Evening star., 1936-10-11
SERIOUS PROBLEM
FACES CAPITAL $.
RELIEF AGENCIES
: 4,500 Cases Still Being Han
died, With Winter Com.
pIications Due.
MONTHLY TURNOVER
APPROXIMATELY $50
No Additions Can Be Made to
Rolls Without Serious Pay
ment Curtailment.

Despite generally improved business
conditions and increased private en-
ployment, Washington approaches a
new Winter with the demands upon
public and private relief agencies
showing no diminution.
In brief, the picture is as follows:
The Public Assistance Division since
July l, has been carrying virtually
static load Of about $500 cases, rep
resenting nearly $500 individuals.
Under the present tentative budget,
no increase in the case load is possible
without cutting the relief granted to
. point considered completely made
quate. There is a monthly turnover
of about $50 cases but in September
some 1900 applications were investi-
gated and 1000 more were rejected
without investigation.
11,175 Under w. PA.
The Works Progress Administrat ton
had 11,175 District residents on its
rolls on October / as compared to TO-
7S8 on September /. OF these totals,
6,564 were on local projects last month
and 6,210 on similar jobs in the pre-
ceding month! these figures are close
to maximum quotas allowable to the
District.
Private agencies for relief, such as
those of the Community Chest, the
churches and fraternel orders, report
themselves taxed to capacity already
with increased demands expected with
colder weather. In most cases. re-
sources of these agencies have been
curtailed or badly strained In recent
years and each succeeding year Of ex
cessive demand creates an increasing.I
difncult problem.
In contrast to these factors of need
are the more encouraging develop
ments such as increasing placements
through the Public Employment
Center.
2,635 Get Jobs.
Yesterday, for instance, c. E. Lam
son, director, announced that 2,635
placements were made during Sep
tember, with 2,254 of these being in
private employment. These figures
dlC al NOllOldce W tIOoO "a
August, when 2,4l5 placements were
recorded, with 1.759 being in private
employment.
The September recapitulation shows,
also, that of the 2,254 receiving pri-
vate jobs, 100 were classified as of
indefinite duration, with l,134 being
temporary.
Going back to September, 1885, 1t
Is found that the Employment Serv-
ice made only 1885 placements, with
1850 being in private industry.
Even with the increased placements
Of this year. however, the agency
reports that September applications
exceeded placements by about 20 per
cent, with 3,18s registering during
that period.
Retail Trade Rises.
Also entitled to mention as a fac
tor of encouragement was the re-
Gently revealed survey of the Com.
meroe Department showing a So per
cent pickup in retail trade in the
District from 1888 to 1885, inclusive.
During this period. retail pay rolls
moved up 20 per cent and employ
ment gained 26 per cent.
That improvements such as this are
not appreciably reflected in relief
rolls may be partly explained in sew
eral ways. In the first place, indi-
viduals now on the rolls of the Public
Assistance Division are unemploy-
abIes; theoretically none of them are
able to work even If opportunity were
available. AS injury, sickness, old age
and other factors add to this classifi-
cation, it becomes evident that the
public relief list will be the last place
to reflect any improvement in eco
nomic circumstances of the COM
munity.
Furthermore, employment gains are
recorded principally in lines requiring
certain degrees of skill. whereas the
". P. A. rolls are filled principally
by unskilled labor. Demand for labor
Is particularly strong in domestic
service and in construction work, but
skill is necessary in both.
SIS Leave w. p. A.
Evidence that Unemployment does
hgure In the picture, however. Is found
In the fact that 518 left the w. p. A.
during the year ended September !
to take private employment. In ad-
dition, 1.261 left for reasons unknown
and 7s3 failed to report for work; both
Of these groups undoubtedly included
individuals who had received offers
Of private employment
Helping materially In the problem
facing the p. A. D. are the monthly
reimbursements being received from
the Social Security Board for assist
ance to. the needy blind, the needy
aged and dependent children. Fed
eral contributions for these programs
locally are amounting to about $4,000
per month at the present time.
Benefting from these programs on
October were IS needy blind persons,
eS1 needy aged, 1,100 relief families
with dependent children. With about
3,4oo applications for oid-age assist
ance still to be cleared, the p. A. D.
expects to add some 1000 to this clas-
sintation. OF this eligible number, it
Is estimated that about 1900 viii come
from present relief rolls.
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