Evening star., 1936-02-02
RELIEF FORMULA
PLANS DEVELOPING
Move Follows Vandenberg
Statistics on Variable
State Ratios.
BY ], a. O'LEARY.

movement is developing at the
Capitol to have Congress lay down
definite formula, or yardstick to
govern distribution among the States
of any new emergency relief appro-
pristions.
The latest suggestion along that
line comes from Senator Vandenberg.
Republican. of Michigan, who has
Just had referred to the Senate Ap-
preparations Committee statistics
showing how the ratio of Federal
to local expenditures for direct relief
varied in each of the States, over
period of nearly three years.
Another recent move in the same
direction was the bill introduced by
Senator Davis, Republican, Of Penn
sylvania seeking to have whatever
balance remains uneXpended from
last years $4,000, 100000 Work-rehef
fund allOcated to the States for work
projects, on the basis of population.
The Dill ie awaiting committee action.
Formula Need Expressed.
Senator Vandenberg did not pro-
pose any particular rule to be fol-
lowed in determining how future re-
lief funds should be allocated but
told the Senate a few days ago he
wanted the summary of past relief
allotments submitted to the commit
tee in the hope that if additional
relief appropriations are desired, We
may add legislative formula for
the distribution of the funds"
L.
ton pending in Congress at this time,
the President having omitted it from
his budget message last month with
an indication that whatever addi-
tional work-relief estimate may be
found necessary after further study
will be submitted later in the session.
The table of figures Vandsnberg
brought to the Senate's attention last
week dealt with the allotments for di-
rect relief, which were made during
1888. 1884 and nine months of 1885.
This form of relief was terminated in
December, after the works progress
program got under full swing and the
Government decided to concentrate on
w. P. A. and P. w. A. projects.
showing 4hdue Dy 1dDIe.
The table presented gave for each
State the total of emergency relief OBJ
legations for this period Of nearly three
years of direct relief, and the propor-
tions met from Federal State and local
funds in each State. 1t showed that
for the country as a Whole the per-
centage borne from Federal funds was
tions met from Federal State and local
funds combined making up the re-
naming 284 per cent. Taking each
area separately, however. the percent
ages Of Federal contribution ranged all
the way from 98l per cent in one in
stance TO as low as 40 per cent IN an
other instance, Vandenberg pointed
out.
Presumably" he told the Senate,
the theory is that the differing allo-
cations are made on the basis Of need,
which is to say on the basis Of the
exhaustion Of State credit. But it
hardly seems probable that the public
credit of individual Sta,es could be eX-
hausted in the proportions indicated
by the figures
Vandenberg emphasized he was not
questioning the good faith of those
in charge of relief adding that he
only wanted TO make the point that
mo discretionary power of this ma
ture. no matter how nobly meditated,
could be used satisfactorily or eqult-
ably in the absence Of legislative
formula dictated by those constitute
tional authorities III Congress TO
whom is committed responsibility for
the public purse.
1888 Temporary Formula.
In one of the early emergency relief
laws. of May. 1888, Congress laid down
temporary formula under which
the Federal Government made grant
of 81 for every S3 raised for relief
from State and local funds in each
State. That law provided, however,
that after october /, 1888, the Fed
eral allotmentS for direct relief could
be distributed on the basis of the
ascertained needs.
In connection with work creating
projects. Congress has specified for
mula for the distribution Of allot-
ments for emergency Federal-ald
highway and railroad grade crossing
elimination work. This formula is
based on population, area and mileage.