The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-19
Relief Workers Find
 Number Of Persons
 About City in Want
Many Have But Crust Support Life-Heads of Fam lilies Are Eager for Work-Lack of Nourishng Food Very Much in Evidence-Con
 dition Not Exaggerated
By 1T. NJ. sCHAEFER

Single crusts of corn bread to be divided among a never-endrpg line of small children clad in tattercd rags; high rents for houses little better than nuts; indefinite employ ment and in many cases Illness, face suffering families of Birm.1y- ham visited Friday by reiiat com mittee members and newspaper men.
 Willingness to work at my
 price wns voiced by the head of
 the family fin every case where
 he Is physically able to hold
 job. slOwness to accept charity
 dent among the men and women alike. Here was no plain brief for pauperism, hut clear cases of
 conditions over which the people themselves hnd no control
 Conditions in these families are in- dicatiye of those in hundreds Of others in the city and district, ac- cording to pr. Walter S. Brown, head of the city welfare department, who headed the party.
 Right In Town
 Within the shadow of the court house, the first family visited was found. Here was a husband who has been suffering from inflammatory irheumatism for four weeks. At pres ent, he has no money to provide food for his wife and young baby. He cannot even pay his rent. and the city welfare department is helping him along. When he gets well he can get job. he says, His recovery | is a matter of weeks, however,
 Next, the committee visited fam | fly in East Birmingham. A widow lived here with her three children her husband having died three wears ago. Her brother. who partially sup ports this family is getting very lit tie work. Groceries are sent this family by the welfare department. Another child. who became too great a burden upon the mother, is living with a sister.
 Grandmother Working | Women employed in the Woman's Industrial home of the city were in tervlewed at the next stop. It was learned that a grandmother, support 1 ing two grandchildren, B boy of and girl of 8, was working every day that she was able making rag rugs. She will not place the children out, because she promised their mother on her deathbed to care for them. Another woman living in tent near Inglenook was left in the lurch by her worthless husband. who sold the tent and the property on which it stood. leaving town. The woman has young baby to take care of. She makes partial provision for 1t by working in the industrial home. Rags nnd Cornbread | From the home jump was made tc the Pratt City district. Seven 1 years to 19 months. live in a hut with their father, who has had no work since last October, with the exception of few odd jobs. The mother died last fall. In this house, pan half full of cornbread marked the food supply. The children were in rags.
 Five children. a wife and husband havo lived on the returns from odd jobs obtained by the man since he was laid off at the iron works Tn the Birmingham district early in March. They live In a house in Pratt City. There is an 1s-months- baby in lthis house. The mother, who told of their situation, was plainly reluct- ant to tell about the misfortunes and trials of the family. This family would have starved before this if the