Evening star., 1935-12-18
CITY RELIEF LOAD
INCREASES BY 612
SINCE DECEMBER |.
Allen Studies How to Meet
Growing Burden With
DwindIing Funds.
$500 CASES EXPECTED
ON ROLLS BY JANUARY |
Commissioners to Ask Supple
mental Appropriation From
Congress Next Month

Problems of meeting the Districts |
heavy emergency relief load on oWh-
ding municipal funds were reviewed
TODAY by Commissioner George E. Allen
and relief officials, with reports before
them showing there has been net
increase of 6l2 in the relief load since
December l.
They calculated the District would
face the problem of caring for ABOUT
$500 relief cases on January l, unless
there should be appreciable changes In
controlling conditions between now
and the opening of the new year.
Promptly after Congress convenes
january 8, Allen plans to seek sup
Elemental District relief appropria--
ton to meet needs from then until
the end of the present tlScal year
.r,Ine 40. He has roughly figured this
need to be some 100000. He also
mans to ask an increase in the pro-
posed appropriation for the next fiscal
year.
City Heads to Get Question.
Allen said he will place this question
before the Board of Commissioners
Immediately after the holidays ana, II
they agree, will forward request 1or
increased relief funds.
Meanwhile, Allen directed relief Of
6cials to establish means of caring
for any acute emergency cases tnat
NAV be found between now and the
time Congress may provide additional
District funds for relief. The 25 per
cent cut in relief disbursements order
ed for December must be continued,
according to Allen, but is to De
abandoned January l, unless some
new crisis arises.
Allen, however, is directing that
case supervisors be prepared TO use
some discretion in maintaining this
rule the rest of this month, in con-
sidering acute emergencies that may
arise. In other words, if supervisors
find new cases in which persons OBJ
yiously are facing starvation or acute
suffering from lack of fuel, they may
promptly send out special help until
routine plans can be adopted.
Figures placed before Allen this
morning by L. A. Halbert, rellet re-
search director, and william c. Cleary.
assistant deputy works administrator,
showed the following picture.
Load 1O,O19 Gases November 80.
On November 80, the total District
relief load was 10,0l9 cases. On De-
cember 10 there were 1851 cases,
showing a net increase Of 6l2. Since
December the intake" of relief
cases amounted to 1903, but during
the same period 591 old cases were
dropped.
Of the 1908 cases added to the
roll since December l, there were lSo
new cases and 1908 old cases Wnlcn
were reopened. The latter figure was
regarded by Allen and his assistants
as indicating the seriousness OF the
situation. since the latter type Of cases
>-may not be provided steady JOBS unoer
the w. P. A. program.
Since December /, according to
Cleary. a net of 1854 relief clients
were transferred to jobs under the
W.P. A. The gross figure was 2,4OO,
but due to necessary mechanics OF
operation only 1854 assignments have
been actually received by the relief
cases. District relief funds are used
to care for those transferred to works
until they actually get their w. ?. "A.
nay, about two weeks later. This was
given as the principal reason why the
transfer of nearly 1000 relief cases
to w. P. A. so far this month has not
as yet been reflected in a correspond
ing drop in the relief load.
Wages Begin This Week.
All the 1854 assigned this month
to works will be on w P. A. pay rolls
before the end of the month. Some
get their first w. P. A. wages this
week, others next week.
The officials figured there are $500
unemployables on the relief list now.
Five hundred additional employables
have been added to the relief list
this month, it was figured. There are
about $500 employables awaiting work
assignments and, adding in the 1854
assigned to works but still awaiting
W. P. A. pay, the total relief load was
figured to be about 10000. Alien,
therefore, figured the District relief
load January l, barring unexpected
changes, would be about $500.