Evening star., 1946-03-06
We|fareFigh
Deferred for
Traffic Budget
Effort to Sabotage
Board by Relief
Probe Is Charged
By Don S. Worren

the Districts record budget for
1947 today reserved final Judgment
on explosive issues developed at
yesterdays closed session on the
welfare situation and temporarily
turned attention to much ouieter
matters.
Up for study today were requests
for the Department of Vehicles and
Traffic. These sometimes provoke
fireworks over outlays for new sets
of traffic lights, but they paled into
insignificance in comparison with
heat generated over welfare issues,
according to Chairman Coffee.
Charges and denials that the
Commissioners had attempted to
sabotage the welfare department"
by inspiring the report of the relief
fraud" cases and threats to fire
or suspend case supervisors or others
responsible" for alleged abuses
were intermixed.
Purge of Rolls Promised.
Along with these were promises
from the committee and welfare Of
flcials that any "chiselers" would be
thrown off the rolls and that anv
bad offenders might be prose-
cuted. a
One new development was a
declaration by Welfare Director
Ray L. Huff that, up to last night,
he had been unable to get an
Identification of the 40-odd fraud"
cases listed in the 10 per cent sample
report submitted by Auditor A. R.
Pilkerton.
These identifications, however,
now have been promised, he said.
Director Huff said also he had
proposed an independent survey
be made by agents of the Federal
Social Security Board, entirely in
dependent of the District staff. as
an impartial test of the District
relief program.
There was no immediate adoption
or rejection of this plan.
Old issues over welfare control
here boiled over at yesterday after
Moons session.
Sabotage" Charged.
At the beginning, A. Harding
Paul, member of the Board of
Public Welfare, attacked the Board
of Commissioners for "sabotaging"
the Welfare Board in an effort to
promote the bill to transfer well
fare powers from the board to the
city heads.
A response came at once from
Commissioner John Russell Young,
according to Chairman Coffee. In
denying the charge, Mr.. Coffee said.
Commissioner Young was hurt, dis
mayed, indignant and wrathy, but
finally calmed down."
Chairman Coffee stepped in to
declare that neither Auditor Pilker-
ton nor the Commissioners, nor any
other municipal official was respon-
sible for the relief probe report. He
said 1t had been ordered by the Cof-
fee subcommittee about a year ago.
Chairman Coffee interjected here
that he and his committee we're not
interested in restricting Legitimate"
relief, but that it had the duty of
insisting on compliance with eligi-
bility rules and on efficient oper-
ation," especially because of present
heavy demands on District revenues.
No sooner had this issue been
auieted, however, according to the
Coffee account, than Raymond F.
Clapp, principal assistant well
fare director, launched a "viol-
ent" attack on proposals by Mr..
Pllkerton for a reduction in the
supervisory staff of the public as
sistance division.
He was joined by Mr.. Huff, who
declared that "the more case SUPER
visorS there are the less likelihood
there was of permitting the unde-
serving to remain on the relief rolls -
All social work officials, Mr.. Coffee
said, might be expected to be more
interested in giving instead of check
ing on or restricting relief.
Argue Over Gill Case.
The Gill case provided another hot
argument. Chairman Coffee said
Mr.. Paul took sharp. issue with the
commissioners for naming a spe-
cial trial board to consider the ap-
peal of Howard B. Gill, general d.
rector of penal institutions, from
the Welfare Boards order for his
dismissal, as sequel to the series of
escapes from the District Jail.
Mr.. Paul contended this was an
improper delegation of duties placed
on the Commissioners, under the
law, and amounted to passing the
buck"
Chairman Coffee said the subcom-
mlttee had decided not to 90 into
the Gill case at this time, so as to
avoid any interference with the
pending case.
Mr.. Paul also accused the Coffee
subcommittee of "prejudging" the
case as to alleged chiseling on relief
rolls, because it had released the
Pllkerton report before it had given
copy of the charges to welfare Of
hclals for study and answer. Mr..
Coffee said he regarded this COM
plant as "out of line"