Evening star., 1939-01-03
Relief
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needs, that the case load for our case
workers has risen as relief funds
were reduced, to the point that the
perform all of the work she is as
signed to in an adequate fashion" "
Mr.. Lewis said today he was un-
certain as to what extent his staff
OF investigators would be available
; as prosecution witnesses in cases the
prosecution might decide to take to
trial.
"We have affidavits in many
cases." said Mr. Lewis. but some
OF these investigators will be leav-
Ing town to take work elsewhere.
Some of them may be available
to testify as prosecution witnesses
OF course, they would be sub
poenaed, but my personal thought
is that greater emphasis should be
placed upon an immediate stop
ping of relief going to any of those
who have been guilty of irregulari-
ties"
The so-called list of 100 fraud
caseS, Mr. Lewis revealed, are not
identified by either the correct name
or case number of the recipients.
but that fictitious" names and case
numbers were used.
He said the key" to the fictitious
names and case numbers would be
found in code which he had sup
piled to Chairmen Overton and Col
Inns of the Senate and House Dis
trict Subcommittee on Appropria-
lions.
The relief investigator explained
that this use of fictitious names
and case numbers was adopted be-
cause it was felt that the investiga-
ton should not unnecessarily en-
barrass members of the families the
friends or the employers of relief
recipients who had INDUCED in one
form or another of misreprescnta-
ton.
The Commissioners adopted an
opinion by Mr.. Seal as to the han
ding of possible prosecutions, read
ing. in part:
The Board of Public Welfare feels
that it is not desirable for the case
worker, who presumably has con-
fdential relationship with the client,
to sign an application for warrant
for arrest and prosecution and is
inclined to think that some official
who has had a less intimate and
personal connection with the case
should, on behalf of the District gov
ernment and the Board of Public
Welfare, sign the application for the
warrant.
Continually Changing Staff.
Moreover, with continually
changing public assistance staff and
a consequent change in case loads,
the case worker who has had the
case at any given moment may not
be the case worker who handled the
case at the time the assistance was
originally granted Or indeed. who
discovered the evidence which seems
to indicate fraud Accordingly, the
signature by the case worker might
not indicate any first-hand knoWl-
edge Of the circumstances on which
the charges were made.
"On December 81 a member of
this staff had conference with As
sistant District Attorney at Police
Court Mr. Kindelberger, in which
the foregoing questions were dis
cuSSed.
In the first place, prosecution in
/ these cases are not in behalf of the
District of Columbia, but. on the
contrary, by the United tSates.
Mr. Kindelbergers idea is that the
person signing the application for
warrant should be one who has had
personal knowledge of the fact
. which constitutes the fraud on the
part of the person receiving the as
sistance. This office is in accord
with this opinion
THE fact that the person who
has the personal knowledge of the
facts concerning the fraud happens
to be the case worker, who has a
confidential relationship with the
client, in my opinion is immaterial,
and whether that person is no
longer connected with the particular
SdoC dloO ID llllIlldlelldl, DIS JlldI per-
son is the one upon whom the prose-
cution must rely for testimony in
the case
Francis G. Addison, jr., president
of the Board of Trade, promised
that If there is widespread fraud
and chiseling in local relief cases, as
charged by the relief investigator
the board will give its full support
to efforts to halt such practices.
1--WE intend to study Mr.. Lewis
recommendations for promoting
economy and efficiency" said Mr.
Addison. 1--WE feel that every effort
should be made to reduce the large
number of individuals on public re-
lief roles as soon as possible and we
will give Mr.. Lewis plans to that
end most serious consideration. His
suggestions for reorganizing the re-
lief setup will require further
analysis"
Mr.. Addison said committees OF
the trade organization will begin
studies of the relief report immedi-
ately.