Evening star., 1936-04-10
MANY APPLICANTS
FOUND INELIGIBLE
AFTER APRIL CUT
so Per Cent of Investigated
Appeals Likely to Be
Rejected Also.
OFFICIALS SEEK CLUE
TO CLOSE-OUT RATE
Easter Spirit Aids in Effort to
Forestall Evictions for Lack
of Rent Cash.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

D1 JOuN ~. ILNh1.
The Public Assistance Division of
the District Board of Public Welfare
has accepted for investigation ap-
Fortunately 100 relief cases per day
since April /. Some of these are per-
sons making their first application
for public relief. others are persons
coming back after a period of en-
ployment, others are among those
cut off on April l. In addition to
those accepted for examination, about
so cases per day have been rejected
upon application as plainly ineligible.
OF the number given an "open"
status, it is expected that about half
will be rejected after a thorough case
investigation, with the remainder like
ly to be eligible for continued relief
even under the curtailed program now
in effect. Since case investigations
for appeals of the past week have not
yet been completed, exact figures on
the number found eligible for con-
tinued relief are not yet available, it
was explained by Miss M. Alice Hill.
director of the division.
Many Cleared on April I.
1t is not expected, Miss Hill added
that the daily number of opened cases
will continue at quite the high rate
indicated thus far in the month, since
many of them are cases that we're cut
off on April and are being given new
consideration because of doubt about
employability. They include, for in
stance, the cases where the employ
able" person is sent to Gallinger for
physical examination to determine
his fitness for work. About one out
of five Of these border-line cases are
being found unemployable and thu
eligible for public relief, she said
While this adjustment process j.
under way relief officials are watching
anxiously for a clue to the rate of
cases being closed. Prior to April /,
for instance, the relief load remained
approximately static on turnover of
$500 to 1000 cases per month; in
other words, new cases were offset Dy
the closing of old ones.
Since much of the closing-out
process came about through re-em-
ployment, this figure may drop under
the new set-up. In explanation, none
of the persons now on public relief is
employable, theoretically at least, SO
there is little likelihood that they will
be removed from relief rolls through
that avenue.
If. however, the rolls continue to
grow at the pre-April rate. it may
mean a steadily increasing relief
burden.
Rent Clusters Opposed.
Meanwhile, rainy weather and Bas-
ter spirit are joining forces with ef-
forts of public and private relief
officials to forestall a wave Of evic-
tions. In the cases of many families
cut of on April /, rents are overdue
and no money is available. In some
of them, warnings Of eviction inten-
tions already have been given, but
through cooperation of the United
States marshal's Office and the land
lords, action has been deferred tenn
porarily.
Three cases of expected evictions
were reported by the Community
Chest today, although action in the
cases has been deferred temporarily.
Each of the families, including men,
women and children, was cut of under
the April l ruling.
At the same time, member agencies
of the Chest report continuance of
appeals beyond their ability to serve.
Yesterday, for instance, the American
Legion welfare department reported
itself forced to reject eight applica-
tions of persons cut of on April l; the
Bureau of Rehabilitation reported FIVE;
Catholic Charities, three; Family Serv-
ice Association, eight; Travellers Aid
Society, three; Salvation Army, five.
These appeals are over and above
those who were found sufficiently
within the scope of activity of the
agencies so that some help could be
extended. In spite of their hard
pressed budgets. it was explained that
most of the relief agencies of the
Chest give some measure of aid to
cases that normally might fall under
their jurisdiction, these for the most
part replacing such cases as are closed
dailv