The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-26
WORK FOR YOUR
FOOD, RULE ON
POOR BASKETS
Million Hours of Public
Labor Performed by
Charity Applicants.
BY CARLOS LANE


The historical anecdote of what
happened in an early Virginia set
tlement where crops were turned
INTO a common supply is familiar
10 every school child who has stud
led American history.
Several colonists conceived the
idea that as long as most Of the
people were foolish enough to work
and pour their produce into a COM
mon Golfer, why not just sit back
and enjoy the fruit of their labor
without productive effort?
But the leader of the colony
spotted the plan, and when they
approached the granaries, the well
come mat suddenly was turned over,
and the door bolted.
Likewise, unemployed men who
seek food from bins controlled by
Miss Hannah Noone, Center town
ship trustee, find that if they are
unwilling to work for their support.
her Office equally is reluctant to
grant relief.
Much Labor Done
And, as a result of this policy.
more than 100000 hours of labor
have been completed by wards of
the township this year on various
made work" programs.
Care has been taken to shunt no
regularly employed man out of his
job by use of made work" labor
erS-that is, city officials say, until
the state tax board Topped labor ap-
preparations from budgets of the
park board and sanitary district.
There are two reasons, the trus-
tee explains, why those applying for
relief must work.
The first is that many improve
ments can be made that otherwise
could not be afforded by the county
The second is that to work for
what Is given him usually alleviates
the humiliation of a husband and
father at being forced to seek
charity.
All Parks Improved
Virtually every park in the city
has been improved by men obtain
ing relief tickets from the trustee.
On application for ticket, the
man Is given ticket for a weeks
groceries and fuel. Each week, the
ticket is renewed, provided he re-
ports at the trustees Office, ready to
work two days for the supplies.
In parks, leaves have been raked
away, brush hauled out, trees plant
ed, grading and sodding done. River
beds have been cleaned out, and
many other jobs completed.
On Marion county highways, the
men have built and dressed berms,
ditched the roads, unloaded stone,
installed culverts and guard rails,
and carried on general repairs.
Wood Cut, Loaded
In the township trustees wood
yard-source of summer and early
autumn fuel supply-"more work"
laborerS have cut and loaded wood
ali summer and soon will begin TO
clear away, and cut and load the
wood, on several acres of timber
north of the city. The wood has
been donated to the Emergency !
Work Committee, Inc.
City and county buildings have
been cleared and repaired by these
workmen, and many hours were
spent by them improving municipal
airport.
They have painted buildings at
city hospital, and become special
lanitors in township schools, as we'll
as in the Emergency Work Com
mittee's Office.
Only Few Exceptions
There are few exceptions to the
work -you-eat rule. Men who are
i'll are exempted if they have a
physicians certificate, and women
unable to do various tasks assigned
them, also are excused.
At present, the relief applicants
work only for their food and fuel,
but the Emergency Work committee
is striving to build up fund with
which additional labor can be re-
warded with small sums of cash to
supplement the groceries and coal.
With mild weather favoring all
relief agencies thus far this fall,
there has been little real suffering.
Economic experts have predicted
that this winter will be one of dis
tress to millions of poor, unem-
ployed people in the United States,
and if their predictions are borne
out, Indianapolis will suffer with
the rest of the country.
without Precedent
Whether the situation can be met
without widespread misery is not
a problem that can be answered to-
day, for it is without precedent in
the experience of this generation.
But there will be, Miss Noone says
as far as she is concerned, always
latchstring hanging from the door
of shabby, two-story brick struc-
ture on North East street to those
who. through no fault of their own,
must come. supplicant to the great
est of humanity's three cardinal vir-
tues.
norvS NTOnau poSSad