Evening star., 1941-07-28
City Heads May
.Curtai|
0fWe|fare Body
Failure to Comply
With Federal Low
Holding Up Aid
By DON S. WARREN.


Many, if not ali. o: the plenarv
powers would be taken from the
Board of Public Welfare under a
proposal being seriously considered"
by the Commissioners, it was learned
today. when disclosure was made
that Federal grants in aid for the
aged. blind and relief families. with
dependent children are being held
I'D because of the Districts failure
to comply with Federal require
ments
1t developed that the Federal
Social Security Board on July II
served IAN ultima tunn" on the Dis
trict Board of Public Welfare as To
active steps to get the District into
with the Federal Law.
and at that time approved grants in
aid to the District for July only,
holding up grants for the second and
third months of tho new fiscal year
to see what the District was gong
to do about il
Checks May Be Held Up.
The full import Of the subjects
at issue. Commissioner John Rus
sell Young said today was brought
to the attention of the Board OF
Commissioners only several weeks
ago and hasty conferences were ar
ranged with the FEDERAL board,
promises being made that all efforts
would be made TO have the District
comply with Fedora! requirements.
The Federal board is scheduled IN
meet tomorrow, and IN view OF 1he
now strenuous activities ov Dlstrlct
officials. it was anticipated the
Federal board may approve Federal
grants at least for August.
However. checks for the old sge.
blind and aid-to-dependent-chli-
dren cases must pass through legal
machinery and unless some emer-
aency step is taken, these clients
probably will not get their cheeks
for at least another week. according
to Acting Welfare Director Conrad
Van Hvning. He has appealed 10
the Commissioners and they have
asked Corporation Counsel Rich
mond B Keech TO determine whetn-
er. if the Federal board sanctions
August money tomorrow, the Dis
trict could advance the whole sums
due these cases at once. Commence
was expressed in some quarters TINS
might be worked out.
Some Requirements Not Met.
As TO the relief checks due August
|. there are 4.795 old age, blind ano
ID. c. cases involved in the issue,
the Federal share of their payments
totaling 6.704 There are 1852
old age cases, to get Federal pay
ments of S4l.203. matching District
OUTLAY: 238 blind cases, having
Federal grant of s2924. and 995 A.
D. c. cases. with s22,576 in Federal
grants.
Among Federal requirements with
which the District government mas
not complied-and legislation IS m
volved-are rules regarding civil
service selection of the social work
staff, means to protect the conn
Dental nature of public assistance
information. and with this were
direct suggestions" from the Fed
eral board for other changes, in
cluding the question Of whether the
Welfare Board should have advisory
or plenary powers.
The Commissioners were advised.
and some welfare officials agreed,
that these issues had been pending
for nearly two years and that,
while the Welfare Board had sug-
gested certain changes, the issues
had not been decisively meet.
Position Was Outlined.
A long, detailed outline OF the
position of the Federal board was
placed before District welfare Of
ficials last January. On July II
Oscar M. Powell, executive director
of the Federal board, wrote to Mr..
Van Hyning. who had Just taken
over as acting welfare director, as
follows:
The Social Security Board on
July 9, l941, considered the grant
request OF the District for the quar-
ter ending September 80. ls4l. The
board authorized the grants for
old-age assistance. aid to the blind
and aid to dependent children for
the month of July only. This action
was taken because of the pro-
tracted negotiotions which the
board has had with your agency
with respect to changes necessary
in the Districts plan TO comply
with the requirements Of the Social
Security Act.
A review of our conferences and
letters with respect to the personnel
plan of the District indicates that
the board has called to the stten-
tion of the District officials over
period Of time major deviationS
from the board standards of person
mel administration. These devia-
tions, as you know, are: First.
there is no assurance that, sub
sequent to January ], 1910, employees
are being appointed through COM
petitive examinations.
And second no provision has
been made for either competitive or
qualifying examinations of the
type required under the board
standards Cor the large number Of
See GRANTS, Page A-1o)