Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-02
District Relief
Rolls Doubled
In 10 Years
More Than $4,000
Getting Payments;
Costs Up S. Million
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG

The District is supporting
twice as many individuals and
families on relief now as were
on public assistance rolls 10
years ago, a survey of the We'll
fare Department reveals.
During fiscal 1916, an average
Of 1856 cases involving 6,262
persons was reported monthly on
District relief rolls. In Septem-
Der, 1856, a total of 1859 cases
involving 15,476 persons received
relief here. In this period, best
available estimates indicate the
population of the District has
dropped from 1000 to 100000.
The relief bill has grown from
&1.978,753 in fiscal 1916 to &c.
966,065 in fiscal 1856. Forum
ately for the District, the Fed
eral Government now pays more
than half the relief bill and the
Welfare Department has been
assiduous in getting people of
the relief program paid exclu-
sively by the District and onto
one of the programs in which
the Federal Government shares
the cost.
While the District bill has
climbed in a decade from $1.305. :
104 to $3,178,346. the Federal
share has risen from 1913, $40 &c
$3,787,719. The highest combined
bill in the 10-year period
$7.029, 197-was reached in fiscal
1855.
Relief Goes Mostly to Aged
The aged still form the largest
group Of recipients. but the up
ward curve of relief has been
caused more by fathers who fail
to support their children and by
the addition Of a new group Of
eligibles-the totally and per-
manently disabled.
The number of families receiv-
Ing aid to dependent children has
shown a stable decrease in the
past fiscal year. This represents
the combined effect of more
stringent regulations. new in
vestigation service and a reor-
ganization that assigns the most
experienced social workers to
devote themselves exclusively to
these cases.
The effectiveness of the We'll
fare Departments new inveSti-
cation service was underlined
last week when the investigators,
after a five-month inquiry, asked
for and got a warrant for the
arrest Of a 60-year-old recipient
Of aid to dependent children on
grounds that he failed to dis
close ownership of at least one
house.
During six years on relief, it
was alleged. the man and his
family of seven children received
more than SO. 700 in relief grands.
He is now being sought in North
Carolina.
More Totally Disabled Aided
For the most part, the investi-
cation service has located miss
ing fathers or established the
presence Of a father substitute
in the home. Both activities have
reduced the roll of recipients Of
aid to dependent children.
The number of beneficiaries Of
aid to the totally disabled. how
ever, has risen unchecked since
the program for Federal-State
aid to this group got under way
f1ve years ago.
Welfare Director Gerard M.
Shea blames this sudden heavy
load on two factors: The made
quacy of the medical examina-
tions. most of them done at Dis
trict General Hospital. on which
the finding of total disability is
based: Washington's lack of
assembly-line types of industry
in which the severely handi-
capped find employment in other
metropolitan centers.
Mr.. Shea said proposals had
been made to the District Build
ing to provide the Welfare Def
partment with a medical team to
make its own examinations and
periodic check-ups on the dis
abled. but so far nothing has
come Of II.
Program Being PrObed
With House Appropriations
Committee investigators now
checking on the public assist
ance program here TO determine
how grants and eligibility re-
Quirements compare with the
rest OF the country. The Star
See RELIEF. Page AS
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