Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-25
so Seek to Testify
On District Budget
Senate Unit Gets
Pleas on Relief,
Aid to Children
BY GRACE BASSETT
star staff Writer 49,.

more IMAM OU washington
ians came to the Capitol today
asking permission Of the Senate
District Appropriations Sub
committee to spend their own
tax dollars, in large part, on
people with educational, health
and welfare problems.
The hearing room was filled
to capacity by $50 witnesses
and spectators.
Subcommittee Chairman
Robert c. Byrd, Democrat Of
West Virginia, re-emphasized
his determination to squeeze"
positions out Of other depart
ment requests to hire even more
new teachers than city officials
had sought for classrooms un-
derway. He also has pledged
close attention to strengthen
! ing welfare programs for needy
children. after a private con-
versation with President Ken
needy.
Mrs. j. L. Hunter, president
of the District League of Wom-
en- Voters, sharpened two points
Of difference between the
league and Senator Byrd on
controversial welfare for chill
dren whose parents are unem-
ployed.
Senator Is Wary
The Senator is wary of par
entS who might use joblessness
as an excuse for drawing a
dole for their youngsters.
Public assistance has brok-
en- down, to the outrage and
despair of the community, be-
cause of failure to aid needy
families with unemployed par
ents :" Mrs. Hunter testi-
fled.
She added that an investi-
cation of aid to dependent chill
dren instigated by Senator
Byrd, led to rigid enforcement
and relief cutbacks that "sky-
rocketed" the child population
in Junior Village.
do you have the popula-
ton statistics on Junior Village
for the past two years?" Sena-
tor Byrd asked.
!, Subcommittee Has Figures
+ The League president said
the figures were in a down.
} town office.
Senator Byrd said the sub
committee had the figures, too,
{ and would lay them on the rec
! ord tomorrow. The Senator is
, prepared to show that few of
the children overcrowding Jun
ior Village come from families
dropped from relief.
Other witnesses had this to
say:
William M. Butcher, Area
Hospital Council-Private hos
pitfalls should be paid more than
"minimal" requested rates of
$36 for daily patient care and
So for toutpatient clinic visits.
Private rates should equal the
comparable 1922 and $7.65
fcosts at d. c. General Hos
pital.
Mrs. Benjamin Schiller,
Mental Health Association
; Members urged addition of five
staffers to the Mental Health
Bureau. new building at D. C.
General and financing at St.
ElizabethS Hospitals, a COM
munity mental health facility,
three school psychiatrists and
rehabilitation of discharged
mental patients.
Waiting List Is Year Long
Mrs. James Dawson, WASH
ington Home for Incurables-
The forty patients suffering
chronic illnesses, some of
whom pay their way, must be
accommodated at the home,
with the help of $4,000 in
public funds. The waiting list
is one year long.
Mrs. Vivien C. R. Ashton.
Wee Angels, Inc.-The subcom-
mittee should consider pray
erfully" a staff of ten chap
lains at D. c. General rather
than the present two minis
tiers.
j. c. Turner, Greater Wash
ington Central Labor Council
Thousands Of workers will be
unemployed here this winter if
$40 million in highway con-
struction continues to be
stalled.
Congress can balance high
way and transit needs, upset
because the National Capital
Transportation Agency has cut
back highways to save its
transit proposal.