Evening star., 1930-12-13
SENATE S6O,OlQ,O1O
RELIEF HELD DOLE
House G. O. P. Leader Says
Legislation Is. Charity
Merely Called Loan.
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past, and q loan to meet such needs as
food, clothing and possibly medical care
as has been proposed. In the one case.
the Federal Government Is loaning
funds to help rehabilitate and carry
ever an industry temporarily stricken
by natural causes and unable to finance
its immediate needs Because Of restrict-
ed credit facilities. In such case the
United States is advancing money which
in all human probability will be repaid
out of the very crop which 1t Is
financing.
In the other case-that of advances
for food-while we may call 1t loan
because IL sounds better, 1t is in erect
distributing funds for strictly char
liable purposes, which in many cases
cannot be repaid at all and in others
cannot be repaid without intolerable
hardship to the benef1ciaries.
Should Be Frank.
II charity is what We have in mind,
then let us be honest with the people
Of the United States and with the tax
PAYERS Of the country and admit that
we propose to have the United States
Government whatever the implications
and consequences, take over the work
Of charity hitherto assumed and well
provided for by community effort and
private contributions.
If we are not thinking of charity, do
we desire to have the United States
Government ask family in distress,
faced with starvation, to mortgage lts
hext years crop and its future means
of subsistence in order to meet its inn
mediate necessities2
The plain truth Is that this is not what
we have in mind. In so far as food Is
concerned we are in effect dispensing
charity and Disgusting it by calling 1t a
loan. This is neither honest for the
standpoint of the taxpayer nor the all
important standpoint Of what are the
proper functions of the Federal Govern
rnent, and it will not work with equality
and Justice as between individuals. The
hirh-principled and Industrious among
the distressed will insist on treating It
as a loan, and will cripple themselves
and their families in an attempt to re-
pay 1t; the idle and shiftleSs will accept
It as q gift, dismiss any attempt at
repayment, and live of the Federal
Government as long as the opportunity
exists.
If the people Of the droheht-stricken
areas are so restricted In their credit
facilities as to require the Intervention
Of the Federal Government to finance
their next years crop, credit may be
extended to them with entire propriety.
If q man and his family are faced with
starvation, what they need Is relief and
not to be saddled with additional debt
Termed Dole in Fact.
II they need relief, the way 30 offer it
to them generously, fairly and in ac-
cordance with our traditions and prac-
tice is to turn to the great relief or
ganizationS, maintained by the people
Of the United States to take care OF
Just such situations as this. 1t will
smack much less of charity to have the
Red Cross Society-which Is in a sense
q great insurance company maintained
by the American people as whole and
TO which they may look in time Of need
undertake the work of relief than to
tap the United States Treasury and
thereby establish in the United States,
in fact, II not IN name, the dole.
The Red Cross, by formal resolution
Of its Central Committee, has declared
its intention and ability to take care of
the actual distress needs Of the people
Of the drought stricken area, exclusive
Of seed, fertilizer and animal feed, which
they very properly leave to the Govern
rnent, State and Nation. Now mark
you. the Red Cross proposal is not
limited to food, but includes clothing,
fuel, medical supplies and attention,
and other similar distress needs OF the
people Of the sorely afflicted territory.
II our real desire Is to see the needs
Of these people intelligently, thoroughly
and generously provided for we should
turn to the Red Cross. II our real pur-
pose Is to drill pipe line into the Fed
eral Treasury and establish the dole In
the United States, with all that will
necessarily follow, not only in the
mtv4nkMn h,ak fhrntanianatf he
country, where community after COM
n1unity Is generously providing for the
needs Of Its people In accordance with
American tradition and American spirit,
then let us adopt the Senate bill. In
doing so, however, let us at least under
stand what We are doing and the direc-
ton which the road upon which We are
entering leads.
From the foundation Of the Govern
ment We have looked to the community
spirit and to private generosity to take
care Of those Of our people temporarily
or permanently In need. Is this q work
which can be properly undertaken by
the Federal Government7 Is the United
States TO create bureaus in every county
and municipality throughout the United
States TO dispense charity through O
horde Of bureeucrats?
VIII Dry Up Generosity.
Do not believe for one minute that
you can destroy community RESPONSE
bility, wipe out State, county and
municipal lines without producing the
result which has been repeatedly ex-
emplined in the past Of having the
people turn to Washington for relief
and thus gradually lose all sense of
their own responsibility
Such a policy will not only destroy
the sense of local responsibility, which
is one Of the very foundations Of our
institutions, but will almost inevitably
dry up the sources OF private gen.
erosity. Moreover, every proposed
charitable cause, good or bad, viii ex-
pect to find a responsive Federal Gov
ernment at its beck and call. Mem
bers Of Congress will be expected to
get . maximum Of Federal funds for
their respective districts and their sue
cess or failure as members of Congress
will be measured by their ability to tap
the Federal Treasury.
We sometimes point with pride to the
way in which We follow sound princi-
Piles of government, and have pointed
the finger of criticism at other govern
ments with their deficits and their
doleS, yet when We are confronted with
q truly difhcult situation there are
those apparently willing to face q grow
Ing deficit with complete complAcency
and turn to the dole as o ready road
out Of our immediate dificulties.
am not unmindful of the argument
made that after the war we took money