New Britain herald., 1930-12-04
"RELlLE ?' YES. BUT NOT GLOOM PROPAGANDA

hkLlIf 1ES. Bl | NOT
 GLOOM PROPAGANDA
 In his latest statement Mayor Q4Igley vas quoted as saving
 do not want anyora in New
 Britain '0 think that I am try
 ing 10 build up political ma
 chine through the relief pro-
 gram We are Carrying on
 The Mayor may he somewhat sim cere about this, but he cannot pre- vent some citzcns Of New Britain rom concluding that he is building ID something or other through the relief campaign. They may be wrong, Of course, and the Mayor may be 100 per cent right; but all the same. there are some citizens possessing a critical turn of mind who will conclude-have already concluded-that the Mayor IS thinking of politics to a certain ex- tent when he thinks of how aid might be given 10 such unfortunates as he frequently discusses.
 The Mayor is quite zealously con- cerned over the credit that goes out for making efforts 10 help the needy. When the New England Council recently failed to include New Britain in is list Of cities mak- ing notable efforts in this direction the Mayor vas quite afronted and at a meeting held in the Burrtt hotel did not hesitate 10 state his mind. New Britain under Quigley, he as much as stated. should have been considered in the forefront Of cities doing notable work in this direction. All Of which did not cause me New England Council to send out extra leaflets correcting is earlier impression.
 We are con%i inced oC this. That all the work the Mayor has been doing or has attempted to do. could have been done with fewer blasts on the trumpets. The Mayor has ex- pended an enormous amount of energy in attempting 10 produce a relief fund, and so far around s1j- 900 has been secured, This Is drop in the bucket in any relief program. True the state has done even less; possibly tho state has done nothing at all expecting the municipalities 10 do all the work. 50 that Uhen the Mayor cTjucIzes the Governor he stands on somewhat firm ground. The Mayor in addition has brought about, with the cooper ation Of the Common Council, the use Of s1o0.00o for street improve ments. and suggests rather rcluCt- autly that more money will be need ed by February. At the same time the Mayor has tried 0 avoid any sugge stion that the fax rate bc af- fected by all this vork-a manifest impossbiity if the need for such endeavors is as great as he says they are. The other day however, the Mayor candidly admitted that some little increase in the tax rate would he probable. but not much of an increase.
 We have repeatedly pointed out 10 the Mayor that no criticism is like ly 10 come 10 him for making Use of civic funds for the amelioration of worthy distress. Surely nobody can reasonably find fault with the Mayor or the city for using tax money 10 keep the wolf from the door Of such families as need assist ancc Of this kind. Give them work, not charity says tho Mayor; but no matter how the bologna IS cut it remains bologna. Unnecessary work done. and if done by inefficient hands merely in order to give them employment, and the utilization of men in place of ma Chinery-as is proper under the circumstances still places the entire business as a charity undertaking It may make the recipients feel that they are earning what they get if they so through the motions Of working for it; but much of the relief work 's charity all the same. It IS camou- haged dole system; and for our part. VIC should just as lief see the doles given out in City Hall and he done with all the hullabaloo. To a certain extent it is already being done. and the doles will increase as the winter makes all outdoor "ork except snow shoveling quite unlikely
 The effect on the public mind of too much of a ructon about un- employment is diametrically op- posed to what is needed to bring about . semblance Of confidence in