Evening star., 1938-08-15
GENERAL RELIEF
CASES HERE OFF
25 PCT. IN JULY
Figure Is Almost so Pct.
Below That for Same
Month Last Year.
SMALL APPROPRIATION
CUTS LOCAL LISTS
2,074 Applicants Refused Aid, 532
Cases Were Closed, Report
Reveals.

The Public Assistance Division of
the Board Of Welfare disclosed today
the number Of cases receiving general
public assistance during July fell Is
per cent below the preceding month,
and almost so per cent below the num-
ber for July, 1887.
July was the first month Of the new
fiscal year in which the division is
operating under a $4,000 appropri-
alton for general public assistance.
as compared to 1886, 900 in the pre-
ceding fiscal year, Miss M. Alice Hill
director. pointed out. She said the
effect of the decreased appropriation
was manifested BY q reduction in the
number Of families and single per-
sons assisted, by decreased average
grants per case and by . curtailed
stan.
Only 1,675 cases received general
assistance during the month, as COM
pared with 2,237 during June and
3,21s in July of last year.
Every effort was made to drop
as few cases as possible since the need
Of these families had previously beer
established" the report said. "Many
families were assisted through part
Of the month only, but the cases were
kept open in the hope that assistance
might be possible during succeeding
months"
2.074 Applicants Refused.
A total of 2,074 applicants were re-
fused general public assistance, tn"
report revealed. A total of 532 cases
were closed and 221 of these were
listed as dropped because Of a short
age Of funds.
The 100000 fund appropriated for
general assistance was far below the
lowest amount previously estimated by
welfare authorities as necessary for
this purpose" the report said. Besides
reducing the appropriation, Congress
also limited the amount of assistance
to any one family to $50 per month.
Reduction in the amount Of the
average grant as compared with the
preceding month was: For general
public assistance, $234. a decrease OF
80 per cent; for families, s3.o7, a
decrease of 9.3 per cent; for single
persons, $3.03, = drop Of 149 per cent,
and for aid to dependent children,
81 %, a decrease Of Al per cent.
A third effect of the smaller ap-
preparation. the report continued.
was the reduction in the number OF
persons Of the divisions staf1.
Investigation Slowed Up.
Obviously a decreased stan slowed
up investigations and made it virtually
impossible to keep the work current.
for, even though the number Of cases
was reduced, there was no reduction
in the burden of certification for
surplus commodities issued to closed
cases known to the Public Assistance
Division, as we'll as to active cases."
it was said.
Because Of the decreased stan. it
was impossible to make a record of all
those turned away or even to inter-
view all persons who came into the
District ofnces.
The report pointed out the reduced
appropriation for general public as
sistance does not extend to the aged
and blind recipients.
The Social Security Board an
nounced, meanwhile, that reports from
10S urban areas in 80 States and the
District showed q decrease in general
relief Of l per cent from June. or a
total Of 866, ,s92 cases last month, and
an increase of less than per cent in
the total cost, which amounted to
$23, ,792, 400.