Evening star., 1937-05-20
WELFARE LEADERS
PLAN FUND PLEA
Senate D. c. Body to Be
Asked to Add ST, 100000
to Amount Set.

Humanitarian policies of the District
will rest in the hands of the Senate
District Appropriations Subcommittee
this week or early next week, as Board
of Public Welfare officials plead for
increases totaling $l,360,00O in the
pending supply bill with which to COM
bat hunger and suffering in the next
fiscal year
The committee will be asked to re-
store slashes made in Budget Bureau
estimates for welfare by the House and
In addition increase the allotment for
public assistance by 100000 so that
aid may be extended to so-called
unemployed employables and their
families.
AS the appropriation bill now stands,
1t was pointed out, the District will be
compelled to continue through the
next fiscal year its current unyielding
policy of refusing any relief to families
In which there is an able-bodied wage
Garner who cannot find job.
Backed by Citizens Body.
In this request Welfare Board
officials will have the support of a
Citizens Committee appointed at a
mass meeting several weeks ago where
reasonable tax increase If that was
found necessary to carry on an ade-
quate relief program.
Restoration of economy slashes in
the budgets of the tuberculosis Sana-
toria and Gallinger Hospital will oe
urged upon the committee. The House
refused to allow funds for employment
Of 10 additional employees at the Tu-
berculosis Hospital although the item
had the approval of the Budget Bu-
reau. It was stressed that with the
opening of the new adult sanatorium
at Glenn Dale work Of the already
overburdened staff will be greatly in
creased
The House also refused to allow
Budget Bureau estimates for the en-
ployment of l3 additional nurses, five
nurses aides. two attendants and five
ambulance drivers for Galinger Hos
pital.
Increase in Patients.
Need for the additional employees is
clearly revealed by the fact that while
an average of 1856 patients were cared
for daily at the institution last year,
Its average now is well over 900 each
day, and throughout January more
than 1000 patients were under treat
ment.
Rising food prices and other costs
will necessitate increases in the oper-
atlng budgets Of both the hospital and
the sanatoria, the committee will be
told
An appeal for calm Judgment of the
wisdom of the action of the House in
abolishing the Receiving Home for
Children will be made before the Sem
ate committee which will be asked to
restore the $38 item for that in
stitution. The House allowed only
$1,000 to care for dependent and de-
linquent children who now are housed
at the Receiving Home. This amount
would be entirely inadequate, the Sen
ate committee will be told If the
Receiving Home is to be abolished that
action should be delayed until next
year when an adequate program for
carrying on its work could be worked
out, the committee will be informed
Sees Wage Cut Restoration.
Restoration of $103,880 cut from
Budget Bureau estimates for the Dis
trict Workhouse and Reformatory will
be sought. The money is needed to
employ 25 additional guards and to
construct buildings outside the walled
group. Even if the additional guards
are allowed there will be 13 prisoners
for each guard at the institution, it
was pointed out.
Elimination of the House amend
ment providing that only 10 per cent
of relief funds may be used for per-
sonnel will be fought for in the SEN
ate. 1t has been pointed out that the
present staff of approximately 200
Public Assistance Division workers is
entirely inadequate and that the
House provision would compel the dis
mlssal of approximately 40 persons.
An inadequate staff of case workers
results on inefficiency and in waste
OF relief funds through the impossi-
bility Of making thorough investiga-
tions Of applicants, it was said.
The Senate Committee also will be
asked to kill House provision placing
all auditing and disbursing activities
OF the Public Assistance Division
under the District auditor 1t will be
contended, it was learned, that the
provision calls for auditing by the
auditor of his own work.
Fund for Pensions.
Elimination of a House provision
limiting personnel expenditures in the
Old-Age Pension Division to S32,265
will be sought The Senate committee
will be asked to restore Budget Bureau
estimates calling for personnel ex-
penditures of s50000. In addition, the
committee will be asked to allow an
additional $4,000 for distribution in
the form of old-age pensions.
Welfare Board officials will ask the
Senate committee to kill Joker in
the bill which places budgets for the
tuberculosis sanatorium and Gallineer
Hospital under the Health Depart
ment. The budgets were transferred
when the House attempted to trans
Ter jurisdiction of hospitals to the
Health Department. A point of order
killed the transfer proposal in the
House, but through an apparent over
sight the hospital budgets were left