Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-29
DEPRESSION FELT
!. IN RELIEF COSTS,
CATHOLICS HEAR
Unemployment as Cause of
Rising Expenditure Is
Discussed.
ILLS NOW TOO MUCH
FOR SOCIAL WORKERS
Conference Breaks Up Into Com
mittee Meetings Here
Today.

~
In the rising tide" of relief expendi-
lures was discussed at today,s session
OF the National Conference of Catholic
Charities, which separated into grouu
meetings at the Willard Hotel for the
remaining period of the sixteenth annual
meeting.
Speakers conceded with the view Of
MISS Louise MCGUIRE of Washington.
representative of the National Catholic
Scnool OF Special Service, that private
agencies have demonstrated they cannot
meet needs of social ills on a Wholesale
scale when those needs include caring
Tor unemployed cases growing out of
industrial depression.
Unemployed Total Rises.
Our present machine age is such that
the lines separating employable from
unemployables is shifting so as to daily
swell the latter number" Miss MCGUIRE
said. I'VE have the chemically unem-
ployed TO care for even when times are
normally good"
The rising tide of relief expendi-
lures Is causing great concern TO social
workers, especially those in family case
work agencies, public ana private; sec
tartan and non-Sectarian and in Com
munity Chests" she pointed out. These
increased expenditures, she stressed,
nave resulted in social work being listed
as the third biggest business in the
United States and unless some of its
problems are quickly solved, there is a
probability that 1t will become the big
geSt business
Despite tremendous strides In preven-
ton OF disease and in building up the
health OF the community, she said. the
past year has witnessed chaotic condi-
lions in all relief agencies, caused by
unemployment.
Publicity Causes Rise.
"But industrial depressions. however.
! are not the only factor which have
caused relief to sweep upward" she
declared.
One of the contributing factors in
soaring relief expenditures, she pointed
out, was publicity which tended to
make many persons feel that 1t Is their
| duty, not only to contribute to the
fund, bat TO refer numerous clients to
the relief Office as well.
| Touching on the unemployment situa-
! ton, Very Rev. r. NJ. Wagner. director
| of Catholic Charities, Cincinnati. said
1t was likely that industry itself is add
ing TO the enormous unemployment
DlF' by refusing to employ men, In
many cases, over IS years Of age. He
cited cases in which business concerns
nave declined to employ ablebodied
men who have passed that age. Miss
Mcclure, suggested, however, that the
! attitude OF younger employees is largely
responsible for this ban being placed
because of the increased rates it would
neceSsitate in group insurance.
Committees Meet.
This meeting of the Committee ON
Families was also addressed by DR..
Henry Schumacher, director Child
Guidance Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. He
discussed chiefly the influence of relief
giving on personality and its Develop
ment.
Other meetings conducted during the
morning were those of the Committee
on Protective Care, the Committee on
Chlldren and the Committee on Health
AT the general conference meeting to-
night Rev. Jones Corrigan, S. j., OF
Boston College and Mrs. E. j. Mcdonald
OF waterbury, Conn.,, will be the prin-
| cipal speakers. Tomorrow evening Sec
rotary OF Labor James j. Davis will be
the chief speaker
Among those who addressed confer
ence meetings early today were DR..
Clifford Shaw of Chicago, Rev. Louis
Weitzman, S. j., of Detroit; Sister Maria
1gnatia, o. p, of st. Agnes Convent.
Spark1ll, N. Y; DR.. Leo H. Bartender
| OF the Detroit st. Vincent de Paul So.
ciety, DR.. Thomas v. Moore of the
Catholic University and Miss Marie
Judge OF the Baltimore Travellers Aid
Society.
Wilbur Chief Speaker.
DR.. Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary of
the Interior, was the principal speaker
last night at the first general meeting
OF the conference, which was held in
the gymnasium of the Catholic Uniyer-
sity. AS chairman of the White House
conference on child health and pro-
tectlon, Secretary Wilbur took for his
topic last night the latest DEVELOPMENTS
In child care in the United States. AS
soon as the findings of the White House
conference are in the hands of social
workers. he said, they will be able to
make much more rapid progress In their
work.
Secretary Wilbur pointed out that the
present ratio of dependency in this
country places upon every worker the
burden of caring, directly or indirectly.
for almost two persons who are unable
TO provide for themselves. He also
cited the changing standards created
with the advent of automobiles. moving
pictures, radio and other recent inven-
tons and explained that the purpose
OF the White House conference was to
see where We are going with our bows
ana girls under these new conditions"
OSAA~A SEO0E-CAS az t4AC UlGGIlnR were
Right Rev. James H. Ryan, honorary
president of the conference and rector
of the Catholic University; Thomas r.
Farrell, president of the conferences.
and Bernard j. Pagan of the New York
State Board of Parole. Mr.. Pagan. In
his address, declared that the so-called
criminal type has proven to be nom
existent; that there is no means. ex-
ternally, by which criminals may be
distinguished from normal citizens,
pontifical high mass was celebrated
yesterday morning at st. Patrick's
Church by Right Rev. John M, Nc
Namara, auxiliary bishop of the ARCH
diocese of Baltimore, followed by several
group meetings. The mass was particle
pated in by number of clergy In at
tendance at the conference. The Right
Rev. T, G. O'Reilly, Bishop of Scranton.
Pa, preached the sermon. Bishop
O'Reilly stressed the great need of to-
day, which is leadership by men and
women who know the problems of the
community and understand the best
method OF caring for them. He remind
ed his audience that In America, land
Of plenty though 1t Is, there are oppor-
tunlties for works Of charity of every
kind.