Evening star., 1942-09-01
End Of CeiIinos
On Aid 10 Needy
Asked by Board
Seeks $9,354,0 for
Year, Increase of
About II Per Cent

Liberalization OF the District
public assistance program by
eliminating ceilings on payments
to indigents and by boosts in
funds for some classes of relief
is proposed by the Board of Pub
lie Welfare in its 1914 budget esti-
mates released today by the COM
missioners.
For all purposes the board seeks
an outlay of s9,354,091, or $1,0l8,846
Q2 per cent? more than the current
fiscal year appropriation.
A new effort is made to provide a
new Receiving Home for Children
OF adequate size---to replace the mis-
fit rented quarters at 816 Potomac
avenue Sc. The board asks that the
past appropriation be raised by s76,-
1913 to bring the total to Sl87, ,795.
Construction was delayed last year
when it was found the original fund
was inadequate for a building of
sufficient size and plans since have
been revised to eliminate critical"
materials. However, ofiicials said
construction still would be subject to
priortties.
Rising Costs Cited.
Rising costs Of various supplies, In
cluding food and fuel, are cited in
requests for increased sums for
maintenance Of various welfare in
stitutions. Also, wartime unrest is
causing increased juvenile delin-
quency, creating need for larger
funds for some services, the board
said, and the fund for transporta-
ton of nonresident indigents back
to their homes would be boosted
from $4,000 to $4,000, as the board
fears cessation Of construction work
will leave increasing numbers Of
transient workers stranded here.
Among other highlights of the
welfare requests are:
Strengthening and reorganization
OF the staff of the administrative
Office and Of the child welfare serv-
ice, all Of the latter to be placed
under general superintendent;
some additional patching to the ia
cilities and staff of the Home for
Aged; elimination OF the congress
sional rule requiring the District au-
ditor to certify relief disbursements
to restrict the auditors work to the
normal audit of accounts, and call
for an additional 1882 ,870 for care of
District patients at st. Elizabeths
Hospital as a boost in per diem
costs ordered by the institutions
Board of Visitors.
Welfare officials have been striv-
ing for years to persuade Congress
to eliminate the fixed limitations on
amounts of relief that may be
granted per month to different
categories. and in acting on this
years budget the Senate agreed, but
the House stood pat and won out in
conference.
See Hardships in Ceilings.
Welfare officials maintain that
the arbitrary limitations work hard
ships, especially in the larger relief
families, and insist that their budget
rules, based on needs, will serve as
well as prevent waste, while per-
mitting larger payments where
needed.
For all public assistance pro-
grams charged to the District (ex-
cept WPA) the total for next year
would be $2,194 900, or an increase
of $295 1886. Considering the match
ing money grants-in-aid by the
United States under the social Sc
curity program, the total outlay here
for relief would amount to $685.
600, or $690,670 above this year.
For direct relief, the board seeks
$3.50, 900, the same as for the present
fiscal year.
For home care of dependent chill
dren, the welfare board seeks $429,-
600 from District funds, which sum
would be matched by the United
States under its social security aid
to-dependent- children program. For
this year the District budget pro-
vides s298, 400 for home care.
$1.680,0OO Total for Aged.
For old age assistance, the board
asks s850,000, or $154,535 over the
current appropriation, and the
matching money from social secur-
ity would raise the outlay to ST.
$50 900, to make it by far the largest
single assistance category.
For aid to the needy blind, the
welfare board proposes $4,000 as a
charge to the District, or $4,000
over this year, with the Federal
matching money raising the total
outlay to $150,OO0.
The s350,OO0 for relief was de-
clared by the board to be the mini
mum" needed to afford relief to
needy District residents not eligible
for social security categories. The
highest number of such cases in
the past fiscal year was 1852, as
compared with 1923 in 1941. and
(see WELFARE, Page B-8.)
II District Renisfranfs