Evening star., 1942-05-05
D. {. Relief Ceilings
Restoration Urged in
Report 10 House
Committee Also Seeks
To Abolish Welfare Post
Held by Miss Shepperson

iiSiu W fViiSS SuSPPSISOH
Restoration of the relief ceilings"
the Commissioners had abandoned
and abolition of the post of prin-
cipal assistant director of public
welfare now held by Miss Gay B.
Shepperson were high lights of the
welfare budget reported to the
House today by its appropriations
committee.
The position held by Miss Shep-
person pays $500 but the COM
mittee asserted lit is not serving
the purpose for which it was es-
tablished"
The committees report to the
House pointed out that the position
was created originally upon its
recommendation for the specific
purpose of providing an officer who
will devote his entire time to the
inspection and administration of
public welfare institutions of the
District which will be under his
immediate supervision and for
which he will be responsible"
Duties Held Undischarged.
Testimony, the report declared,
"discloses that the position is not
discharging the duties as set
out ."
Conrad Van Hyning. director of
public welfare, explained during
hearings on the 1943 District ap-
preparations bill that the volume
of work in his Office and the volume
of supervision it requires necessi-
tates that two persons take over all
responsibility rather than just one.
The present break down is all
wrong" he testified. ut does not
give the kind of control we need.
What we need is director and a
deputy and q field staff which can
really check up on the institutions
a field staff of people who are tech
nicsl experts"
Cut Urged on Aged Home.
The committee also recommended
reduction of s3s,S00 in the Home
for the Aged and Infirm budget,
thereby eliminating the s25 900 pro-
posed for drafting of plans for the
projected new group of buildings for
the home to be erected on District;
owned land at Glenn Dale, Md, re-
placing the outmoded institution at
Blue Plains. Testimony during the
hearings indicated the Commission
ers had decided to abandon plans
for a new home at Glenn Dale at
this time.
The rest of the deduction from
the Home for the Aged and Inflrm
budget represented $4,000 in per-
sonnel. The committee feels, the
report stated, that having provided
the home with IS additional en-
ployes in the First Deficiency Act
of 1912 '"there is no reason aug
menting the staff further. "..'1nl ~i'
Relief Ceilings"
The relief ceilings" restored by
the committee limit the monthly
grants to destitute persons or fam.
flies. When the Commissioners rec
commended that the ceilings be elm
mated welfare officials expressed
qualification. They have insisted for
years that the limitations were ar
bitrary and artificial and that the
amount Of grants per person or fam
lily should be measured by the ex-
tent of ascertained need in each
case.
The public welfare budget as q
whole was cut by $71 .1o2 below the
1943 budget estimate but was $751;
424 more than the 1912 appropria-
ton. The committee recommended
$685. ,245 for welfare.
Although the Commissioners rec
commended a slash of SITS 900 in
public assistance, bringing that fig
ure to $S50,0O0, they had planned
that increases in home care for de-
pendent children would more than
balance the cut. The committee
recommended $3.50 900 for public as
sistance but cut $24,660 from the
home-care figure. However, the
1888 900 recommended by the COM
mittee for home care was still
SITS 900 increase over the 1942 ap-
preparation. The committee also
followed the proposals of the Com
misSioners in recommending an in
crease of $14O, ,465 in old-age assist
Ance.
Eligible for Grants.
1t was explained that under the
home care and old-age categories
the District, along with the States.
is eligible for matching money
grants from the United States under
the social security program, whereas
Federal assistance is not offered for
direct relief outlays by cities or
States. Therefore, officials said,
despite the cut in the public as
sistance figure, greater aid could be
extended through Federal funds.
Pensions for needy blind were in
creased by $4,000 over the amount
sought by the Commissioners, bring
ing that item to $4,000, while for
sponsors contributions to w. P A.
non construction projects a cut Of
$4,000 was recommended in line
with the budget estimates submitted
by the Commissioners. That item
was reduced to $155,000.
The items for the Jail, the work.
house and the reformatory were left
substantially as the Commissioners
recommended, including a $4,000
item for the acquisition of additional
land for the Workhouse and re-
formatory and S75,800 for continu-
ing construction at penal institu-
tions.