Evening star., 1952-03-01
Welfare Board
Partially Lifts
Ban on Press
Members Agree TO
Two-Port Sessions,
One to Be Secret
A-24 THE EVENING STAR
H** Washington, D. c.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1852

Members came to this agree.
faeht after On extended and
earnest discussion with four re-
pefteFs, who came 10 attend yes
teFday's regular session, but
wound up engaged In O post
meeting press conference instead,
The reporters had understood
individually from Beard Chair
man Edgar Norris that they
would be permitted to attend this
meeting-er those parts of it that
did not deal with matters de-
creed BY law to be confidential,
The press corps checked in
promptly at AIS PM, as re-
quested, This was the time the
confidential portion of the meet
ing was expected to be ended.
Invited In Late,
But Is minutes elapsed before
Chairman Morris invited the re-
porters into the meeting room.
When every one had got settled,
his first question was: what do
you want to ask us?"
The meeting, it developed, had
elready ended.
When this met with protest, Mr..
Morris expressed surprise. He re-
marked that the meetings have
always been open to the press"
He stood by this statement, more
over. although it was pointed out
that, over the months, reporters
have invariably been instructed
to wait outside, to be briefed on
the meetings after they had con-
cluded.
Other welfare officials yesterday
said it had always been their
understanding that board policy
decreeG closed meetings.
Invitations Suggested.
Mrs. Theodore Wedel, board
member, finally broke the impasse
by suggesting that the press be
provided with agendas and invited
to attend future sessions. The
agendas will be divided into two
sections, consisting of subjects
which will be discussed in the
presence Of the press and those
which will be kept confidential.
The latter category will concern
such matters as adoption, hospital
care and similar cases in which
the names of the needy are men,
toned in board discussions, the
board agreed.
Any discussions involving use of
aid recipients names must be
closed, it was explained. under
the Social Security Act, which
requires such secrecy on pain of
the Federal Governments with
drawal Of its share of aid pay
mentS to the District.
1t is this proviso, as it affects
public assistance, which the Jen-
ner amendment virtually invali-.
dated last year by giving States
the right to decide whether to-
keep their relief rolls secret or
open to the public without jeop-
ardiSing receipt Of Federal pay
ments.
Secrecy Issue Pending.
The relief roll secrecy issue In
the District Is still before d Sen
ate District Subcommittee Study
Ing proposed new public assistance
legislation for this city.
Il was chiefly because Of the
secrecy controversy that the press
wanted 10 attend yesterdays
meeting. Mr.. M6ffis announced
that, While that subject was act
discussed the beard still faVefs
Keeping ltS fee6fds secret
Fred 8. Heged, vice chairman,
declared there IL ne need fer epehs
ihg relief Fells 20 public view I'VE
dent embesgie funds" he said,
hWe feel we're delnG q pretty geed
Job, We're net perfect but we
think we're % per cent perfect"
Mrs, Wedel said the proposed
AensseeFeey amendment 70 the
pending legislation Wauld, II
adopted, put the board "in an
awfully ditflcult Spot"
I'VE would rather have Con-
gress spell out the circumstances
under which the board, as ad-
ministering agency, could open
the rolls" she added,
Grants Up Little In Decade.
In a report to the board, which
was released after the meeting,
Welfare Director Gerard M, Shea
pointed out that comparison Of
public assistance grants for jan
uary, 1852 and 1912. showed an.
increase of only ! per cent. The
comparative numbers Of grants
are 1908 for January. 1852, and
6,942 in January, 1912.
Old-age assistance for the same
two months declined % per cent,
from $3.50 to 2,783. Aid-to-the
blind grants increased 2 per cent,
while all other grants, including
aid to dependent children, and
aid to the disabled, went up "a
per cent.
Mr.. Shea's figures further
showed that, although the child
population in the District in
creased 27 per cent in the last
decade, family assistance cases,
which include aid to dependent
children, increased only z per cent.
In the old-age assistance cate
CORY, the % per cent decline in
the number of grants was re-
flected, despite a 38 per cent
increase In the city's aged popu-
1ation.