Evening star., 1942-04-07
Fairfax Board
Defends Plan for
disqualification
Members Refuse
To Increase Fund;
Pressure Charged
Special Dispatch to The Star.

w bIo4 w OOlllpIl oAoPtAOli Va a
higher INDECENT disqualification
budget were made today by the
Fairfax County Board of Super
viSors.
The move represents only a ode
termined effort on the part of those
engaged in public welfare work" to
force the supervisors to act against
their better judgment, it was
charged.
Chairman G. Wallace Carper of
the board declared the supervisors
several times have requested the
Department of Public Welfare to
furnish the board each month with
list of those who have been fur
nished relief or placed on the relief
rolls, so the member of the board in
whose district the INDECENT resides
may investigate if he desires, but
welfare officials have declined,
claiming such information is con-
fidential.
Board Members Indignant.
Several members of the board
have expressed indignation at this
refusal, feeling the board that ap-
propriates the money for relief
should know to whom it is being
given. Conferences between mem
bers of the board and welfare Of
ficials. it was said, could be of par
ticular advantage in handling many
relief cases.
Mr.. Carper reiterated his former
statement that every INDECENT hos
pitalization case properly authorized
by the supervisor Of the Welfare De-
paftment has been paid for, with the
possible exception of current cases
which the board will pay for when
properly presented.
Many bills for disqualification
come to the board long after they
have been incurred and in some in
stances, Mr.. Carper said, it has been
found the persons receiving such
benefits were not even residents OF
the county, some having been hurt
in automobile accidents on high
ways. In other cases, he said, per-
sons classified as indigents are really
employed and might pay for their
disqualification over a period of time
1t was explained the county
budgeted for the 1940-41 fiscal year
for relief in the county S56 6,238. 80,
of which S17,507.60 came from Fed
eral funds, s16,81oy07 from the State
and s18 ,42416 from the county, while
the total appropriation from local
funds under the current budget is
S20,151 .54 plus an item of 81 900 for
disqualification.
$4,000 in Tentative Budget.
Proponents of an increase in the
new budget for INDECENT hospitaliza-
ton are asking $500, whereas the
board has set up in the tentative
budget $4,000, an increase of $1,000
over the amount now budgeted for
the purpose.
Board members emphasized that
there is ample employment now
available for any persons who wish
to work and claim that some OF
those on relief rolls in the county
have deliberately stopped gainful
employment merely to accept relief.
DR.. William Chase, chairman OF
the disqualification Committee OF
the Fairfax County Community
Chest has appealed to residents to
appear before the Board of Super
visors at the budget hearings to-
morrow to request an $500 appro-
priation for disqualification.
The Health Security Admins
tration is also seeking an appropria-
ton larger than the $4,000 tenta-
lively set aside for disqualification,
and the Alexandria Hospital re-
Gently has announced policy OF
refusing to admit charity cases from
Fairfax County except those in crit
ical condition. DR.. Chase expressed
the fear that Washington hospitals
will follow the example Of the in
stitution in Alexandria.
Changes in Tax Rates.
AS the tentative budget now
stands, tax rates in the several
magisterial districts ranging from
a decrease of 2 cents in one district
to a Jump of cents in two other
districts are indicated.
The four districts having special
bonded Indebtedness for roads will
each have a reduction in the rates
for highway debt and in Providence
district. where the balance of the
road bond indebtedness will be paid
off at the end of this year it will
not be necessary to levy a road tax.
In Falls Church district the road
levy will be reduced from As cents to
80 cents; in Mount Vernon District
the drop will be from 8 to cents,
and the reduction in Dranesville
district win be from $1.05 to $1.02
Under the current budget, Provi-
dence district carries an Scent
road levy. Two other districts
Centreville and Lee-have no road
Indebtedness.
41c County Levy Indicated.
Should the tentative budget re-
ceive final approval, it is indicated
the county levy rates will be Al
cents compared to SO cents under
the present budget. No additional
levy will have to be set up for pen
sions, and the fire rate is tenta-
lively set at 6 cents again.
To raise sufficient revenue for the
coming general reassessement of
real estate in 1914, 1-cent levy has
been set up in the proposed budget.
The supervisors felt it would be
easier to raise the amount neces-
sary for this purpose over a period
of several years, rather than set
a higher levy for single year or
two.
The school levy of SIPS now in
effect, including 81 for operations
and Is cents for capital outlay Is
expected to continue, especially in
view of the additional assistance
that will be given to the county as
a result of a bill adopted by the
General Assembly this year pro-
viding aid to counties for bus trans
portation.
The net increase proposed in the
tentative budget under the county
levy fund is s30,727 A; under the
school, operating fund, 5l,0S3.2o