Seward daily gateway., 1930-04-01
COM|NUN|CATION
Seward Gateway, Dear Friends:

Seward Gateway,
 Dear Friends:
 I have been told that in an is
 sue of your paper published dur
 ing the last month that 1t car
 ried as 8 news item something
 regarding Seldoyia's Community
 Soup Kitchen, and that 2 per-
 sons were being cared for. It is
 unfortunate that news of this sort Is usually exaggerated, and be-
 cause it is so far from the truth
 of the matter, I am writing you
 giving the real reasons for the
 establishment of the Kitchen, and
 how 1t resulted and If within a
 few days after receiving this let ter, you have the space and in clination to print anything con- corning it, I would appreciate your presenting the real facts be- fore the public.
 Our deputy marshal here had heard from various sources, that there were children who were hungry also a man with a large family had asked to borrow money because his family was without food. After questioning the teach CTS it was decided that probably an acute situation did exist in at least four families. Having learn ed that much, meeting of the women was called, and a con- 1nittee Of two appointed to in- vestigate these and any other cases that might come to the at tention of the committee. A young lady and myself, both of us being the longest In duration of time to reside here, were appointed. We visited four, or rather five places. we found that in one fam ily there were eight children and the mother needing assistance. The father became very indignant to think that we offered them help through a public kitchen. He nc doubt thought that If help was to be given, that we should re-establish his credit at the stores or send food stuffs to the home so that he could also reap the benefit of what we were or fering and that was just what we didn't want to do. This partl- cular father does a kind of work here in town that is always in de- mand, yet the greater part of the 10 months he will take the money that he can earn, never under an hour, and buy liquor with it and then become So intox1- cated that it is impossible for him to work at all. There is no family in town that ought to en- ioy a nicer living than his should but his own thirst comes before the needs of his family. He re- fused to have the mother or the children come to be fed. It would hurt his pride, so he said. A few days later he was arrested for being intoxicated and a long sus- pended sentence given him, and because he is compelled to be sober or go to jail, he is doing quite nicely for his family.
 The second family visited was the family of 8 man who Is capable gas engineer, but for two he has not been depend able because he was bound to get when he was needed the most. Their condition was desperate. The mother looked dreadful, and the baby was with out milk for it's bottle. and the four other children were in need of clothing and food. We explain ed that the Kitchen would be op- en to the mother and children, and milk would be provided the baby. The father almost showed us the door, though the mother begged to be allowed to come, or that he at least allow the children to 20. He refused He had had credit al the stores but his &C., count was never reduced and it was closed after some s70o had been expended to him, and he made no effort to pay.
 The third family visited con- sisted of a wife and three chill dren. They did not have anything but the barest necessities, and we invited them to come, but the father said that they would man. age without help.
 The fourth family was one con- sisting of father and three grown boys all so lazy that they never will work, yet there were
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