, but
action on the application has oeen
delayed Street is confident the
money will be Forthcoming soon.
He said the District is starting
slowly regarding "self-help" and has
purposely held down "highhown"
groups.
A central commissary ultimately
may be established where the workers
could take surplus products and OBJ
tain scrip to exchange for other
goods, he said.
Street does not think the "self-help''
projects are likely to make families
completely sef-sustaining, but be-
lieves they should provide "a more
| full and adequate life" than direct re-
lief.
Meantime the District is handling
the bulk of relief demands like most
other communities in the United
! States.
One-sixth of the population-S5 OOo
persons, rs per cent of whom are
colored-is dependent on relief.
One thing the District is doing in
this work relief Street considers most
| important. Workers are being palc
in cash. not groceries.
That gives people chance to re-
main individuals" he said.