Evening star., 1936-04-01
DISTRICT WARNED
TO ADJUST RELIEF
TO DRASTIC SLASH
House Appropriations Chair.
man Says Aid Should Drop
to Normal Charity.
HOPE FOR ADDITIONAL
$3.50, 900 is DASHED
Commissioners Fail to Act on
Hazen Gas Tax Plan-Haste
by Budget Bureau Urged.

CHAIRMAN buCtldIldIl VI Illc l1OuSC
Appropriations Committee indicated
today the District has little chance
for a supplementary appropriation for
relief, regardless of the attitude Of
the Budget Bureau.
His statement followed the an
nouncement yesterday that the Com
missioners would ask the bureau to
approve second supplementary ap-
preparation, this time for $258,o00 to
care for the able-bodied unemployed
until the end of June.
The last relief checks issued to some
400 clients, heads of families num-
bering some 10000 individuals, were
exhausted yesterday. Only about 1000
Of these have any hope whatever Of
being cared for with public funds.
These represent the individuals who
will benefit from the dependent chill
dren's provisions of the Social Sc
curity Act.
S250,000 for UnempIoyables.
The Board of Public Welfare has
about 100000 to care for the de-
pendent children and the Federal
Social Security Board will contribute
ne-third toward their support. The
other $250,0OO on hand will be spent
for food, clothing and shelter for the
so-called unemployables.
The remaining $4,000 today began
their search for jobs with the knowl-
edge that if they don't get work they
and their families will have to do
without the necessities of life.
These people are the victims Of
the fact that while employment has
increased in Washington and there is
much apparent prosperity here, the
employment has largely been OF people
who come from throughout the rest
Of the country to the National Capital
on the basis Of apportionment of
Federal positions in the District in
proportion to the population of the
various States" Elwood Street, direc-
tor Of public welfare, told the Com
missioners.
Majority Here Several Years.
"Most Of these unemployed persons
now without resources-at least IS
per cent of them-have lived in the
District of Columbia for five years
or more All of them are residents
of the District for one year or more.
None Of them has any legal residence
anywhere else through which they
might acquire the right to relief if
they went elsewhere.
IF congressional appropriation does
not come to their rescue, nothing
can"
Meanwhile, the Districts first old
age pension roll was certified to Mai.
Daniel ]. Donovan, District auditor,
by the Board of Public Welfare. It
covers only % cases for a total of $659
for April. The payments ranged from
$3.50 to $3450, the variation depend
ing on whether the aged person had
any other income. The average pay
ment was s28 65, or $1.35 less than the
average of $50 set by the Social Sc
curity Board. OF the total spent, the
Federal board will contribute $31950.
Only Cases Investigated.
The % cases certified are the only
ones that have been thoroughly in
Vestigated out of more than 2,100
applications. Money for the old-age
payments was made available Febru-
ary IL, and the Board of Public We'll
fare had until May II to certify its
FIRST pay roll.
Buchanan takes the attitude that
relief already has gone too far here,
and. unless it Is ended now, it will
become a perpetual problem.
IF we continue granting funds"
he said, relief will become a per-
petual burden to the District. The
Commissioners should bring some solu-
tion Of the relief problem assuring a
reasonable end is in sight when they
come to Congress asking for funds.
"Time to Solve Problem"
'"The District ought not to have any
relief cases today. The city Is more
prosperous than it ever has been.
This is the time to solve the relief
problem.
4 ''The District spent $11, 5000 for
relief in the present fiscal year. That
can't keep up. An enormous expendi-
ture like that should be cut down to
something near the amount spent for
charity in normal years."
Buchanan said he had been in
formed of cases Of men On the relief
rolls who refused temporary jobs be-
cause they would be dropped from the
lists. He declared that system is
wrong. saying a man should be en-
couraged to take any outside work he
could get.
Buchanan also stressed the fact his
committee gave the District 100000
more than the Budget Bureau recon-
inended in the deficiency appropria-
ton recently passed by Congress so
that the relief rolls could be reduced
gradually. The Commissioners, he de-
clared, will have to act some time and
they should realize that now.
i The House joint resolution making
the additional appropriation of
S350,000 for emergency relief Of res
tdents in this city for the remainder
Of the fiscal year which ends June 30
has been signed by President Roose-
vef.
In signing this resolution, the
President did not comment on the
fears expressed by the local authors
ties that the appropriation is entirely
lnsumcient to meet the relief needs
up to the end Of this fiscal year.
Meanwhile the Commissioners asked
Daniel w. Bell, acting director of the
Budget Bureau. to hasten cousidera-