Evening star., 1962-01-17
Byrd Urges Plan
Of Rehabilitation
Program Seen
As Way to Cut
Welfare Rolls
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star Staff Writer


Congress a bold program for
helping relief recipients work
their way off welfare rolls.
The chairman of the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee
for the District recommended
locally the same approach
President Kennedy championed
last week in his state-of the
Union address - rehabilitation
instead of relief.
At the same time, Senator
Byrd said investigations OF
possible free-loading may have
to be expanded. He said he'd
seen no persuasive evidence
that children had suffered in
the cut-back of grants to large
families ordered last year by
Congress.
Cost of Program
A progressive" and posi-
tive" program is bound to cost
more money, Senator Byrd said
at a press conference preview-
ing this sessions budget con-
sideration. 1t will cost money
to tighten enforcement, too, he
indicated. But the West Vir-
ginian seemed receptive to
spending if some recipients
could be trained for useful
work and if grants were given
only to the needy.
He said he did not expect
that Congress this year would
appropriate less than last year
for District welfare.
The welfare budget went up
81 million last year. Under
pressure from Senator Byrd,
Congress imposed economies,
however.
The most controversial was
a reduction CT So per month in
grants to families of four on
welfare and of 81 monthly per
child after the fourth in such
families.
The Commissioners have re-
ceived a report from a citizens
committee that the reductions
resulted in hardships to
children.
Byrd Takes Issue
Senator Byrd called on his
talent with figures to refute
this finding, reasoning like
this:
OF 2,441 families sustaining
the cut, 910 suffered reductions
of only 50 per month. Another
635 families had Sc cuts. And
$40 less monthly would go to
800.
Only one family suffered a
cut of $42 monthly; two fam
lilies, of $38 monthly; and three
families of $34 monthly.
II don't believe that the re-
ductions in the overwhelming
majority of cases were unwise,"
Senator Byrd said.
Persuasive arguments, boil
stored by facts, could convince
him that the $34-42 monthly
cuts should be restored, how
ever, the Senator said.
The Senator emphasized the
positive yesterday by releasing
a letter he wrote November 80
to Commissioner John B. Dun
can. The letter urged Commits
Sioners to consider developing
work Skills for welfare recipi-
ents able to learn to work. A
voucher system to regulate
spending by recipients might
be instituted, he suggested, as
well as more "exacting scru-
tiny" of applicants.
Duncan Comments
Commissioner Duncan said
today that Senator Byrd's
statement yesterday on public
welfare lis no different from
the position which he has ex-
pressed to me personally all
along"
Mr.. Duncan said he has indi-
Gated on several recent occa-
Sions that the Congress sup
ports the District government
in it's effort to cure the prob
lens of public welfare" here.
obviously" Commissioner
Duncan said, whatever &C
lnoWledged weaknesses we may
lind in any of our programs,
we intend to be the first to
correct them"
Commissioner Duncan con-
cluded by saying that the Sup
port for the District which
Senator Byrd has expressed is
an indication of the desire of
others of the Congress to help
as we'll"
Minimum Payment
Running through major
budget issues due to come be-
fore his subcommittee, Sena-
tor Byrd said he personally
favored a minimum Federal
payment of $32 million annual
". The payment now is $50
million.
Also, he favored street light
ing, tree planting and land
Scaping projects. He hoped
more teachers and counselors
could be hired for the public
school system.
He predicted Continued lib
eral treatment" of police and
lire department problems by
Congress.
Public works programs, par
,icularly school building, should
De accelerated. he said