Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-02-16
Officials Debate
Relief Secrecy
On " Program
Gen. Robinson, Shea
And Donohue Air
Views on Dispute

views WI s0tSt1uIS
City oficials. opening 4 new
television series last night. aired
their Disbursements with each
other over the issue, of making
public relief rolls available TO the
public.
WMAL-Tv. The Evening Star
Station, presented the program,
which featured discussions by
Engineer Commissioner Bernard
l.. Robinson, Commissioner r.
Joseph Donohue and District We'll
fare Director Gerard M. Shea.
They were Intercepted by DR.. J..
Ross Veal. president Of the Fed
Grafton Of Citizens Associations,
and two Washington newspaper
men.
Mr.. Shea raised the public as
sistance issue. He and the Well
fare Board nave consistently
argued that relief rolls should be
kept from the public eye, as they
have here since 1885.
Sees Nothing Achieved. 4
II don't believe that publicizing
the rolls will achieve q thing, Fl
MIR. Shea declared last night in
protesting a widespread view that
relief "chiselers" might be shamed
on the rolls by making the names
OF all relief recipients public
record.
He pointed out that, in two
States, Indiana and Illinois, which
have removed secrecy from public
assistance rolls, the rate of decline
In the number Of relief recipients
has been substantially the same
as the rate in States which have
retained the secrecy proviso.
But one Of his interrogators|
pointed out that these two States
have imposed safeguards to pre-
vent indiscriminate use Of the re-
lief lists. Mr.. Shea was asked
what led him to believe that news
papers would publish the lists
merely because they were avail
able.
Cites Commercial Ban.
To which Mr.. Shea responded
that, according to his interpreta-
ton, newspapers are forbidden byl
law to make such publication.
This would fall under the prohibi-
ton against Commercial" use of
the relief rolls, as specified by the |
Jenner amendment passed byt
Congress last year.
Commissioner Donohue joined
In with the challenge that, ,.'if it'll
is true that publicity Of the lists
would be limited, what will be
gained by making the lists open
to the public?"
Mr.. Donohue answered his ownl
question: Nothing will be gained
but q good deal lost-as in the1
case Of q small child subjected toll
the tSunts Of her playmates."
Open to Agencies.
Mr.. Shea, who has won the sup
port Of Commissioner Donohue in|
the secrecy stand. added that it'll
Is q false concept that an ironl
curtain now shields the public
from the relief rolls. He said that
60 agencies in the District have
access to local public assistance
records. by going through chan
nels.
Brig. Gen. Robinson, who last
Tuesday Joined with Commissioner
John Russell Young in favoringl
legislation to remove the secrecy
proviso, was asked If he has
changed his views in the face ofl
pressures by various groups. I
mot at ALL" the engineer COM
missioner firmly declared.
Meanwhile, Federal Security
Administrator Oscar r. Ewing said
yesterday that q study has shown
that to date the removal of Sc
crecy from relief rolls has had mol
effect on reducing the number oil
persons seeking relief.
EFF public access to names would
lower the caseloads, spectacular
declines should have appeared inl
Indiana and Illinois," Mr.. Ewing
said. This did not happen"
Indiana, Illinois Cited.
Indiana opened its relief polls
for the public inspection last Oc-
tober 80. Mr.. Ewing said in ell
statement that the case-load re-
auctions 1t reported in November
were about the same as for pre-
vious months and no greater than
In several other States.
Illinois opened its relief lists in
November. he continued. but its
relief rolls reduction in December
Jagged behind that reported from
q number Of other States.
In both States, Mr.. Ewing COM
mented, there had been wide
spread publicity to inform those
receiving public assistance that
their names would be made avail
able to the public II they did notl
withdraw their claims for aid dur
ing the month before the rolls
were thrown open.