Evening star., 1938-02-01
NEED FOR RELIEF
TOEMP[OYABLES
SHOWN IN SURVEY
Study Of 500 Cases Made
by VoteIess League Re-
veaIs Desperate Straits.
MORE CASE WORKERS
ALSO HELD NECESSARY
u Can Trace Crime Directly to
the Need for Food" Declares
Mrs. E. E. Vial.

The desperate need of relief for
"employables" and more case work.
ers to carry out constructive relief
program we're stressed in a survey
of unemployment and relief in the
District made public at luncheon
meeting yesterday by Mrs. David
Cushman Coyle, chairman of the
nomic Welfare of the Voteless District
of Columbia League of Women
Voters.
The study, conducted independently
In public and private relief Offices
by members of the committee, aided
by the Social Studies Group of the
American Association of University
Women. showed that most of the
men and women considered employ
able" are actually border-line cases
who are unable to do the work they
once did because of illness due to
lack of money for food and medical
care.
A comprehensive QUESTIONABLE was
filled out in the case of each Of the 500
269 of the cases has been analysed
with total of 52l adults represented.
One out of every three Of those in
terviewed was white.
A Cause Of Crime.
In analyzing the report, members
Of the committee cited cases where
the need for relief was most serious,
and where, because relief was lack
ing, grave community problems pre-
sented themselves.
Il can trace crime directly to the
need for food" Mrs. E. E. Vial de-
clared. When a man sees his family
starving he gets to the breaking
point"
Mrs F. Norman Hearn said: Il am
now convinced that a very great
percentage of the crimes which are
perpetrated today are done so in
desperation and as last resort when
all honest means of gaining living
have failed"
The lack of vocational training
which made it impossible for the ma
jority of the applicants to get jobs
Twas cited by Mrs. S. G. Weissberg
es a cause for crimes resulting from
] enforced idleness. She attacked the
prison system. where thousands of
dollars are spent to give the inmates
Vocational training after they COM
NIT crimes instead of spending money
pn vocational training to prevent
rime
Despair Is Shown.
Corroboratmg this statement Mrs.
toyle referred to recent Senate pro-
oeals to spend large sums of money
curb crime in the Distict. At the
Iame time. she said, the Senate is
Futting the budget for relief, an agent
Tor crime prevention.
The despair of many of the people
. interviewed was illustrated by Mrs
w. S. Ufford. She quoted man
who said: Il sit and look out of the
window and think that if 1 threw
myself in front of bus, then my
family could get help
Other committee members told of
cases where men deserted their fami-
lies so their wives and children could
get on relief. Mrs. Weissberg referred
to case where man unable to get
enough work to take care of his wife
and children sent them to the home
OF his wife's family in Tennessee.
Since his family has gone he has had
temporary work, but never enough to
bring them back.
This situation may have grave
consequences" she said. What was
meant to be temporary situation
may grow into permanent one. He
may in time lose his sense of response
bility for the care of his family. The
children are growing up without
knowing their father. We get very
excited about broken homes when
the situation Is caused by instability
or drunkenness, but when unemploy-
ment Is the cause the situation Is
almost disregarded. But the effects
on the family can be just as serious"
Mrs. Coyle told OF girl who kept
running away from home She found
that the reason for this was the girls
anxiety TO 90 u reform school.
There, she said, she could at least
have .ooc and keep warm.
The survey Indicated that In almost
every case the applicants for relief
really wanted To work. Mrs. Coyle
cited case where a mother OF sew
eyai children thought 1t would be
''ideal" To get a Job as charWoman
where she could 90 TO work at
am. and be home at 8 am. In time
TO send the children of to school.
She said the large number of people
who come daily to the Washington
self-Help Exchange to work in ex-
change for q meal indicates how anx-
jous these people are to work.
Mrs Hearn quoted one man as say
ing: Sure, I'm here to get relief.
But, lady, don't want relief. 1
want a job. If could support may
family wouldn't be here"
The survey showed that a great
number of those interviewed had
never before been on relief. Ninety
three Of those applying had never asked
for relief before 1887. Many of them
wanted relief only for a few weeks to
forestall eviction from their homes
and keep their children from starving
while the men looked for jobs.
In many cases it was the need for
medical care that made them lose
their Jobs, the report indicated. One
case was cited Of barber whose
arthritis has made 1t impossible for
him to work full time. But because
he Is employable and the sole sup
port Of his wife and two small chill
dren he continues to work part time.
His condition is getting worse, and,
although he might be cured If he
stopped working, ne has to keep on.
Several interviewers in their reports
emphasized the fact that little
relief money would save larger bur-
den on the community later for medi-
cal care. One man, it was reported,
has four children who are Ill poten-