Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-10
EXPERIMENT ENDS
RELIEF 'CH|SEL|NG'
Pennsylvania Chief Evolves
Own System to Obtain
Work for JobIess.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


importance before long every national
issue.
Gen. Hugh Johnson's troubles with
the strikers in New York who object
10 the security" wage on work-relief
projects and the numerous reports
that the Federal dole is being used as
a subsidy for strikes are mere Incl
dents in the everyday operation OF
the relief machinery, especially as
employers here and there report that
persons on relief prefer the dole to
the work that is offered them.
President Roosevelt has just an
nounced that the workers do not have
to accept the work-relief wages II
they do not care to do so, but they
lose their status on the relief rolls.
This method Of handling the
worker who has job offered him
was developed in Pennsylvania by
State Administrator Robert L. john
SON. incidentally, Mr.. Johnson's re-
port of his first six months in ad-
ministering relief in one of the largest
States in the Union is particularly
interesting He is not a politician
but a volunteer who obtained leave
of absence from his work as adver-
Using manager of Time magazine in
order to do his part in the drive
against the depression. Having al
ways had a yearning for public Serv-
ice, Mr.. johnson selected what he
believed would be not only an inter-
esting work but most exacting one
His conclusions are most significant,
for they are from a truly diSinterested
source.
Decentralization Policy.
Before taking office" says Mr..
johnson, IT made a three-month
study Of relief problems which led me
to determine on a policy of decen-
tralization, and put it into effect i'm
mediately.
Under my predecessor the County
and Area Relief Boards were rubber
stamp affairs, having no authority
but often considered by the COM
munity to be completely responsible.
Naturally I found the boards in al
most all cases to be thoroughly dis
satisfied with the position in which
they found themselves. I have gone
over thousands of names of promi-
nent citizens and from these names I
have personally selected and installed
16 new advisory boards, and the re-
manning boards I hope to have by
September !.
Seven trained investigators were
brought in from another State to
conduct an investigation of the much
discussed chiseling situation. Their
report was unbiased, represented a
new point Of view and revealed a
comparatively small percentage Of
fraud on the part of relief recipients.
Necessary legal assistance was pro-
vided to speed up prosecutions. Many
chlselers went to jail, thousands
thought it the best policy voluntarily
to leave the relief rolls, and many
thousands of dollars were returned
by persons who feared the light of in
veStigation.
Il found it to be true that a person
on direct relief who took a temporary
job might be deprived of the neces-
sites of life when the job ended be-
cause of the necessary 'red-tape' de-
lay in making application for relief
This was an injustice, and to correct
1t I originated and instituted the au-
tomato reinstatement procedure. This
requires a person offered temporary
employment to report to the local re-
lief nfT1Po rIrhara hn &c
cate emitting him to return to the
relief rolls Immediately his employ
ment ends. At that time he has his
employer indorse the certificate and
put thereon the amount of his last
pay and the number of days he has
worked. In returning him to the re-
lief rolls due consideration Is given
to the amount of money received as
wages.
Pass on Relief Applicants.
Having removed the major reason
for people refusing temporary employ
ment, I next created review commit
tees throughout the State to pass on
cases of relief recipients who refuse
to work. A large number have been
dropped from the relief rolls for I'M
justifiable refusal of employment. In
cases where the relief recipient is
found to have been offered inadequate
compensation, the recipient will be re-
tanned on the relief rolls, and the
Relief Administration will consider the
prospective employer to have been
guilty of attempting to exploit per-
sons on relief and the employers
name and the name of his company
presented to the State Emergency Re
lief Board at the next regular meeting.
1T is now compulsory for all en-
playable relief recipients to register
with the national or State employ
ment services or be dropped from re-
lief rolls. No person may apply for
relief without presenting a certificate
of registration issued by the employ
ment Office"
Mr.. johnson reports that on jan
uary IS last there were 1851 ,316 per-
sons receiving subsistence from public
money In Pennsylvania. The number
rose to a peak of 1,743,579 in April.
but by July 6 this had come down to
1,615,822 and there has been a reduc-
ton every week for the last Is weeks.
This represents net reduction in cost,
he reports, Of more than $4,000 per
week from the peak load.
That's the story of relief administra-
ton in Pennsylvania, and if there's a
coal strike the big question will be
whether Pennsylvania will subsidize
the strike with Federal money or
whether Mr.. Roosevelt will take the
position that those who have been
offered Jobs and have refused them
cannot be maintained at public ex-
pense.