Evening star., 1935-03-12
j. S. RELIEF COST
S5S PER SECOND
Total Aided Rises 5000, 900
as $3,207, 900, 900 Goes
to Ease Problem.

Fifty-eight dollars a second! That
Is the cost Of relief in the United
States Every time minute is licked
on on the clock more than So 400 is
poured into the relief hopper, to the
tune of more than 100000 an hour,
S5,000,000 a day, or $150000.0 900
month. And the load is increasing.
In May, 1888, when the Federal
Emergency Relief Administration,
headed by Harry l.. Hopkins, was
created, there were 1900 900 persons
receiving relief in the United States.
Today, two years later, after $3,207,-
100000 Of Federal, State and local
funds have been expended to amel-
iorate the problem, there are more
than 20,000,000 on Uncle Sans relief
roll.
Federal Emergency Relief Admin
1stration figures show constant up
ward trend in families and single per-
sons on relief during the last two
years.
3,906,874 Families Get Aid.
For instance. in July. 1898, there
were 3906,874 families, or II per cent
Of the total population, receiving re-
lief. There was a drop when the re-
lief work program reached its zenith,
but with the return of direct relief an
increase came and in March, 1884
there were 1858, 1888, or II per cent of
the total population, on relief. In
April this figure jumped to 4,437, ,242,
1t went to 4,817365 in October and
ct the end Of the year it hit 5,033. .645.
With the rising relief tide. of course,
came rising relief costs and the F. E.
r. A. figures reflect how. between 1898
and 1884, the Federal Government
lifted more and more of the burden
from the backs of States and munic-
1palities.
In 1888 the Federal Government
paid only 60.6 per cent of the total
relief costs. States paid 14.3 per cent
and municipal funds Isl per cent. .
Ill Per Cent Borne by U. S.
In 1884 F. E. r. A. figures show the
Federal Government bearing TIT per
cent of the total burden, while the
States load had dropped to l3 per cent
and the local communities to 1873
per cent.
In 1888, expenditures for relief ag-
gregated s792, ,763,027. of which the
Federal Government contributed
$48o, sol ,783, State governments,
Sll3,260, 984 and local communities,
$198, ,s0O,26O. During 1884 relief ex-
penditures jumped to Sl,473,5S3, 1853,
an increase of more than a half bill
lion dollars.
The Federal Governments share of
this huge expenditure in 1884 rose to
s1,O67 ,279. .932; the States share in
creased slightly to $185342. 800. while
the local communities went to $780,
e60,376.
officials say the relief load will in
crease rather than diminish until
business recovery takes firm grip
upon the Nation or until the social
security program, with its concomi-
tant plans for old-age pensions, un-
employment insurance and sick ben
efits, become effective.
sS.207, 100000 Spent.
tion at their record of the last two
years, during which $3,207, 100000 has
been spent. In the first place, they
point out, 925 per cent of this total
has gone directly to relief, with only
rs for administration expenses. In
addition, the money has been spent in
normal channels Of trade, thus con-
tributing to recovery while supplying
relief.
OF this gigantic total, S2,267 00o, 900
represents the approximate sum con-
tributed by the Federal, State and To-
cal governments for direct relief dur
ing 1888 and 1884, while S940,000,000
came from these three political sub
divisions for the work relief projects
of the Civil Works Administration.
OF the G. w. A. expenditures, $845,-
900, 900 came from the Federal Gov
eminent, while S95,0O0,00O was con-
tributed jointly by the States and
local communities. This brings the
total Federal expenditures to $685.
100000 for the two-year period, dur
ing which the State governments were