Evening star., 1939-08-20
Relief FomiIy Might
Get $2,050 q Yeor
By OtDen L. Scott.

COulu ilUt 4udlily as IcIldiltS Ill d oiuili-
clearance project
The reason: Their incomes were above
the $l400 year fixed by the United
States Housing Authority as maximum
for tenants The result: Here were fam
lilies on relief, but too we'll off even to be
permitted to live in dwellings built to
house workers in private industry.
That situation appeared to illustrate
rather dramatically the net result of
Government policies as they have devel-
oped in recent years.
Immediately raised is the question of
how large an income family might
realize in the United States from SUBJ
vided by the Federal Government. Re-
search reveals rather startling answer.
First Of all, there is work relief. A
skilled worker on projects in the North
can make $85 month, with assured en-
ployment the year around. Here is an
income of 81 020 that is more stable than
much private employment. The Ma
tional Resources Committee reports that
one-half of all of the families of the
Nation today live on an annual family
income of 81 ,070 or less.
But that is just the start.
This w. P. A. worker might head a
family Of five and might have at least
one son eligible for enlistment in the
Civil Conservation Corps. This son
would receive a minimum payment of
$50 month, of which $25 would be sent
to his parents at home At this mini
mum the family would receive $500 a
year, bringing the family income to
$l320.
Further: The Government is subsidiz-
ing construction and maintenance of
low-cost housing projects in the cities
OF the Nation
With an income of 81 800, the w. P. A.
family still would be eligible to live In
one of the apartments. Because of its
size, the family. in fact, might have a
considerably larger income than 1890
and still come within the maximum in
projects.
II is estimated that the cost of rent
subsidy to the countrys taxpayers
amounts to at least $40 a month per
apartment in the slum- clearance build
lngs. This is the amount that has to be
paid to meet the carrying charges and
operating expenses over and above the
rent paid by tenants. So here is s24O
year more that could be realized by the
relief family.
Now the income total from subsidies
is up to sl,560 year.
Just to emphasize what this means,
the National Resources Committee esti-
mates that two-thirds of all of the fam
lilies in the Nation today live on an an
nual income of less than Sl,45O.
But there are other subsidies.
Just now the Department of Agricul-
ture is expanding its plan to give so
cents worth Of surplus food-and later
of cotton goods-for each dollar spent
for those commodities by families on
relief. This subsidy is given either in
the form of stamps, representing cur
rency, or in actual commodities. In
Volved is a grant of so cents a week per
person, or $3.50 a week for a family of
hve The subsidy here amounts to sl30
year in cash or its equivalent
BY this time the family income from
subsidies is up to $3.50 year.
But in the family there may be a par
ent who is above IS years of age and who
has no visible means of support. This
parent is eligible for old-age assistance
on straight subsidy basis The assist
ance can amount to $50 a month. of
which the State supplies SIS and the Fed
eral Government SIS. On yearly basis,
the income from this source could be
$3.50. If there were two INDECENT par
ents. this total could be larger.
Adding $500 to the $3.50 gives s2.O5O
as the annual family income that might
be realized through available subsidies.
There always is the chance that this
total could be augmented by income
from work on days off or by income from
part-tlme work by other members of the
family But from subsidies alone it ap-
pears possible to get a total of s2,o5O as
an annual income.
The National Resources Committee re-
ports that IS per cent of all of the fam
lilies In the Nation live on an income of
less than $4,000 year. The figures show
that 1t is possible for relief family to
obtain from subsidies an income as large
as that of all but small fraction of the
privately employed population of the
country.
OF course, not many families are made
up OF the classification of individuals
that would permit this result. Yet the
result is possible and serves as an ex-
ample of the underlying method used by
the New Deal to correct the economic
difficulties of the Nation.
Instead of seeking to remove the bar
rlers that stand in the way of recovery
less dependent upon subsidies-either
through leadership in readjusting the
affairs of the world or by recognizing
the inevitable requirements of an at
tempt to establish nationalism - the
President has sought to avoid the some
what harsh demands of either of those
courses by ladling out money
Mrs. Roosevelt has said that the New
Deal represented an effort to buy time
to think"
X X X
After six years of thinking, however,
more than $40 900 900 900 has been spent
and the same difficulties remain no near
er solution. In fact, the answers now
are harder than they were back in 1888.
81 in a q