Evening star., 1935-12-08
v. P. A. PROGRAM
UNCERTAINTY ADDS
TO D. c. WORRIES
New Relief Problem Con.
fronts Commissioners as
Transfers Are Made.
SHIFTS STILL LEAVE
10000 CASES ON ROLLS
Officials Have No Assurance
Works Projects Will Con-
tinue Beyond April,

Uncertainty as to how long the pro-
gram of the Works Progress Admins
tration will continue, under Federal
appropriations now available, arose
Yesterday to give District officials new
concern over their relief problem.
Present estimates are the w. P. A.
program will continue in full force
until about March Is or April /. Dis
trict officials have been given no as
surance of those dates. The program
may last longer or may end sooner.
Commissioner George E. Allen, Dis
trict relief administrator. said yester-
day, he did not know just how long
1t would be.
The major point here is that some
10000 cases of need have been trans
ferred from the District relief list TO
the w. P. A. banner. Others are
being transferred as fast as Federal
money becomes available.
At the latest count, there were some
10000 cases still on the District relief
list. Between 1000 and 5000 now are
being transferred to the new works
program, but they will not get their
pay under w. P. A. until December ID.
Should the Federal w. P. A. pro-
gram end next March is or April 1,
or even at a later date, the relief
program carried by that agency would
come back, to a large extent. at least.
on the District, officials explained yes
terday.
To date, the Federal Government has
advanced to the District $500, 1922 for
the w. P. A. program here. At the
same time, however, Federal agencies
have approved District work projects
totaling some thousands Of dollars
more than $7,70o,0 Exact figures
were not available yesterday.
OF the cash warrants so far received
by the District, only 81 200, 900 has not
yet been earmarked for specific and
approved projects.
VIII Seek Relief Fund.
Allen Is planning to appeal to Con-
gress for supplemental District appro-
priation for care of those still on relief
and not eligible for the works program,
between January and July Ia He has
roughly estimated the additional
amount needed may be $780, 900, but
this has not been determined finally.
Also he is planning an appeal to
Congress for an increased District re-
lief appropriation for the next fiscal
year, beginning July 1. He has roughly
figured some $4,000, 900 may have to
be asked, instead Of $1,700,000, which
the Commissioners are said to have in
cluded in the 1887 budget estimates.
He arrived at the S3,200,000 figure
this way. The District relief appropria-
ton for this year was $4,000 900, be-
ing spent at the rate of $l66,666 a
month. He is spending for December
needs an additional 100000, which he
expects will be repaid by the Federal
Emergency Relief Administration.
Thus. if the present load is continued
an extra 100000 a month will be
needed over and above the s166,000 a
month out of District revenues. Fed
eral relief aid has been halted This
would indicate the need of $500, 900
more for the remainder of this fiscal
year and $3,200,00o for the next year,
but there has been no decision as yet
on these points.
Makes Relief Plans.
Allen has placed into effect Is
per cent cut in relief payments-not
the w. P. A. program here-for De-
cember. He has ordered this restored
for the month of January and will cut
the suit to fit the cloth" thereafter,
after making an appeal to Congress
for extra District appropriations.
District officials yesterday amended
their figures on what now is the ac-
tual average payments for those on
relief. The average figure of $50 a
month still stands. But officials ex-
planned the average for the families
amounts to $3917 and that the aver
age for single persons on relief has
been $11.0 With the 25 per cent cut
in effect this month, these figures have
been cut to $29.3S for families and
$8.32 for single persons The size Of
the average family on relief is figured
at 1858 persons.
OficialS also explained that supple
mentary relief in the form of surplus
food commodities, mattresses, towels,
wood and some medical aid Is being
given to relief cases.
Commissioner Allen and Leroy A.
Halbert, research director for the Dis
trict Relief Administration, however,
both declared yesterday that even con-
sidering this supplementary relief the
conditions of those on relief, even be-
fore the Is per cent cut was ordered
for December, to be "deplorable."
They agreed with declarations made
by spokesmen for private welfare and
civic groups, who appeared before the
Commissioners Friday, that persons on
relief faced "slow starvation" If the
Commissioners had to continue in ef-
feet rs per cent cut in relief dis
A.