Unfortunately one of these projects, on an old reservoir site, is right out where everyone in town sees it, so that the average citizen of Providence probably has an even worse idea of the work morale than is justified. This can't well be done even in egregious individual cases now because apparently no policy has yet been worked out toward rents in direct relief cases, and if someone with a large family is fired the social worker puts him back for the sake of the family. Relief people feel that under such an arrangement no higher wages would be necessary to make the majority want to work for cash instead of being cared for by food orders. For efficient administration of this large amount of supplementary relief, it would be thought that a low case load per social worker would be necessary. The actual load is about 150 and the worker cannot as a matter of routine get to all her cases once a month, I was told.
Private agencies feel the budgets are inadequate and relief people think they are all right.
I have no notion where the truth lies. Dr. Pinkney of the Tuberculosis Society says that, while 10 years ago there were 30 deaths from TB among children under 14 years, that has continued to drop steadily through the depression until so far this year there have been only three. He notes a great gain in weight among people who pass through this examinations, and feels that the relief given is adequate. All those talked to emphasized in their criticisms that they thought the set-up a good one, the administration efficient, and pointed out that even in the late campaign there had been no charges to amount to anything. Certainly it would seem true from my superficial survey that the work morale is not as good here as in some places in Mass. where the set-up is much more difficult to administer and where the supervision may not be anywhere near as good.