Evening star., 1940-03-07
Workers Alliance Head
Criticizes Local Relief.
70 the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
The Star is to be commended for its
fine articles on the relief situation in the
District written by James Free and for
its editorial on the necessity for larger
Federal grants in order adequately to
meet the situation.
Nevertheless, there are several points
which l feel have not been emphasized
strongly enough, and some which have
been totally overlooked. 1t is, Of course,
gratifying to know that the administra-
tors of the relief program are aware of
the defects and the shortcomings Of that
program. After 10 years of depression
it would be astonishing if they were not.
But to be aware of a problem and to be
determined to solve it are two apparently
unrelated things. After 10 years of sur
problem, Washington still is in possession
of the worst relief program in the entire
Nation, and Mr.. Bondy's latest pro-
nouncements have done very little to re-
move the suspicion that, If it is left to the
administrators 10 years from now we'll
still be in the same fix.
Mr.. Bondy's suggestions are fine as far
as they CO. As suggestions, they deserve
some sort of reward. The only fly in the
ointment is that none of these Sugges-
tions is worth hoot unless the one and
fundamental problem is first attacked:
that is. appropriating enough money
really to take care Of our unemployed.
On this point, Mr.. Bondy confesses that
he is completely at sea. He knows We
ought to have more money for relief, but
he doesn't know how much, and he
doesn't have the money to find out, so
says he, what can you possibly do about
it?
In some mysterious way, the Board OF
Public Welfare, frankly ignorant OF the
real relief needs in the District, never
theless had the fortitude and COM
placency to request 100000 for relief
the lowest possible figure they could, in
all conscience ask for, and one so low that
even the Board Of Trade was pleased with
it! BY what law of ignorance Is it per-
fectly right to recommend low figure
rather than high figure? Can it pos
sibly be that under the cloak Of this
ignorance, the board will continue to ask
lower appropriations, all the time vigor-
ously scuttling any attempt to arrive at
a true estimate, because they know that
any true estimate of the relief needs in
the District would force them to recon-
mend a much higher amount for direct
relief than ever before?
Administration by ignorance is not our
ii =. of responsibility. Two years ago,
c. -ogress gave Burdette Lewis $4,000 to
maze an investigation of the relief needs
of the District, and at the request Of the
board and the Commissioners, this SIS, 900
worth of information was tossed into the
waste basket. It was tossed into the
waste basket because it revealed the
horrible conditions of relief and recon-
mended higher appropriation in order
to solve the very same problems we have
with us today.
We are highly impressed by Mr..
Bondy's passion for accuracy. Unless he
knows exactly how much money Is needed
for relief, he is not going to ask for any
substantial increase in the appropriation.
BY accuracy, Mr.. Bondy wants 1t down
to the last decimal point. too. The truth
is that there are plenty Of figures avail
able for an estimate which can easily be
corrected when the money is appro-
priated, and larger stan can gather the
necessary data. Our own figure Of $780,
900 for direct relief to both able-bodied