Evening star., 1936-01-12
FEDERAL RELIEF RENEWAL
QUESTION FOR CONGRESS
Head of District Welfare Board De-
clares Vital Awareness Is Portion of
Those Administering Aid.

nothing worth mentioning for faml-
lies in which there is no employsble
person.
President Roosevelt said in his
opening meSsage to Congress in Janu-
airy. 1885. that the uncmp'oyables are
not a Federal but a State and local
responsibility Nevertheless. Federal
relief in another guise has been Of
fered to many Of the "unemp,oyables"
through the social security act, which
will supply Federal funds on a CO.
operative basis to the States for old.
age pensions, blind pensions and as
sistance to mothers and children.
The Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
ministration announced last Winter
that approximately 20 per cent of those
on relief were unemployables and
were, therefore. local responsibility.
This percentage was approximately
true in Washington, D. c., and the
proportion of unemployables has in
creased as the employables have been
/ transferred to work projects. On De-
cember /, for example. out Of $500
cases on relief. almost 4,500. or more
! This is a problem of relief too great
for financing by private agencies. The
aid to the unemployable alone on this
basis would cost about 81 for each
member of the whole population per
capita. whereas the Community Chest,
financing practically all of the private
philanthropy Of the community, raises
only about S3.25 per capita in actual
cash It is manifestly impossible to
add the 81 per capita relief burden TO
the present S3.25 per capita for private
philanthropy. which is obtained with
great difficulty. 1t is also unthinkable
that relief for the unemployableS
should be assumed by the Community
Chest. as representing private philan-
thropy, and that all other forms OF
private philanthropy, such as homes
for the aged. orphan ssylumS, care Of
the sick poor in hospitals and charac-
ter building agencies, should be extin-
guished.
Private Agencies Restricted.
Private relief activities have been
quite thoroughly restricted by the
development of the Federal relief pro-
gram. When the Federal Govern
ment took over relief private family
welfare agencies properly sought other
Jobs which they could better render,
such as specialized case work, sup
Elementary relief of cases with made
quate income and similar tasks beyond
the scope of the more regularized
and thinner-Spread public agencies.
Some expansion of service is un-
doubtedly in sight for private family
welfare agencies, but I do not see
how they can ever assume the full
burden of that relief for unemploya-
bleS which is one of the permanent
costs of the depression. BY "perma-
nent" I mean for the next generation
at least.
Extensive as is the problem of
assistance to the unemployables, it
also presents what appears to be an
indigestible bulk in the unhappy
stomach of the social body. Even
with more thorough going case work
by more skilled case workers, it does
not seem likely that this great mass
of unemployables will be quickly
assimilated. I have recently received
, a study of 1859 cases of unemployables
, in Washington-over half the total
number You can see for yourself
what chance there is for rehabilitating
these people from the fact that SO
per cent present problems Of old age.
Nine and two-tenthS per cent are
! from so to 81 years old and 24.6 per
cent are over IS years of age.
Ill-Health Is Factor.
, A considerable proportion Of these
will be eligible for old-age pensions
when an appropriation for the pur-
pose is made by Congress, but many
will not meet the standards of eligi-
, bility and must be cared for in some
!, way. Virtually go per cent of the
: unemployables are dependent because
of ill-health.
, I ask you, what is even the most
, skilled case work going to do in re-
habilitating most of these unemploy-
ables? Clearly, while some can be
!. rehabilitated, most of these cases rep
: resent a continuing responsibility for
: relief funds, either private or gov
ernmental.
|, This is an appalling problem. Peo-
: pie are often astonished at it. They
i, ask me, what did all of these unem-
ployables do before the depression?
Nobody knows what they all did, but
: 1t is quite clear that they are i've or
o Continued on Ninth Page)