Evening star., 1944-05-10
BudgetHearings
To Review Need
0fWeIfareUnits
Committee to Study
Testimony Taken by
D'AIesundro Group
Bv DON S. WARREN.

BY DON S. WARREN.
Budget needs of the municipal
welfare agencies will be reviewed
carefully by the House Appropria.
tions Subcommittee in charge of the
l945 District supply bill before fina
decisions are reached on amounts
to be included, Chairman Coffee
said today.
The welfare estimates recon.
mended by the Commissioners ane
the Budget Bureau now total So, ,573,-
600, including a recently submitted
request for an additional $54, 900 fol
child care services.
Among additional data to be
studied by the group are excerpts
from testimony taken at hearings
before the D'Alesandro Subcommit-
tee of the House District Committee
which is considering the bill to
transfer the powers of the Board oi
Public Welfare to the Commission
ers and make the board an advisory
body.
Division of Authority"
Meanwhile, though reservine
judgment on the issue of whether
the Commissioners or the Welfare
Board should have unhampered ad-
ministrative control over the well
fare program, leading members o1
the Appropriations Subcommittee
indicated it would make recon-
mendations relating to the present
division of authority"-which now
is protested by both groups of city
officials.
Mr.. Coffee and Representative
Stefan, Republican, of Nebraska
following a round-table debate yes
terday with the Commissioners and
Welfare Board members, concluded
there had been a "lack of aggres-
siveness" on the part of the Wei
fare Board in urging improvements
it found were needed in recent
years. They said they felt the divi-
sion of authority should be settled
somehow.
They expressed surprise that the
original estimates of the Welfare
Board in the past four or five year.
had been cut $1,000, 900 a year OF
more before they reached Capito
Hill-without Welfare Board mem.
bers raising vigorous protests.
Haven't Put Up a Fight"
Mr.. Coffee said: "The Welfare
Board members haven't put up 6
fight for what they found was
needed. When you are running g
business or welfare program cost.
ing $4,000, 900 a year, you can't stor
with one rebuff. I am glad to note
that recently since this issue has
been agitated there has been a con-
siderable increase in action by the
board"
Mr.. Stefan said: II would like
to see the Welfare Board preserved
for it has vital place to fill In
this community. But there is some
thing here that ought to be straight-
ened out. We members of Congress
did not know in these past years
that the welfare budget requests
were cut that deeply. Why haven't
they been up to see us. The door
has been open"
At the conclusion of yesterdays
joint session, Chairman Edgar
Morris and other members of the
Welfare Board urged that a new
study of the whole welfare setup be
made by committee of citizens
They insisted that the Welfare
Board should be given final author
ity" subject to action by Congress
and availability of revenues, over
preparation of the welfare budget
and full power to hire or fire well
fare administrative personnel.
Would Put Letter In Record.
Mr.. Morris also put into the record
la letter from Conrad H. Van Hymns
at the time of his resignation al
welfare director early last year
which said, in part:
Il think the boards failure to in
stitute machinery in order that il
could discharge its responsibility a.
representing the citizens is one o1
the reasons why there is not a wide.
spread evidence of real support fo,
the function of the board at the
present time.
BY machinery, I mean research
and statistical services in order tt
prepare real reports which 4
would have told the story anc
probably have resulted in improve.
ments in some fields at a much
earlier date.
THE other way think the boare
has failed to represent its citizens /.
that it has not released its owr
budget estimates and conducted
public hearings of its own to show
why they were needed. I realize
that to do this would have been ir
conflict with the Commissioners. bu
at the same time the board was left
SO to speak, holding the bag wher
1t was criticized for bad condition.
and Its recommendation over tn,
years to improve those condition
could not be brought to light.
In brief, do not think the boarc
has done enough fighting for tn,
things it stood for"