Evening star., 1939-05-17
Budget Bureau
Adds $234,440
To D. +. Bill
Child Welfare
Shares; Subcommittee
To Hear Citizens
By ]. A. O'LEARY.

LdSU UlllluJe OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
from the Budget Bureau for the
addition of 1924, ,440 to the $46,915,.
900 District appropriation bill fol
1910 were before the Senate sub
committee in charge of the meas
ure today, as it prepared to begir
hearing spokesmen for a long list
Of civic organizations.
The supplemental estimates, re-
celved by the subcommittee late
yesterday, are to cover the loca
share of on-construction w. P. A
projects, and to broaden the city's
child welfare activities during the
coming year.
For the District contribution to-
ward w. P. A. undertakings the
budget approved $189,50O, of which
$4,000 is an unexpended balance
from this year. This estimate will
provide for the following:
Free school lunches where needed
sewing projects for unemployed
women, household service, house.
keeping aides, adult education
nursery schools and recreation, in.
cluding the purchase of food, sup.
plies and materials. During the
current year the largest items or
this list were $4,000 for the sewing
rooms and $65,0OO for the schoo
lunches.
S56,940 More for Child Welfare.
For expansion of the child-caring
activities of the Welfare Depart
ment, the supplemental estimates
amount to $40, of which all but
$4,000 is for added personnel, tu
make start on improvements rec
commended in the recent Kepecs
report, following a survey of eXist-
ing welfare work in behalf of Chi
dren.
In addition to establishing two
new services, these funds will ex-
pand existing home finding and
child-placement activities, the budg-
ct message explained.
One new activity would be deslg-
mated preventive and protective
service" having for its purpose
improvement of family conditions
which, if left uncorrected, might
ultimately cause tlN children 20
become wards of the Welfare Board
For this new service IA new posi-
tlons would be created, with a paw
roll of 100000
The other new activity would be
called institutional service" 1t
would extend to the two industrial
Home Schools for white and colored
children the parole system now
maintained for the National Train
ing School for Girls and the Ma
tional Training School for Boys.
Amount Trimmed.
The remainder of the welfare
estimate is to add personnel to the
home-finding and child -placemen.
services. The budget recommended
ton for these child activities is only
part of the sum asked for follow.
Ing completion of the recent survey
The Welfare Board at that time
suggested s26O,oOO, and the Com
mlssloners trimmed that to S1O4,72I
before sending the estimate to the
Budget Bureau, where it was cut
still lower.
A compromise substitute for the
House limitation of not more than
S48 month on public welfare allot-
ments to families on relief. for aid
to dependent children or other
forms of public assistance, was
suggested yesterday afternoon by
Senator Overton, Democrat, OF
Louisiana.
After District officials had rec
commended elimination of the
House restriction, Chairman Over
ton proposed that S48 a month be
made the limit for family of five
persons, with $5 or S6 more for
each additional person, but not
more than $50 month in any case
AT present the limit is $50 for re-
lief cases, with a S75 limit under
the heading of aid to dependent
children.
AS the District bill came from the
House, it left the District facing a
probable deficit of S105O0O next
year, if Congress does not pass a
new local tax bill, and holds the
Federal share to the present S.
600 900 lump-sum figure. Even that
deficit assumes continuation by the
commissioners of the present SITS
real estate rate. On the same set
OF assumptions, the new estimates
submitted yesterday would raise the
deficit to more than S41900O, with
out counting House reductions in
other budget estimates that may be
restored by the Senate.