Evening star., 1940-04-21

compensation benefits.
To get all this information would
take caseworkers several days and
many of the caseworkers feel that
much of it would not be given them
by the applicants or relatives If
they knew they were getting more
than they should.
The two objectives of the index
are to make information on relief
clients quickly available and to pre-
vent duplication of grants. Identi-
flcation is available in nearly 10
per cent of the 200 daily inquiries
received. In addition to the names
and relief benefits being received,
other information recorded through
cooperation of employment Offices
includes not only placements in
private industry but the names Of
those who refused to work.
The mount of benefits being re-
ceived in dollars and cents is not
carried, 1t was stated
With this information on hand,
1t is obviously no problem to quickly
put the finger on the complete
relief record of an individual if
one exists and some II States have
been curious about the workings
of the system. Public Assistance
Director A. w. Garnett would not
estimate what money has been
saved by the index, but he pointed
to the hours of work saved case
workers by referring to it.
Contributions Asked.
Agencies using the facilities are
supposed to contribute to the sup
port of the index in proportion to
their use of it.
Compared with this set-up the
District is covered by a private
agency more limited in scope but
considered by an official of the
Office of Government Reports to be
about Is per cent of the West
Virginia machinery in case this
were found desirable for the Dis
trict. This is the Social Service Ex-
change supported by the Commun-
ity Chest at Eleventh and M streets
NV. and used by at least two
public agencies on a contract basis.
Thus, whereas the West Virginia
machinery includes all public well
fare agencies and no private ones,
the Social Service Exchange has
largely private clientele outside of
the two public agencies-the Board
OF Public Welfare and the Health
Department. 1t serves some ITS
agencies and departments.
Likewise, its cards do not 60 as
far as the West Virginia cards in
their information. The exchanges
card will give you the names, ao-
dresses and family relationships and
to what social agencies they are
known. Further information may
then be obtained by getting in touch
with those agencies who have in
dicated the applicant known to
them.
The exchange. under direction of
Mrs. Mary F. c. Leute, said to be
one of the ablest administrators
in the exchange field, also reaches
out into nearby Maryland and Vir-
ginia.
Job Agencies Help.
While w. "A, N.Y.A. and the
employment center do not use the
exchange, they have been repre-
sented as being very cooperative in
checking their own files to aid in
Identification of an applicant. Hence,
according to Philip Hamblett of the
Office of Government Reports the
District with its peculiar setup of
being city-State and in extending
into nearby counties is fairly well
covered. OF some $4,000 inquiries
last year some 48 per cent were
identified.
One of the agencies using the ex-
change under the public contract is
the Public Assistance Division which
administers the Districts direct re-
lief and C. c. C. When John Doe
submits his notarized application
for relief his case is Immediately
checked through the exchange. The
other public agencies, including
w. P. A., N. Y. A. and employment
center are also queried.
Il do not see how case could
get relief from us and be receiving
aid for the same need from some
other agency,a declared Public As
sistance Director Otto Cass.
This does not mean, Mr.. Cass
added, that a person may not be
receiving aid from more than one
agency. In some cases, he said, the
need requires that agencies supple
ment each other, but explained that
this was known by the agencies.
Mrs. Leute .also said that there
was small opportunity for duplica-
ton if the agencies used the ex-
change to the fullest extent.
This is not to say, however, that
some ineligibles may not be receIv-
ing relief benefits. But those in
eligibles were eligible when they
went on the rolls. In some instances
they have since received work In
private employment and casework-
ers have not gotten around to check
up on them.
More Checkups Needed.
| The problem is thus to get more
caseworkers to check up on those
who have become disqualified since
getting on relief. The machinery
by which they get on the rolls is
probably fairly foolproof in the
minds of those who administer it.
The 1941 budget increases the per-
centage of the relief funds to be used
for administration from 10 to IL
per cent and this may provide more
caseworkers. Under the present set
up some 40 caseworkers have be-
tween 180 and 100 cases to check up
on apiece.
Whether the West Virginia sys-
tenn would improve the situation
here Is a matter for determination
by experts in the field. 1t is indi-
Gated there might be some opposi-
ton from some social agencies to
including as much information on
the cards as the West Virginia cards
give. Some agencies, it was stated.
feel the information Is confidential
!