Evening star., 1938-09-28
Lewis Says Officers Are Either
intellectually Dishonest or
'Habitually Exaggerate.'

@"0esco W "I. AeWD AIt4cklng the acs
curacy Of relief statistics and he tele.
phoned Mr.. Lewis to state that he felt
Mr.. Lewis had used strong language"
To this Mr.. Lewis replied: II don't
think 80" according to Mr.. Hart.
The chairman Of the Advisory Com
mittee then said he did not believe the
conduct OF the Investigation should be
the subject Of discussions TN the daily
press. and that he felt that there was
ample time to complete the investiea.
ton and to give responsible public
omcials full opportunity to make any
reply they thought necessary.
Data Asked on Relief Abuses.
Mr. Lewis opened his latest state
ment with the assertion that I'VE have
700 limited time and too little money
to do q complete job of investigating
relief" To this Chairman Hart re-
piled:
1T is my belief that Mr.. Lewis has
ample time to make a worthwhile
investigation"
After learning from reporters the
contents Of the statement, Chairman
Hart requested Mr.. Lewis to send to
MIN copy Of the statement and
then started arrangements for a spe.
cial meeting Of his advisory group
this afternoon. Requests for the
meeting were telephoned to the other
two members Of the advisory group,
William L. eBale, banker, and Dr..
Robert Z Moran.
Mr. 1ewiS' statement also contained
an u1geat appeal "to the people of
Washington" for facts concerning
"nagrant cases Of relief denied or Of
relief abused" He asked citizens to
write to him, giving names, street
numbers. days and dates of incidents
OF relief abuse. He said communica.
tions should be addressed to him at
460 G street NV.
Mr.. Lewis did not 60 so far as tc
accuse Welfare Director Elwood Street
or Relief Director Alice Hill, or their
stads. Of being intellectually dis
honest" In his first statement yes
terday Mr.. Lewis said that reports of
his investigators indicated that relief
ofncials had made use of "phony
statistics" to bolster up the apparent
relief needs. This was denied by both
Mr.. Street and Miss Hill.
Phony Was Compromise
In his reply today to statements by
Mr.. Street, Mr.. Lewis said:
II thought the word 'phony' was a
compromise between 'habitually exag-
gerated' and intellectually dishonest
It Is BY the latter term that the
Public Assistance Division statistics
are described by some in informed
circles. didn't like to use the latter
term because 1t had moral connotation
which I do not think apply to this
situation, where poor administration
or the lack Of any perhaps are re-
sponsible for the constant exaggera-
ton In these figures.
Il do want to make it clear that I
have learned not to pay any attention
to the Public Assistance Division sta
tistics. We are, however, attempting
to md accurately what the unmet
relief needs are as well as what the
improper grants are like. We will
report In due season the facts on all
that and everything else covered by
the investigation. We haven't said a
word about the w. P. A., N. Y. A.,
G. 6. G. Camps and Unemployment
Compensation"
Mr.. Street, after learning Of the
latest Lewis statement, said L didn't
know that any Of US had been in
tellectually Enthusiastically have
not been Willingly dishonest. II Mr..
Lewis thinks I have, he is entitled to
his own opinion"
Mr.. Lewis emphasized that he did
not Intend to get into any public
debate with my good friend, Elwood
Street" adding that "he Is the ablest
public information man In the public
welfare field"
Prosecutions Held Refused.
IT he Is to begin now going into
the affairs In the Public Assistance
Division, he will have to get used
to such words as unjust denials,'
fraud 'phony,' 'chiseler,' wasted sub.
stance and the like" Mr.. Lewis con-
tinued. He viii ind they have been
20 afraid Of the word fraud that they
haven't signed certain informations 30
that the United States prosecutor
could proceed with suits to recover
moneys alleRedly improperly secured
and unwisely paid"
The welfare director stood on the .
reply he made last might a. to "phony
Statistics" but announced that he
would refer the Lewis statements to
the Public Assistance Committee Of
the Board Of Public Welfare for what
ever action that citizens admnistra.
tive group wishes to take.
Earlier today Mr. Hart promised full
investigation of charges and denials
that the Public Assistance Division has
made use Of "phony statistics"
Mr.. Hart said his committee would
give relief oficials an opportunity to
submit an ofhcial reply to Mr.. Lewis
statement yesterday.
Mr.. Street, after reading the report
Of the investigations Of one of Mr..
Lewis agents, declared Mr.. Lewis had
been "misinformed" and that the Ian.
guAss used b. Mr.. Lewis was "in.
tempefatA"