Evening star., 1936-03-29
ONE-CENT GAS TAX
RISE PLANNED BY
HAZEN FOR RELIEF
City Head Proposes to Get
Two-thirds of ST, 100000
to Provide Aid.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
WOULD PROVIDE JOBS
Source of Remaining $4,000 Is
Not Yet Decided-Would Aid
white Collar" Workers.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Relief for the Districts needy,
bufeted betUeen national relief
policy, administered BY w. p A.,
and national budget policy, admin
iStered by Budget Bureau, is cdus-
ing local officials grave concern. A
request for $608,000 to carry on
relief to June 80 was cut to $780,
900 by Congress, and District or
dered 1900 cases, representing 20,-
900 persons, dropped from relief
rolls.
Outlook for merit year appeared
no brighter 1Dhen requested Gppro-
pridtionS for 1887 uere cut By Con-
greSS and the Budget Bureau to
$3.50 900, a little more than half
the sum held necessary by local
relief officials.
Hoping to provide adequate relief
funds next year, Commissioner Hazen
yesterday announced a proposal for
81 10000 increase in District taxes.
two-thirds of this sum to be raised
gasoline tax and spent on street inn
provements in 1887 to provide jobs for
employables about to be thrown off the
relief rolls.
Hazen said the additional S500,000,
to come from source yet to be de-
termined, would be used to employ
white collar workers and women.
In announcing his intention to SUBJ
NIT this proposal to the Board of Dis
trict Commissioners, Hazen pointed
out that additional revenue will be
necessary because of the failure of
Congress to appropriate funds suff-
cient to care for the employable meu
and women unable to get w. P. A.
jobs.
Consistently Fought Raise.
Hazen has consistently opposed an
increase in the gasoline tax, which is
now two cents gallon, but he said
he would withdraw his opposition if
by doing so the urgent needs of 4,900
families now facing privation could
be met.
The pending District supply bill
provides $1.590,000 for relief for tho
1887 fiscal year. Commissioner Hazen
said that unless this sum is virtually
doubled, the District next year will
again be forced to cut off relief, there
by forcing thousands of able-bodied
unemployed to shift for themselves.
/ At present, gasoline tax funds are
limited by law to use in highway con-
Struction and maintenance. Under
Hazen's plan, it would continue to be
spent for highway purposes, with the
bulk OF 1t going to jobs for the needy.
! His proposal came after Commits.
sioner Allen had expressed a willing
ness to increase District taxes if Con-
gress will authorize District officials
to use the additional revenue for relief,
instead of having to wait on a later
appropriation act to use it.
Projects Worth Criterion.
Projects to be undertaken, under
the proposed plan, would be judged,
Hazen said, not by their ability to
make jobs, but on their actual worth
to the Capital.
He expects to submit the proposal
at the same time that Elwood Street,
director of public welfare, presents a
statement from the board asking again
for more funds to continue relief ac-
| tivities through the end of June. The
Board of Public Welfare has declared
that the community's duty to the
1900 families to be dropped from the
rolls after Tuesday is "inescapable."
Street will ask the Commissioners
to call on Congress again for the
$258,000 denied in the supplemental
appropriation made last week. A total
of $350,000 was allowed, $3.50, 900 Of
which will be used to care for unem-
playable clients and the remaining
100000 for dependent children in
families of employables unable to find
work
Street said that about two-thirds of
the families with dependent children,
under the definition of the social
security act, are among the 4,100
families of unemployables. The
100000, he said. probably will care
for about 1000 families through June.
Local w. p. A. Faces Task.
At the same time, the local W. P. A.
is facing the task of reducing the
number of men employed from $500
(See HAZEN, Page A-4)