Evening star., 1937-05-29

today for the first time. OF the study
made by the Cooperating Commit
tee OF the Council of Social Agencies
and the Federation of Churches OF
the first 1,104 cases thus far analyZed
from among 3.100 unduplicated cases
applying to public and private agen-
cies in the first three months Of this
year and rejected because of lack Of
funds. This study brought out some
striking facts regarding the average
families Of four persons each:
Seventy-eight per cent of them had
lived for three years or more in the
District.
Eighty-eight per cent had insuffi-
cient income to meet the minimum
needs of life decently.
Fifty-flve per cent had one or more
In the family unemployed.
Sixty per cent had pressing debts
to the grocer, the landlord and
others.
Eight per cent had. In six months
either been evicted or were threat
ened with eviction.
Thirty-seven per cent were suffering
from serious illness and goodly mum
Der could not send their children to
school because of lack Of decent
clothing.
Family Service Figures.
These figures, he said. were fully
substantiated by those OF the Family
Service Association, which also showed
in a recent survey that 81 per cen'
of the families applying for relic!
had no income at all, and that II
per cent had never applied for pub
lie or private relief to any agency
in Washington before, having reached
the end Of their rope.
Answering objections that have
been raised against a larger relic
fund, DR.. Stokes spoke in high term!
of those in charge Of the variou!
governmental relief agencies. Re
garding the contention that an ad
ditional million dollars for relief woult
add to the tax levy, he said tina
was probably true, but added thi
would be economically far soundeI
| than to create human wastage through
inattention and to make necessary {
large increase in future taxation To-
institutional care.
He suggested that some Of the w
P. A. regulations be modified so tina
men would not feel that if they gav'
up relief for private Jobs they coult
never return to 1t. Answering tn
claim that the costs of relief hav'
been steadily mounting, he said the,
reached their peak a couple OF year
ago and that this year they woul'
be about IS per cent lower. He ap
pealed to the Senate to provide re
lief for employables when they ar
needy, emphasizing at the same tim
that everything possible should b
done through case workers and EN-
ployment agencies andA business, u
| get these men and women into pri
vate industry as soon as possible.
Roberts recalled that when Fedora
assistance for direct relief was with
drawn in April, 1896, local relief of
ficials withdrew aid from four to fiv
thousand families or individuals VIII
had been on relief before that time
"In the language of the Citizens
Committee, of which DR.. Anson Phelp
Stokes Is chairman" said Roberts
ttfhnea u,1neo nAal ho,
been verified when funds were avail
able upon them the pressur
to reduce relief rolls fell with ter
rific and disastrous results This sit
uation has continued since that time
= period Of more than a year"
In presenting the Board Of Trade
position, Cottrell cited gains in privat
and public employment, and also tn
extent to which expenditures for pub
lie aid Of all kinds, including hoepita
and other institutional care. hav
mounted in the past decade. From
1884 to 1885, he said, there was q
per cent increase in private employ
ment and So per cent gain in th'
Government, but only 8 per cent in
crease in population in that period
In the past 10 years, he said, publi'
aid Of all kinds has gone up from
| $4,000, 900 to $4,000, 900.
Lusk made = comparison between
Washington and Baltimore. He gav'
figures showing 4,430 cases on genera
relief in Baltimore, and 3,808 on gen
eral relief in Washington. In Balti'
more. he said, 156 per cent Of the pop
ulation was on relief, and in Wash
ington 1888 per cent. He contendee
that from March to April OF this ycal
there was q drop OF 1908 in the mum.
Der Of cases In Baltimore, and thai
there was an increase of AS In the
number here in that time.
The Society of Friends, on the othe,
hand, filed q statement to the e1ec,
that relief In Washington Is below
that given in other cities OF similal
size. This statement set forth, II
part:
Baltimore, with smaller number oi
unemployed in need. gives 86 per cent
more relief than Washington; Newark
With twice Is many unemployed ir
need, gives four times as much relie1
- Warrington; Buffalo, with 1oul