Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-06

Der of persons getting public relief
cannot be blamed entirely on the 81
per cent rise in Washington's popu-
lation.
"On the contrary" he said, "popu-
lation increase is only one of a num-
Der of factors, which include unem-
ployment, the development of
Federal social security program and
change in the concept of public
welfare embracing relief"
1881 Program Cost S125,000.
Actually the only relief work being
carried on by the Board of Public
Welfare at the end of the fiscal year
1881 was a small program of home
care for dependent children. under
which l61 families. consisting Of
sos children. received the average
monthly payment of slightly under
s64. The whole program cost about
S125 900.
In June OF 1910 this same program
was being operated at a cost Of
1888 1854 of local money supplement-
ed by some $88652 in Federal funds
and covering about 933 cases at
SGT SIS a month. At the same time
the relief picture had broadened to
include general relief, aid to needy
blind and old-age assistance to a
total of some 12.347 persons in all
categories. The total cost of this
program, including Federal funds
which the District has to match TO
receive, was more than 100000.
In connection with the difference
in the monthly payment for home
care for dependent children in 1881
and last June, Mr.. Bondy pointed
out that there was no ceiling" ar
bitrarily set on relief payments then
as there is now. Under the present
law $50 a month is the maximum
payment relief officials can make to
any family regardless of its size.
They are seeking removal of this
language in the 1912 budget.
The change in the concept of pub
lie welfare to which Mr. Bondy re-
ferred can perhaps best be shown
by a comparison of welfare respon-
sibilities 10 years ago and now. A
decade ago the board had charge
of the penal institutions, the public
hospitals and the small relief pro-
gram. Today it still has the penal
institutions. but the hospitals have
been transferred to the Health De-
partment and the relief problem
has grown by leaps and bounds.
Because of this change. a COM
parison between the two depart
ments is somewhat difficult, but
some figures are available which
might reflect the population increase
in the Capital indicated by the 1910
census.
Jail Population Jumps.
BY the end of the fiscal year 1881
14437 persons had been admitted
to the District Jail. Ten years later
at the end of the fiscal year 1910.
1889 had been admitted.
Il think this difference Is very
largely traceable to the population
increase" Mr. Bondy said.
In the Home for the Aged at Blue
Plains, 470 persons were admitted
during the fiscal year 1881 against
$50 as of last June 80. Ten years
ago the board had 1,736 children
under its guardianship, against 2,0l4
last June 30
One of the interesting problems
of the welfare officials proceeds from
the contract arrangement with St.
Elizabeth's Hospital, under which
they pay the institution sl80 day
for the District mental patients
committed by the Mental Health
Commission, over which the welfare
group has nc jurisdiction. In the
fiscal year 1881 there were 1889 such
patients and last June 80 there were
4,075. At the present time the ap-
preparation for such patients
amounts to s2,792 $50, and Mr..
Bondy is asking even more for next
year to pay for commitments over
which he has no control and which
add considerably to the size of his
estimates.
BY way of comparative expenses,
the Welfare Board received an ap-
preparation of s5,137,847 10 years
ago, of which $685. was for the
hospitals the board no longer con-
trolls. In 1910 the amount was ST.
350.025, of which s1,877500 was for
various forms of relief not provided
decade ago.
Training School Cited.
The District Training School
shows an increased population now
over 10 years ago. but Mr.. Bondy
felt this due not so much to the in
creased population of the city as to
offering of a better program in this
field.
I have no doubt they could have
filled the institution to Its present
capacity in those days If they had
had the facilities" he said.
There is, he said, however. a
waiting list of $50 for the institu-
ton, some of which may be due to
the population increase.
IL Is interesting Ihdt many OF the
cranks who pay a personal visit to
the Capital to ask the President
something personally or to see his
wife eventually land up with the
welfare officials to be sent back
where they came from or admitted
to the proper institution.
Mr.. Bondy denied that the in
crease in the relief program was
particularly due to any population
influx from outside the District. He
pointed to the fact that, according
to a survey of the relief clients a
few years ago, most were revealed as
residents of the District of several
years. He added that relief restric.
tons on eligibility and amount Of
relief here compare favorably with
those in other States so as not to
lure any outsiders here for relief
purposes.