Evening star., 1949-01-11
GerstenfeId Accuses
D. {. Of irresponsible
Failure 10 Aid Needy

irresponsible failure" on the part
Of the District to discharge its OBJ
legations to the needy was charged
yesterday by Rabbi Norman Gers
tenfeld, newest member of the
Board of Public Welfare.
Speaking before a meeting of the
new Family and Child Welfare Sec
ton of United Community Services
at the YWCA, Dr. Gerstenfeld said
the District fails to meet even its
legal responsibilities" in the field
of public welfare.
He emphasized, however, that "the
irresponsibility is not that of the
Board of Public Welfare, but in the
failure to provide the board with
funds required to do its social duty.
When we realize" he said, that
the District ranks eighth among the
States in the average per capita in
come of its population and the
number given relief is lower than
any State, we come to the conclu-
sion that the District should be able
to afford adequate assistance on the
basis of decency and health"
1916 Living Scale Used.
The facts, he said, are as follows:
The Board of Public Welfare is
forced. by lack of funds, to base
its assistance on the cost of living
in 1916. And even this index has
to be reduced by 7 per cent to stay
within reduced budgets.
Employable persons and their fam
lilies are refused aid even if that
person is unable to find work. There
is no provision for special diets de-
manded by doctors prescriptions
and no assistance greater than S16O
a month is. allowed, no matter how
large the family may be.
Families in desperate need NAV
now be forced to wait several weeks
for assistance before interviews by
a social worker and no help of any
sort is given in cases where a court
order has been issued to the head of
family to support that family.
Cites Lack of Suffrage.
DR.. Gerstenfeld later said the well
fare situation results from denial OF
"the normal freedom which comes
from self-governing community
He said he had no intention to
blame any particular branch in the
District government.
In answer to questions from the
60 persons attending the meeting,
Raymond F.. Clapp, principal as
sistant director of the Welfare
Board, revealed what it would cost
to put public assistance here on
sound footing.
To remove the 7 per cent reduc-
ton would cost the District an addi-
tional $250,000 year, he said, and
it would require from $5O0,000 to
100000 more to bring the level of
assistance to par with present liv-
ing costs.
Others Address Meeting.
Other speakers at the meeting in
cluded Arthur Kruse, executive di-
rector of UCS, who described how
the new Family and Child Welfare
section will fit into the larger or
ganization, and G. Rowland Shaw,
who spoke as member of the Fam
lily Service Association, a use mem
Der agency.
Mr.. Shaw described the public
assistance setup in Washington as
"a vicious circle" working to the
disadvantage of both private and
public relief agencies.
The Social Security Act Of 1895,
he said, makes it possible for a
family in need to seek public sup
port, as matter Of right, rather
than as a matter of charity"
The inadequacy of the public sup
port program in the District throws
an additional burden on private
agencies whose principal function
should be in the field of preventive
social work. When the preventive
program is curtailed, he said, more
persons are thrown into the public
assistance category.
Mrs. Cecil Lester Jones. chairman
Of the new UCS section, presided
at the meeting.