Evening star., 1940-02-28
Relief in Woshinoton

Relief in Washington
Much attention has been centered
recently-and properly so-on condi-
tions at the Home for the Aged at
Blue Plains. But, serious as that sit
uation indisputably is. the fact
should not be overlooked that condi-
tions fully as deplorable-perhaps
even more so-prevail in other fields
OF public and private relief in WASH
ington. Because the problem at Blue
Plains is tangible. centralized one,
q visit Or two to the institution is
sufficient to encompass most of the
elements that compose the whole
drab picture there; but, far removed
from Blue Plains and within the con-
fines Of the city which is the Capital
Of the Nation, there are the very
gravest sort of social problems
problems of hunger, exposure and
otheH types of human misery-the
exact extent and nature of which
can only be guessed at by relief
authorities. Certainly these other
problems cannot be evaluated by one
or a dozen visits to particular
locality, for they reach insidiously
into countless sections of the city
and into countless homes.
In an effort to focus public attention
on other important phases of the
general relief situation in the Dis
trict Of Columbia, The Star this week
began publication of a series of fac
tual articles which are disclosing
how amazingly Intangible the whole
relief problem really is. mo one
knows how many Washington resi-
dents are destitute and in need Of
public or private agency relief" said
the opening article, on the authority
Of Robert E. Bondy, director of public
welfare for the District. Mr.. Bondy
explained that there is not enough
money to hire enough case workers
to make the required investigations.
AS it is, District case workers are
handling nearly twice the case load
deemed reasonable by the Social
Security Board. Without benefit of a
survey, however, relief officials have
good reason to know that widespread
need exists in Washington today.
Appeals Of the needy are increas-
ingly persistent and desperate.
Particularly significant are these
facts: First, Washington in 1888
obtained only 39.1 per cent of its
public welfare and health expendi-
lures from Federal sources, as
compared with a national urban
average of 49.6 per cent. Second,
Washington provided 37.8 per cent
of its total welfare and health costs
from local funds, as compared with
an average of only twenty-one per
cent for twenty-nine cities surveyed.
Third, supplementing the local share
were private contributions amount
ing to 9.3 per cent of the relief pro-
gram, as compared with an average
in the other cities Of SIS per cent.
Fourth, the per capita expenditure
for private general relief here in
1888 was flfty-seven cents, as COM
pared with a forty y-eight-cent ma
tional average.
These figures clearly show that,
although Washington's relief prob
lem undoubtedly is aggravated by
the influx of job seekers and other
would-be beneficiaries of the Federal
Government, the residents of the
District are bearing more than a
normal and fair share of the relief
burden. The Star hopes that men,
bers Of Congress and others who
have shown commendable interest
in conditions at Blue Plains, the
Receiving Home and the Industrial
Home School will extend their
studies beyond few specific institu-
tions-in fairness to the unknown
host OF worthy unfortunates outside
the walls of these establishments.