Evening star., 1937-01-07
PUBLIC WELFARE
HEAD HITS BACK
AT RELIEF CRITIC
McReynolds Denies Request
for $3.50, 900 Is Based on
Fear of Jobs Loss,
LUSK WOULD ABOLISH
ASSISTANCE DIVISION
View That Prosperity of D. c.
Justifes Step Is Held Un-
justified in Letter.

An accusation by the Washington
Taxpayers Association that District
welfare officials are seeking an addi-
tional relief appropriation because Of
fear that relief workers would lose
their jobs was denounced today by
Frederick w. McReynolds. chairman
Of the Board of Public Welfare, as
absurd and untrue.
In a statement to the Commission
ers, McReynolds renewed the request
for support of proposed supplemental
relief appropriation of s830,000 for
use between now and June 80 for
red from direct relief, but who can't
find work.
Rufus S. Lusk, head Of the Taxpay-
ers' Association, had insisted Washing
ton had attained such state of pros
perity that all direct relief should be
ended and the Public Assistance Divi-
sion abolished.
McReynolds wrote the Commission
ers:
II am sure you realize the absurd
ity and untruthfulness of Mr.. Lusk's-
statement that this proposal of the
Board of Public Welfare is based on
the fear that relief workers will lose
jobs.
Lusk's Position ASsailed.
"It i'll behoves Mr. Lusk, the SAL
aried officer of an organization the
funds of which mostly go into paying
his salary. to charge insincerity on
the part of competent public servants
who are closely in touch with the
situation and who know, from the
acute anguish of daily contact with
the poor of the city. of needs which
are not being met.
This recommendation was made
unanimously in regular meeting by
the Board of Public Welfare, an un-
salaried body, all of whom are tax
payers. They are obliged by the law
which set up the Board of Public
Welfare, and by your request for
report on the relief situation, to bear
testimony to the acute need which
they know exists.
"The Board of Public Welfare Is
anxious to do its work with the smallest
personnel possible for effective results
and is not trying to save anybody's
job. As matter Of fact, the staff Of
the Public Assistance Division Is
already too small to handle properly
the heavy burden Of investigation and
advice already placed upon it."
d. c. Not Industrial City.
McReynolds made no denial that
Washington was prosperous today. but
added: THE only trouble is that this
prosperity is one which depends
largely upon the continuity and ex-
pansion of Government employment.
As every one knows, most of the new
positions in Government have been
given, as result of the apportion-
ment act, to persons who are not resi-
dents of the District"
He added that Washington Is not
an industrial city and that most of
the unemployed are unSkilled workers
who face no prospect of employment
either in Government or private in
dustry as it is now set up and
operated.
About 1000 of the families on re-
lief have no employable person in
them. Mr.. Lusk's proposal to abolish
direct relief and the work of the
public assistance division, except the
staff necessary to administer old-age
assistance. aid for the needy blind,
etc, would eliminate aid for these
resourceless people who could get
neither employment nor relief.
Our request for funds for relief of
the employables was based on the
knowledge that there is a group of
approximately 5000 destitute cases
for which there is no employment,
although they are employable. and for
which there is no relief either. Their
situation is one of acute distress,
which can be represented by innumer-
able specific cases If you wish them.
1.-THE issue raised by Mr.. Lusk Is
one of humanity as against ex-
penditure of tax funds"