Evening star., 1935-12-03
25PER CENT CUT
IN RELIEF STIPEND
HERE IS SOUGHT.
End of Federal Dole Puts
Months Load Upon Fast.
Shrinking Fund.
ALLEN HOPES 100000
GRANT WILL BE GIVEN
Commissioner Hits Spending D. c.
Appropriation Rapidly, With
Budget Inadequate.

District relief officials set to WORK
TODAY to reduce payments to all per-
sons on the relief list by Is per cent
before the end Of the month, due to
the end of the Federal dole.
An immediate 10 per cent cut was
being made today and the pairing OF
disbursements will be stepped up as
the month progresses.
Even with this heavy slash, which
had been anticipated, the District
would be about 100000 short in
needed funds for the current month,
unless that amount is forthcoming
from the Federal Government.
Commissioner George E. Allen Is
confident a 100000 additional grant
will be given, however.
He took up the matter with F. E.
r. A. officials last month, before the
Federal relief organization was de-
clared abolished, and it is believed
provision was made to keep from haV-
ing to make too drastic and sudden
q cut in relief disbursements here.
10000 Cases on d. C. Relief.
Otherwise the District now is
thrown back on its own resources to
handle a relief load that now totals
more than 10000 cases. For the en-
tire present fiscal year, the District
had but 100000 in its own oppro-
priation. This has been spent at the
rate of $166,666 a month, to supple
ment Federal grants. The remainder
could be exhausted in the next several
months, but Commissioner Allen has
held out against this, saying the Dis
trict would be utterly helpless to meet
its relief problem should Congress be
slow in making a new appropriation.
The administrative and service stad
of the District relief organization also
Is to be cut by 25 per cent by the end
of the month. There now are some
$50 workers, including more than zoo
case workers.
About 5000 Of the 10000 relief
cases are expected to be transferred
this week to projects under the Works
Progress Administration, but they will
not get w. P. A. pay until December
lS and will have to be cared for out
of District funds until then. w. P. A.
officials are considering projects to
give steady work to some $500 others
on the relief list who are believed
employable, but until they are trans
ferred and drawing pay under w. P.
A., they will remain on the relief list
4.5O0 Are Unempl0yable.
Oficials estimate there are some
$500 unemployables on the relief list,
which must be cared for entirely out
Of District money.
Commissioner Allen is hopeful that
by January all Of the employaoleS
will be shifted to w. P. A. projects
and that the District then will be
able to care for the unemployables
out of its own relief money. If the
hoped-for extra 100000 is not forth
coming, however, the Districts relief
problem will become all the more
critical, officials say.
Allen found that, without consider
ing this situation, it was necessary to
order an immediate cut Of 10 per
cent in relief payments, which would
have to be stretched to rs per cent
before the end of January.
At the latest check the average
payment to relief clients was about
$50 month, Under the present pro-
gram this would be slashed to S22.50
by the end of December. Welfare
Director Street explained, however,
that some families are getting much
less than $50 month, and some more,
depending on budget needs.