Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-16
Byrd Will Face
Opposition on
Relief Reform

NGuOI NOIVIIII
Firm guide lines for running
the Districts welfare and
health services have been fixed
at Senate hearings on the city
budget.
Appropriations Subcommittee
Chairman Byrd. Democrat of
West Virginia. closed sessions
at $3.50 last night. Now, he
faces the task of convincing his
subcommittee members that his
health and welfare policies
are drawn from facts Of testi-
mony and should be incorpo-
rated in the spending and reve-
nue. bill for this year.
A possible controversy over
welfare issues could delay sub
committee action for weeks.
This would prolong congress
sional consideration of the
budget past the time Senator
Byrd had hoped to free funds
to hire more school teachers.
Overshadowing his earlier con-
Germ for overcrowded clasSrooms
has been his more recent de-
termination to build a record
charting welfare changes of the
past three years.
Checks Against Cheating
His detailed analysis points
to continued checks against
cheating for relief.
The new look includes job
training for mothers and ex-
banded care for children in
boarding homes and in day care
centers. Reforms are aimed pri-
marily at cutting back the
population Of Junior Village,
the city's packed home for de-
pendent children.
Still opposed by Senator Byrd
is relief for families in homes
where able-bodied men live.
The Senator apparently is so
convinced that a man in the /
house" should support children,
rather than be supported by
welfare payments to them, that /
he is prepared to oppose locally
the Kennedy administrations
proposal to extend relief to
children of an "employable
parent"
On this issue, he will meet
resistance from Senator Case,
Republican of New Jersey. How
many Democrats will dispute
the chairman, in the absence
of White House pressure, is
uncertain. Only Senator Case,
aside from the chairman, either
attended or sent a representa-
tive to hearings regularly.
Acting Welfare Director DON
aid Brewer seems to have won
the Senator's favor as success
sor to former Director Gerard
Shea.
In Health Department mat
tiers, Senator Byrd directed
questions at the hearings again
and again to reorganization,
Capitalization and efficiency.
He urged prompt settlement
of a dispute over acceptance
by medical officers of pay from
colleges and universities while
on their Government jobs.
Taking money for doing work
already financed by the Gov
eminent breaks conflict-of-
interests laws which became
effective last January.
Health Director DR.. Murray
Grant, who teaches at three
universities, insisted that some
research and instruction must
be conducted by doctors at
D. c. General Hospital to main
tain their quality Of service.
Tighter Collections Asked
Tighter collections were asked
from patients at both public
and private hospitals. DR.. Grant
has not billed emergency pa
tients but promised Senator
Byrd he would.
In a surprise statement last
night, Senator Byrd swallowed
his own earlier criticism of city
officials for creating a new job
for John Olsavsky, who was in
volved in a surplus food in
vestigation last winter.
Mr.. Olsavsky now manages
unused property distribution
for welfare institutions.
The Senator had termed "un-
wise" the retention of an in
dividual responsible for a de
| ficient operation" After he
made this judgment at hear
ingS, the Senator called Mr..
Olsavsky and his wife to
three-hour conference in his
office on a Sunday afternoon.