Evening star., 1936-06-03
What Are They
Doing Without
Relief?
Case Histories of Families
Dropped From the Rolls
Presented by Star.

FOllOWlng decision OF OOnBTeSS W
appropriate only $3.50, 900 in place
of the $608, 900 for which the Com
missioners had asked, the District
relief autorities announced that
al "employable" persons would be
dropped from the local relief rolls
April /. This was done.
Since then there has been no
great pubic outcry for further re-
lief. There have been no riots. no
disorder, no mass demonstrations.
Evictions have been few.
Was the relief demand over
stated by the relief authorities?
Is the public being lulled into a
false sense of security that all Is
we'll?
Some 4,l0O families have been
dropped from the local relief rolls.
A few have been given w. P. A.
employment. What are the others
doing? What, are their circum-
stances? How will they get along?
At the request of the American
Association of Social Workers, the
Public Assistance Division of the
Board OF Public Welfare and the
Family Service Association.
Community Chest agency, have
followed up" 40 cases Of persons
dropped from the relief rolls.
The names of these cases have
not been available to The Star,
nor has The Star made its own in
veStigation of the facts. At the
request Of the agencies The Star
will present daily some of the typi-
cal cases as reported by the case
workers.
Case No. 13.
This is a colored family of nine per-
sons: Man, wife and seven children
ranging in age from / month to u
years.
The man has held various laboring
jobs. but family has had to depend
upon public assistance since July. 1882,
for at least part of its subsistence.
has missed days work on g. w. A,
or w. p A. jobs.
The case was closed April l. because
of liquidation of relief to employa5les
On this day baby was born in
Gallinger Hospital. The man con-
tinues on w. P. A., at $45 a month
Their rent Is S25 behind and the
family has been running short of food
Their clothes are for the most part
rags, some so far gone they cannot
be patched again. The parents have
received a letter from the school at
tended by two children that they be
kept home until shoes are purchasd
for them. The baby needs medicine.
The woman has been taking IN
washing. but is handicapped because
she cannot buy firewood for the iron
ing. She owes the wood man So ano
the coal man 81. Out of the mans
last semi-monthly pay of s22 so, only
$40 was available for food for two
weeks after other inescapable expenses
had been met The minimum fol
food for this size family, it was re-
ported, should be $3.50 week.
Case No IA.
This is a white family Of seven peo-
pie: Father, mother and five children
ranging in age from to 18 years
Up TO April they had been receiving
81 a week in relief to supplement ar
income of SO week from roomel
and S6.25 a week from the Oldest boy
who was in c. C. c. camp.
On April l payment of the relic
funds was stopped and the boy wa
returned home from camp. 1ht
mother is badly in need of an opera
tion for gall stones and also has dia
betes. The father, timer by trade
also is i'll and is continually turned
down when seeking employment be
cause of his Sickly appearance.
The second boy, l6 years old, ha
left school and been apprenticed Il
an ironworker. but during the pas
month has been paid only Sc for hi
work. All of this went for food. TIT
next two children, boy and a girl
IL and 10 years old, soon will have t
drop out of school for lack of clothing
their own having been outgrown o.
patched so frequently there is nothing
left of the original garments. Thei
shoes are too badly worn to be re
paired, even if they could afford it
The mother has been unable to go Il
clinic for treatment for lack o
carfare.
Case No. IS.
The family is composed of a man
his wife and three children, boy
years old and twin babies month
old.
When the mans last job closed, las
Fall, the family was able to live sew
eral weeks on savings. Though prou,
of their independence, the coupl
finally was forced to apply for relief
The husband tried hard to find EN-
ployment, but could get nothing bu
odd jobs for short times.
The family was classed as employ
able and dropped from relief roll
April /, when the Public ASSistanc