Evening star., 1936-03-18
ALL EMPLOYAbLES
'|MPER|LED BY CUT,
HEAR
Officials Beg Members Of
House to Grant 0rigi-
nal Request.
Administrative STAFF
SLASH ALSO Is FEARED
5000 Cases ON Rolls, Comprising
$4,000 People, to Be Dropped
if Present Figure Stands.

The Deficiency Subcommittee Of
the House Appropriations Committee
will report its recommendations con-
corning a new District relief appro-
priation for the remainder of the
present fiscal year on Monday or
Tuesday, Chairman Buchanan of the
whole committee said. today, after a
two-hour discussion of the entire prob
lem.
Chairman Buchanan's announce
ment came after the appropriations
group had listened to a delegation Of
District o--cialS plead for a 5000
appropriation, rather than one Of
S250000, as specified by the Budget
Bureau.
Although the chairman would not
say that the s25000O figure might be
raised, members of the District dele.
cation expressed considerable pleas
ure at the attitude of the committee
and were hopeful that an increased
figure might be recommended.
Bacon Sees Need.
Representative Bacon, Republican,
of New York, minority member of the
subcommittee considering the relief
matter, made the direct statement
after the meeting, II am convinced
that s250000 would not be adequate
for District relief needs at this time"
In addition to hearing the official
District delegation, the committee also
admitted two officers of the Washing
ton Unemployed League, who urged
maintenance of adequate relief. They
were William Goldstein and John Re-
vere
Armed with mass of statistics
showing relief demands here, the local
delegation included Commissioner
George E. Allen, Judge Michael M.
Doyle and DR.. Frederick Perkins OF
| the Board of Public Welfare, Director
| ElWood Street, Miss Alice Hill, assist
ant director, and District Auditor
Daniel Donovan.
Summary of Plea Presented.
Besides Buchanan and Bacon. Rep
resentative Taylor of Colorado also
was present today.
A summarization of the District plea
was presented first by DR.. Perkins in
| the following memorandum:
| The Board of Welfare. Of course.
| pledges itself to see that this or any
other sum which is appropriated by
the Congress is spent to the best pos
sible advantage humanity speaking, and
with the greatest possible economy.
In considering this appropriation
however. the House Committee Oil
Appropriations should understand
these facts:
"On March 1 the public assistance
division of the District Department
of Public Welfare had on its rolls
s,102 relief cases, comprising 30,326
people.
4,168 Are Unemployable.
"Of this total, unemployables num-
bered 4,168, or approximately $4,000
people.
1.-THE proposed S25o,O0o appropria-
ton for emergency relief for the ball
ance of the fiscal year will make it
possible only to grant relief on the
present restricted basis to the cases
Of unemployables now on the relief
rolls.
This appropriation would necesSi-
tate dropping on March 81 all relief
for employables, no matter how great
their need, and no more employables
could be given relief.
"An appropriation of only S250,00C
would not make it possible to give
relief to unemployable cases who have
: already applied for relief since the
rolls were closed on March Is, or who
will by necessity be applying for re-
lief in the next three months.
Experience has shown a turnover
of approximately 750 cases of un-
employability a month, largely made
up of people who are acutely i'll, Oh
who have had accidents or injuries
which have dropped them temporarily
from the employable list. The pres
ent load of 4.168 employable cases
would be too heavy to carry for the
next three months on the proposed
appropriation of $250,O00 were it not
for this turnover which would con-
siderably reduce the present roll OF
unemployables over the three-month
period in the event no new cases
were added.
Total Sum Needed.
1.-THE total sum of s6O8,OO as
recommended by the Board of Public
Welfare and the District Commits.
sioners will be necessary If employ.
ables in distress and unable to se-
cure work are to be cared for, and
if unemployables not now on relic!
rolls are to receive assistance accord
ing to need as that need inevitably
develops"
In addition to appeals of the Dis.
trict delegation, the Appropriations
Committee also received this morning
an open letter from the Washington
Unemployed League that relief be
maintained on a high level
Declaring they were desirous princi-
pally of employment, the league letter
continued:
1--WE are a constant supply Of cheap
labor, slave labor if you will, subsi-
died by the relief checks and ex-
plotted by unscrupulous employers. It
is fairly obvious that what we most
desire is work, but if that is not OBJ
tainable then we will have bread at
whatever be the cost. There are
10000 of us and we do not intend to