Evening star., 1937-04-06

IMMEDIATELY FOR
D.C.EMPL0YABLES
Commissioners Reveal Dis
covery of "Hidden Funds"
for Relief.
$4,000 DEFICIENCY
ITEM TO BE SOUGHT
City Heads to Ask for Additional
Million Dollars to Care for
Jobless Next Year.

The District Commissioners revealed
today they have discovered hidden
funds" totaling s95, 900, which will be
made available Immediately for relief
of the city's unemployed employ
ables"
At the same time, the Commits
sioners announced they will formally
ask the Budget Bureau today to ap-
prove deficiency item of $4,000 for
relief of employables in May and June.
Later, the Commissioners said, they
will go before the Senate Appropria-
tions Subcommittee in charge of the
District supply bill and ask for an
additional million dollars in relief
funds to care for employables in the
next fiscal year.
Action of the Commissioners followed
demands of an aroused citizenry that
vigorous action be taken to end suf-
fering among 10000 persons in the
families of 5000 employables who
have been denied both direct relief
and work relief.
ElWood Street, director of public
welfare, was directed by the Commits
sloners to map out Immediately an
emergency program to alleviate suf-
tering among the unemployed. Street
scheduled conferences for today with
officials of the Public Assistance Divi-
sion to develop the program.
Discovered in Two Accounts.
Funds for immediate relief of the
unemployed were discovered in two
accounts. In the direct relief account
Auditor Daniel Donovan found $4,000
which had been set aside at the be-
ginning of the current fiscal year for
an emergency. Donovan explained
that 5 per cent of all District appro-
| priations at the beginning of each
| fiscal year are set aside in an emer-
| gency fund to be held until the last
| quarter of the year.
| In funds left over from the tram
sient relief program Donovan found
! s50,000, and the Commissioners di-
| rected that $4,000 of this amount be
used to employ additional personnel
to certify needy cases for direct relief.
Street said he will budget the s70,-
600 over three month period Only
$4,000 will be set aside for relief of
employables this month.
You can see that won't 60 very
far" Street said.
May Be Used Immediately.
If the requested deficiency appro-
priation receives the approval of the
Budget Bureau and Congress, Street
said, all of the $4,000 will be used
Immediately.
1t was pointed out. however. that
even if the deficiency item is ap-
proved by the Budget Bureau, it
would be at least month before its
passage through the House and Sem
ate could be completed
Street said the present force of the
Public Assistance Division already is
| overWorked and that none of that
personnel could be used to certify
the cases of the needy unemployed
employables
! Last Friday the Council of Social
Agencies informed the Commissioners
that responsibility for the city's made
quate relief program had been placed
| souarely on them by the Budget Bu-
reau. Before then the Commissioners
had contended the Budget Bureau had
informally rejected a request for a
deficiency appropriation to care for
the employables.
| The action of the council was fol-
| lowed by mass meeting of l 500 citi-
zens Sunday at which resolutions
were adopted urging the Commits
sioners to ask for deficiency appro-
priation providing 100000 monthly
until the end of the fiscal year and
an additional appropriation of at
least sl,000.00O for relief next year.
Allen Encouraged.
Commissioner George E. Allen, who
has administrative control over local
relief, said he is encouraged by the
interest District residents are taking
in aiding their unfortunate fellow
citizens, and added
IF the buck has been passed to us
for failure to provide sufficient funds
with which to care for the unem-
ployed and their families, we shall
certainly take steps to leave no stone
unturned in our search for money.
The interest displayed by District citl-
zens at the mass meeting was
healthy sign and we welcome it."
| In advance of the mass meeting,
(See EMPLOYABLES, Page A-5)