Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 186, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 December 1934 — Page 9

DEC. 14, 1634

RELIEF IS NOW CHIEF FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT!

Administration Costs Vary Widely, National Survey Discloses. The Indianapoll, Tiiart herewith pre•ent. the third of aerie of i* artlrlee • n the national relief itaation. e,periall, prepared for The Times and other Srripps-Howard newspapers. BY ROBERT S, BROWN Times Special Writer WASHINGTON. Dec. 14—Administration of relief by Federal, state and local authorities has become the most important function of government. Thousands of persons, most of whom were themselves victims of unemployment, have been entrusted with the responsibility of distributing food, clothing and shelter to IB million men. women and children. Theirs is also the responsibility of maintaining in the minds of this at ill-growing number a faith in the future. Relief administration casts enormous sums, and consequently is at all times subject to attack. To thode on relief, administration often represents a barrier to the things which were theirs in prosperous Times. To those not on relief administration represents the cashier’s cage of a huge bank through which flow their tax-paid dollars. Since the Federal Emergency Relief Admimstratiion came into being a year ago last May, the average cost of administering a relief dollar has been between 7 and 8 cents. Today the average is 10 cents. The cast of administering direct relief exceeds that of work relief, although the total bill for work relief is greater. Administration costs are alike in no two centers. The cost has been found to run from 5 cents per dollar in Pittsburgh to 23 cents in Washington. One reason for this spread is the variance in methods of computing costs. In most cities the administrative cast is either coming down or unchanged. More uniform cast-ac-counting systems, plus shake-ups in personnel, have had an effect. Standards Are Larking Administration in itself is far from standardized. In Marion County, Indiana, a silent battle is fought each day between state relief control and township trustee relief. Personal antagonism among officials has hindered efficient relief in the entire state, and has added to costs. In few states has criticism of relief administration bc:n as constant as in Oklahoma. Gov. William H. Murray operatt-d it at first. A howl went up and state control was kicked out. Harry L. Hopkins, Federal administrator, installed his own director, but after Jan. 1 control will pass back to the state and Gov.-Elect E. W. Mariand. Under the Murray regime the average cost was 6.7 cents per dollar. Under, FERA it is 10. FERA officials say ■ the increase is due to more thorough investigation. Political Charges Hurled Political interference has been 1 charged against nearly all state relief administrations. Little has been proved through grand jury and other investigations. In Tennessee. Senator Kenneth McKellar recently demanded the resignation of Walter L. Simpson, state relief director, on charges that Mr. Simpson had used relief persons in the last campaign in an attempt to defeat Mr. McKellar for re-election. Who are the people who administer relief? For the most part relief administrative workers are well trained but ill paid. College education or its equivalent is necessary for else workers and social supervisors. Clerical, engineering and supervisory positions are manned by persons whose private jobs vanished some time after 1929. The greatest responsibility for administration rests on the case worker, who deals personally with the relief family. Ineligibles Weeded Out In New York City a vigorous •campaign has been carried on by these home visitors to eliminate from relief rolls thase not properly eligible for relief. Absence of the head of a family during each of the investigator's visits over a period of six weeks accounted for 1456 suspensions. A frequent criticism of administration rises from the heavy load assigned the visitors. In Houston the case worker has an average of 175 families. For this work, the visitor in San • Francisco receives $25 a week. In Cincinnati it is SIOO to 5135 a ■month, in Pittsburgh S7O to SBO. in Columbus SIOO, and in Youngstown $75. The nation-wide study reveals little local enthusiasm for expansion of relief manufacturing. Even Telief executives oppose competition with existing industries. Manufacturing Is Offered All cities report protests from .‘private business against any extension of relief manufacturing. Organized labor has complained that men • with jobs lose them because of relief production. Transferring the unemployed from relief rolls to private employment is another job of the relief administration in Cleveland. Pitsburgh, New York and Indianapolis, all employable receiving relief must register with the NRS. Charges are heard that relief clients will not take offered jobs. San Francisco administrator explains that relief clients hesitate to take temporary employment because of the difficulties in getting back on relief after the job is gone. Farm Labor Plentiful Refusal to accept work as servants is common in large cities, although in Cincinnati, where the average domestic weekly wage is $3. there are more applicants than jobs. During the harvest season all points report plenty of farm labor available. Answering charges that many persons ineligible for relief are kept on the rolls, administrators generally aay the proportion is amali. To the opposite charge that needy persons often can not get relief, administrators say usually not more than a week elapses from the time of application until relief is granted. Next—Morale Under Relief. it* * ■ -'

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TEVIES

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