Evening star., 1938-01-30
= Relief
Continued From First Page.)


was declared. Tax-financed relief
appropriations are so Inadequate, 1,
was pointed out, that only families In
which there is no employable per-
son are eligible to receive aid-and moi
Ill of these can be helped
The statement stressed that in De.
cember 1893 families made up Of
1900 persons were turned away by thu
Public Assistance Division because o.
lack of funds. although many of thu
applicants were not only destitute
but ill.
These people are not transients. II
was stated.
The Community Chest and its vari-
GUS welfare agencies are utterly un-
able to cope with situation Of such
magnitude" it was emphasized. Chest
funds. already short, have been budget
ed and pledged to the sick, to orphans,
to the aged and to young citizens in
need OF guidance. 1t is impossible to
break faith" with these beneficiaries
Of the Chest by diverting some OF
the pledged money to others in need
OF relief. it was declared.
Only U. S. City In Such Straits.
This is the only city in the United
States which is affording no relief
whatever to suffering "employables'
who cannot flnd work. the council
said. The Works Progress Administra- =
ton is unable to provide Jobs for
all who are able and eager to work,
1t was explained.
Congress was told that unless the
amount recommended by the Budget
Bureau for general relief in the Dis
trict the next fiscal year-S900, ,000-is
increased, half Of the $500 families
now on relief must be cut of the
list.
The Board of Public Welfare had
asked for $3,247,750 for relief of en-
ployables and unemployables this year.
It Is understood the Commissioners
trimmed this request to about $780,
900 before sending it to the Budget
Bureau.
The present appropriation for relief
Is $l,336,50O.
The cut in appropriations for unem-
ployment was made In the face of the
fact that the unemployment census
revealed q higher rate Of unemploy-
ment In Washington than for the
country as q whole. The survey showed
that 6 per cent Of the Capitals popu-
lation Is unemployed, as compared
with IS per cent for the Nation zen.
orally.
Dr.. Perkins Statement,
DR.. Perkins' statement, in part, fol-
lows:
THE District Of Columbia general
relief appropriation for 1887 was so
small. being only S1,600,000 that all
employables had to be dropped from
the relief rolls and no employable ap-
plicants for relief could be handled.
leaving only unemployables on relief.
1t is estimated that 5000 cases Of en-
ployable persons, including $4,000 to
$4,000 people not assigned to w. P. A.
projects and destitute, were In need Of
aid the District OF Columbia could not
give.
THE appropriation for 1888 is only
81 336.500. That Is not enough to care
even for the unemployables. Conse-
quently. since October no appNca-
tions have been considered for general
relief except those who it was thought
might become eligible for srants-in aid
under the Social Security Act pro-
visions for aid for dependent children,
old-age assistance or aid for the needy
blind. Moreover. relief for those out
side Of those cat&gories, because Of
limited funds. has been increasingly
inadequate. During December the
Public Assistance Division was forced
to refuse assistance because of iuade-