Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-02
Bear by the Tail?


we're given free food orders at Barney
Neighborhood House in Southwest WASH
ington. That was the Commissioners
emergency response to demands that
something be done to feed hungry and
even starving children in this Capital
City
At the close of business yesterday
afternoon, 324 families had been added
to the original as. 1t is estimated that
these families represent some 1,348 chill
dren. And some surprise has been ex-
pressed at the District Building that the
list has grown so large, and so rapidly.
The surprise was not expressed, how
ever, by the professionals who deal every
day with the problem of relief and public
welfare in Washington. They know that
the more free food orders available, the
more applicants. And they know that
instead Of solving one problem, the Com
nlisSionerS have manufactured another
one that is apt to throw the difficult
administration of public welfare further
out of kilter. What is now being done is
contradiction of most of the precepts
gained from welfare experience in the
past.
There is no reason to be surprised that
there are as many as 1900 children whose
families are taking advantage of the free
food, most of whom can meet some stand
ard of need. Within the past few weeks
the number of homeless children at the
Districts Junior Village hit new high of
sol. OF these, 146 are under 51a years
old. Some Of them were picked up on the
street. and the authorities do not know
where they came from. Others are the
victims Of broken homes, caused by such
tragedies as alcoholism, eviction, hos
pitalization, death, imprisonment, deser-
ton. The number seems to be on the
Increase. The problem Of placing them,
or restoring them to parents, Is becoming
more complex.
The haraSsed Director of Public We'll
fare, Gerard M. Shea, Is getting up some
figures on the cost Of increasing the pub
lie assistance money grants from SO to
100 per cent of need" What is 100 per
cent? 1t is formula-an arbitrary esti-
mate supposed to measure minimum
need. Baltimore claims to pay 100 per
cent. Yet Baltimores 100 per cent" pay
ments are less than Washington's 80 per
cent payments. One hundred per cent
means different amounts in different
cities. We can add $12 million to public
relief and increase. allowances to 100 per
cent. But there will still be children who
are In need of food.
We hope the Commissioners will find
some practical way of letting loose the
bear they now have by the TAIL They
seem to have seized 1t when the generous
hearted Chairman Rabaut said with some
evaporation that he wanted food, not
more studies. But this is problem that
requires constant study, and by able and
experienced students. One study already
available to the Commissioners, who have
done very little about it, is proposed list
Of amendments to our welfare laws aimed
at eliminating contradictions, illogical
tiles, aimleSS requirements and other de-
fects which tend to hamper sound welfare
administration. The amendments are
reposing somewhere in the Corporation
Counsels ONCE at the District Building.
The Commissioners should get them out,
dust them of and shoot them to Capitol
Hill. A receptive attitude may be found
there.