Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-07
8,400 Here Face
Loss Of Surplus
Commodities
D. c. Officials Declare
They Are Unable to
Do Certifying

w SSItIIyIH9
More than 5000 persons on the
District w. P. A. rolls face the loss
OF surplus commodities beginning
November Is as a result of a notice
today from Paul Edwards, District
w. P. A. administrator, to the Dis
trict government that it must as
sumo on that date the requirement
for certification of persons to receive
the food allotments.
Robert E. Bondy, director of pub
lie welfare, declared that the Board
Of Public Welfare has neither the
staff nor the funds to assume the
certiflcation work. He said that UNI
less some emergency arrangement
could be worked out, he saw no way
his organization could handle the
necessary certifications
The emergency faced by 8.400 per-
sons on the w. P. A.-heretofore
certified by the case work staff Of
the District w. P. A-came to light
today when correspondence between
Mr.. Edwards, the Commissioners
and Mr.. Bondy was made public. It
was learned at the District Building
that during recent weeks efforts
have been made by Mr.. Bondy to
solve the difficulty. but that they
had failed, although officials had a
conference last week in Baltimore
with Frank Dryden, regional di-
rector of the Federal w. P. A.
District officials declined to state
whether any order from Federal off,
Gals had inspired the change in poll
icy announced by Mr. Edwards.
Emergency Conference Held.
Mr.. Bondy held an emergency con-
ference at noon with Commissioner
Melvin C. Hazen and afterward
planned to make an appeal to Fed
eral officials. Col F. C. Harrington,
Federal w. P. A. administrator, is
due back to his Office Saturday. It
was recalled that last September Col.
Harrington suggested that the GER
LITIGATION work be transferred to
local Jurisdictions as soon as prac-
ticable.
Mr. Bondy, it was revealed in the
correspondence, has taken the posi-
ton that certiflcation of persons for
w. p A. jobs and for surplus COM
modities constitutes single serv-
ice He added. in letter to Mr..
Edwards: ITO divide this service
would be uneconomical, would re-
quire duplicating staff service and
records in the community and at in
creased expenditure by the Govern
ment. Therefore, there seems to be
no justification for the confusion in
the community and the wastefulness
of administration that would result
from division of these certification
services"
The correspondence also revealed
that Mr.. Edwards at first set Octo-
Der l as the date when the District
Welfare Service should assume the
certification work but that he had
successfully postponed the date to
October Is. November /, and, final
ly, to November Is.
LA PCSStS DISdkICtHnCHts
In disagreeing with Mr.. Bondy's
contention that certifcation of per.
sons for W. P. A. jobs and for sur.
plus commodities was single serv-
ice Mr.. Edwards wrote: Il cannot
agree with this, in that the selec-
ton and the issuance of certificates
to persons to receive relief in kind
surplus commodities in this in
stance-is the function of the Board
OF Public Welfare and not the Work
Projects administration"
At the present time the public
assistance division of the Welfare
Board has certified some 1900 cases
to receive surplus commodities,
while the w. P. A. certified ap-
proximately 8.400 The commodities
distributed to these 107OO persons
constituted substantial portion of
direct relief given to employables
IN the District. In this connection
Mr.. Edwards added:
I'VE are thoroughly cognizant Of
the fact that the methods pursued
by the w. P. A. in the past have
been inadequate to determine the
original need and the continuing
need for this type of relief. We
do not have sufficient staff to per.
form this function properly. The
question of available administra-
tive funds is as serious with us as
it is with you"
May Ask Deficiency Fund.
Should Federal w. P. A. officials
reject the planned appeal by Dis
trict officials the Commissioners
may elect to request Congress in
January to grant an urgent def
cheney appropriation to permit the
Welfare Board to assume the Ger.
LITIGATION work. But in the mean.
tlme-unless some stopgap ar.
rangement was permitted by Fed.
eral officials-the 8.40O w. P. A,
cases would have to go without
surplus commodities. These have
included various kinds of food to
supplement the diet which can be
purchased by the clients under
their direct relief grants.
Mr.. Bondy declared his organi.
cation now had an insufficient stan
to do a good job in certifying per-
sons for relief, that it would be
utterly impossible for his staff to
assume the additional load. He esti-
mated that at least or 10 trained
case workers, plus necessary clerical
help, would be needed to do the
certification work. Without an in.
crease in his staff. he said, perhaps
1000 of the relief" families now on
the list would have to suffer one
way or another.