Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-21
Welfare Board
Asks Increase
Of i Million
Bondy Calls for
Minimum Deeeney' in
$9,034,367 Figure

f
A $15OO,827 increase to maintain
minimum decency standards for
those dependent upon the Board Of
Public Welfare is sought in 1912
budget estimates totaling 1904 1867
submitted to the Commissioners to-
day by Welfare Director Robert E.
Bondy.
To bring the local standards up
to minimum, Mr.. Bondy calls FOR a
new receiving home for children,
additions to the Jail, workhouse and
reformatory, expansion of facilities
at the District Training School for
Feeble-Minded and large scale i'm
provements at the Home for Aged
and Inf1rm at Blue Plains; establish
ment of food stamp plan, and 2l5
new jobs.
The increase asked represents a
20 per cent jump over current ap-
preparations, which is less than the
80 per cent increase asked by the
Welfare Board last year over the
estimates of 1910.
More Old Age Cases.
Among the things to be accom-
plished with the increases would
be provision of relief for 900 addi-
tional unemployable and emergency
employable cases brought about by
stricter employability requirements
on w. P. A., together with progress
sive deterioration in some instances
due to insuff1ciency of relief and
work relief funds. Assistance would
be given to 276 additional old age
cases. The staff at the jail, the
workhouse and reformatory and the
District Training School would be
put on a 44-hour week instead of
the long hours now worked. Insti-
tutions would be kept in minimum
state of repair and minimum care
and custody could be given the
1880 persons daily.
A $4,000 housekeeper service
would be set up under recommended
ton of the Citizens Advisory Com
mittee to take care of homes where
q single parent might be employed.
More than $4,000 of the in
crease will go to pay costs of Dis
trict insane at St. Elizabeths, over
whose commitment the Welfare
Board has no Jurisdiction.
In his letter of transmittal to the
city heads, Mr.. Bondy indicated the
minimum decency standards"
should be sought before adequate
public care
Reports on Stewardship.
He also reported on his first II
months as director of the welfare
establishment, expressing the belief
that substantial progress has been
made in improving the administra-
ton of public welfare and In provid-
ing better public welfare care in the
District"
Further progress is needed" he
added, saying part of this would
come from perfection Of administra-
ton, but the greater part only
through appropriations sufficient to
place public welfare in the District
Of Columbia on at least minimum
decency standard"
A paragraph in the present ap-
preparation bill which sets maxi
mum amounts to be granted to relief
families on the basis of the number
of persons in the family has been
left out of the recommended Ian
guage for the 1912 bill. The present
bill fixes maximums of $50 month
In emergency relief and home care
cases, $50 a month old age maxi
mum and $40 for blind relief.
These ceilings, it was stated, tend
both to increase the suffering OF
those on relief and the cost to the
District government.
A study of the effects Of the CELL
ings last January showed that In
1,142 families who had no income
other than relief, 731 received a
grant too small to cover their mini
mum budgetary needs. Increased
cost to the District, it was said, Is
brought about through the increased
need of hospital care developing
from this situation.
Seeks S1,210,000 for Relief.
Mr.. Bondy also contended that
the ceilings were arbitrary and
ignored the judgment of the en-
ployed staff and the Board of
Public Welfare. He asked $1,210, 900
for relief-an increase of $4,000,
over the present appropriation.
Blue Plains conditions at which
were criticized far and wide a few
months ago in the city, in Congress
and even at the White House-is
scheduled to get face-lifting.
The old administration building
branded by Senator Overton of
Louisiana as a 'f1retrap"-would be
replaced with $4,000 new build
ing and nurses home A $25 900 new
ward for colored women is contem-
plated along with more than $780,
600 worth of repairs to the power
plant.
At Lorton Reformatory $45, 900 is
sought to continue construction of
a permanent building for women,
with a kitchen and hospital unit.
A $4,000 workhouse informary at
Occoquan is planned, with an adj
mission center to replace the pres
sent infirmary built in 1912 for the
then 200 inmates.
Eight new guard towers are
scheduled for Lorton to replace old
wooden towers. A road would be
constructed paralleling the institu-
tional railway between the work.
house and the reformatory. Steam
tunnels and the commissary at the
workhouse would be remodeled and
repaired and q motor vehicle shed
would be constructed.
Receiving Home Criticized.
The new receiving home would
cost SITS 900 to build and another
$4,000 to equip. The present struc-
ture came in for a share Of criticism
in the congressional investigation Of
of institutions.
New dormitories costing $4,000
and calculated to add 100 beds to
the District Training School for the