Evening star., 1953-06-19
Civic Leaders
Protest Cut in
Welfare Funds
Meeting Supports
D. C. Request for
Partial Restoration

PortiuI Restoration
Badly needed major welfare
projects will suffer seriously un-
less a substantial amount of the
Board Of Public Welfare budget
is restored. it was stressed here
last night.
They House Appropriation
Committees cut of $685., ,342 in
the budget was discussed by
about rs community leaders at
meeting in the Washington
Gas Light Co. auditorium. The
session was called by Russell w.
Schneider, chairman of the
Family and Child Welfare Sec
tion of United Community Serv-
ices.
Two major projects that would
suffer are the new infirmary at
the Home for the Aged at Blue
Plains and the new children's
village at Laurel. Md, it was
pointed out.
Joining Mr.. Schneider in ask
ing restoration of funds, as re-
quested by the Commissioners.
were four members of the Board
of Public Welfare, Fred s. Kogod.
vice chairman; A. j. Driscoll.
Preston B. Kavanaugh and Mrs.
Alpha Jones. Also present were
Charles Stott, chairman of the
Washington Board of Trades
Welfare Committee. and Armiger
j. Jagoe, first vice president of
the Junior Chamber of Com.
merce here.
Shea Explains Budget.
Gerard M. Shea, director of
the Board Of Public Welfare.
explained the 1854 fiscal budget
with the aid Of charts. AS SUBJ
mitted by the Commissioners to
Congress, it totals $22,424, 100.
The House cut it to $21, ,584, ,758.
or $839.342 less.
The cuts made by the House
were as follows:
Office of Director-The Com
miSSionerS asked for $114,lOO:
the House granted $99,724.
Agencies service-The Conn
miSisoners asked $4,679, 900; the
House allowed $4,590,796.
Institutions - The Commits
Sioners asked $3,657, 900; the
House gave $3,39O,238.
st. Elizabeths Hospital-The
Commissioners requested $780,
900 and received that sum.
| Capital expenditures - The
Commissioners asked 81, ,494 900:
the House granted $4.024.000.
To Ask Partial Restoration.
Restorations will be requested
by. the Commissioners, probably
when they go before the Senate
Apr tionS Committee
Wednesday. The restorations they
will seek, the citizens were told
last night, will amount to $685.
764. as follows:
Office Of the Director, restora-
ton of $9,475; agencies service,
$4,000; institutions, $199,626:
capital expenditures, $235, 900.
Those at the meeting voted. to
support the Commissioners and
the Board of Public Welfare in
going to the Senate for restora-
ton of these funds.
Each person present also
agreed to go to his own organi-
zation to obtain a similar in
dorsemelit.
Sees Expansion Hampered.
"A very serious dilemma faces
the Board of Public Welfare in
view of the action of the House
committee" Mr.. Shea declared.
"The board must operate the in.
Stitutions it now has. It is sup
posed, however. to expand into
some new operations for next
year. This budget cuts them
back, and we can't do that"
Chiefly hit. he said. are the
new inf1rmary at Blue Plains
and the Children's Village at
Laurel.
The Children's Village falls
under capital expenditures. The
$470,000 cut by the House in
this category called for some
apartment-type house construc-
ton for members of the staff.
The village is 10 miles from
Washington. The requested res
toration of $685. 900, Mr.. Shea
declared. would permit construc-
tion of half of that housing and
permit family-type men to serve
on the staff and live on the
grounds.
Sees Same Old Stew.
Mrs. Jones termed the whole
cut "the same old stew warmed
over" The problem, she said.
comes up every year, and under
it, the Board of Public Welfare
cannot render adequate services.
1T would be a sorrowful Sit
uation if the splendid new build
ing at Blue Plains could not be
put into operation she said.
Mr.. Stott said his trade board
committee has voted to support
the Commissioners request for
the $503,764 restoration.