Evening star., 1935-12-29
Many Will See Dole Money
for District Exhausted,
Says Welfare Board.
1900 ONLY ARE ELIGIBLE
FOR 0LD-AGE, BLIND AID
Wave of Sickness and Crime
Feared If Others Are Forced
to Appeal for Aims.

from relief funds and works progress
wages, face starvation in the not far
future If some new means of f1nanc-
ing relief is not found, it was learned
yesterday at the Board of Public
Welfare.
These $4,000 families are wholly
dependent for continued existence on
money from the public treasury, their
records at relief headquarters show.
Eleven thousand of them are sup
ported by w. P. A. pay augmented
after January l by District relief al
lotments, but President Roosevelt has
announced that after July 1 only
$780, 900 of the Nations jobless, who
total near 100000, will be cared for
by the Federal Government.
District heads, aided in 1934-5 by
$8, 900 900 from the now non-existent
F. E. r. A, have decided to splurge
with the few dollars remaining from
the 100000 relief appropriation in
the current supply bill, and spend by
the middle of May money which
should last uEtil July.
Few Eligible for Pensions.
Under present circumstances Dis
trict officials fear that after May all
but a few of the thousands of fami-
lies on the dole will be dependent on
aims for their existence. These few
number 1,500 who will be eligible for
old-age and blind aid. approaching a
maximum of $50 a month, payment
of which will commence soon after the
beginning of the new year.
tuberculosis, crime and other de-
plorable conditions, according to Mai.
Daniel ]. Donovan, District auditor,
might follow elimination of relief
funds, for aims are few and far be-
tween.
The Community Chest, chief source
of private charity in the District, can
not aid the dire situation, according
to william Mcclellan. campaign
chairman, who said:
I'VE have no more than enough
money to take care of our regular 65
agencies"
He pointed out that diversion Of
Chest funds to provide the bare needs
of emergency relief applicants would
seriously curtail the work Of the mem
ber agencies essential welfare organi-
cations and institutions in Washing
ton which carry the normal load Of
local welfare work.
Chest Short Of Goal.
The Chest. needing 81 1,s77, 900, OBJ
tanned only 94.35 per cent of its goal.
Its member agencies, doing the utmost
in highly efficient fashion in the cur
rent emergency, are helpless to meet
a condition of affairs entirely beyond
its responsibilities. 1t vainly sought
a donation of 20 per cent beyond its
quota in order to aid the public relief
activities.
In days of normal prosperity the
sum collected by the Chest took care
| in most part of the relief needs. But
the governmental outlay last year OF
| $4,000 900 was more than five times
greater than the Chest goal Of less
than $2,000,000. Subsistence living
| lOI OIlC Will bAAA &C VI 4OdA
children requires $50 month at least.
Federal relief officials have concluded.
or $3.50, 900 a month for the $4,000
desperate families
Washington's public assistance prob
lem became acute when on December
1 Harry Hopkins notified Commis-
sioner Allen he could expect no more
aid from the F. E. r. A. The Com
missioner decided to budget his few
dollars at $166 900 a month so that
they would last until July l. To ac-
complish this, he cut of supplemental
relief to w. P. A. employees and or
dered dole payments made every 10
days instead Of weekly.
Help Must Come BY May.
Beginning January /, Allen will re-
store the cuts made month ago. But
the result of the restoration will be
a lack of money in May unless the
Commissioners find way to block the
approach of calamity and Congress
aids in financing the solution Of the
problem.
Auditor Donovan said in urging the
citizen of Washington to oversub-
scribe the Chest goal:
"Our relief appropriation Of $4,000
900 is barely sufficient to care for the
families in which there is no employ
able person who are on our hands and
vii; be on our hands for long time
to come.
I'VE spend large sums of appropri-
ated money for the care of prisoners
in penal institutions. but we are not
doing anything worth mentioning for
the prevention of criminality.
1--WE spend large sums for the care
of dependent and wayward children.
but we cannot care for a single child
who Is not committed to the care Of
the Board of Public Welfare by the
Juvenile Court.
"Our public funds care for 500 feeble-
minded persons in the District Train
ing School for Feeble Minded, but
there is no public fund to care for the
other inadequate people who cannot
make a 60 Of life
President Roosevelt early In his ad-
ministration committed the Federal
Government to the duty of preventing
starvation. but starvation may haunt
him on his doorstep in the Capital If
fun Is are not forthcoming after May
to buy food, clothing and shelter, not
to mention medicine, education and
recreation, for 1000 Washington FAM
lilies.