Evening star., 1943-03-31
Welfare Board
Ready 10 Probe
Food Waste
Senator McCurron
Orders Additional
Investigation

Reports OF waste OF. surplus com.
modities by some persons on relief
here will be studied at the regular
meeting Of the Board of Public We'll
fare this afternoon according to Ray
L. Huff. director of public welfare.
At the same time, repercussions
came from Capitol Hill and the
District Building. Chairman Nc
Carran of the Senate District Com
mittee ordered Julien G. Sourwine,
municipal counsel of the committee,
to investigate the matter.
IF this investigation shows a Sc
rious situation, we will take i'm
mediate steps," Senator McCarran
declared.
Senator McCarran said he had
no idea what those steps would be
until after the investigation had
been completed. Mr.. Sourwine said
he would start his investigation i'm
mediately.
Items Found in Alley.
Mr.. Huff said that results of their
investigation into the charges that
relief clients have thrown evaporated
milk, apples, corn meal and -four
would be considered by the board.
These items were said to have been
found in the alley near the Food
Distribution Center at 472 C street
NV.
Commissioner Guy Mason said
earlier that he had asked the Well
fare Board and police to check re-
ports of wastage. Mr.. Mason said
that If it is possible to find out who
has been throwing away food "at a
time like this we will try to put
them in Jail. They sign certificates
saying they are in urgent need of
that food"
In regard to free items found in
the alley by the food center, an
agency of the Public Assistance Di-
vision, Morris Zelditch, general SUI
perintendent Of PAD, declared:
1T is quite true that there seems
to be few families wasting some
food products. However. it is an
extremely small fraction of the total
they get.'
Will Plug the Leak"
Mr.. Zelditch said there would be
an immediate investigation of the
wastage and promised that every
effort would be made to plug the
leak"
The food program, Mr.. Zelditch
said, started when the Agriculture
Department bought great quantities
of surplus commodities to maintain
prices paid farmers.
Now that we are short Of almost
every kind of food, there is no
reason for the program to continue" !"
he said. "The system of distribu-
ton was designed by the Federal
Government to get the food off the
market-not to distribute 1t eco
nomically to families in need. We
have no control over the amounts
shipped out When we get supply
Of -four we distribute it propor-
tionately among the families on our
rolls"
Program Soon to End.
C. F.. Kunkle, acting chief OF the
civilian distribution section Of the
FDA, said that the only ratloned
food distributed during the month
OF March has been dried beans. He
said that direct distribution of food
for school lunches will be discon-
tinued April 30, that distribution
Of unrationed food for relief pur-
poses will be discontinued on June
80, and unrationed food today.
Mr.. Mason said that a lot of good
has been accomplished through the
distribution of surplus" commodi-
ties to institutions, but admitted
that some individuals who have
received commodities are not en-
titled to them.
The PAD is under the Board Of
Welfare. Last month the Agricul-
ture Department gave the District
285996 pounds Of surplus food, a
large part of which was distributed
to hospitals. institutions or utilized
in the school lunch program. More
than 71,000 pounds was distributed
directly to 1880 families who are
either on relief or certified to be in
| need Of S,lnplementaI rations