Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-01-22
THE RED CROSS AND THE SENATE
(Havre Daily News)


give a dole to the farmers in the drouth ar
cas-. When the senate receded from their
attempt to force a | $1,000, 900 amendment
on the drouth relief bill to provide food for
the farmers of the drouth states, the Arkan-
sas senator began pushing an amendment
for a SIS 100000 appropriation to be add
ed to the Interior Department bill. The am
endment provides for the amount being Civ
en- to the Red Cross to distribute. 1t is an out
and out dole from the federal treasury The
senator furthermore declared that passage
OF his amendment is the price hat the adj
minlstration must pay to get Legislation
completed so that there will be no special
session of Congress needed.
The senators threat was made a few
days after the Red Cross had asked for
$4,000, 900 from the American people for
relief work in drouth areas. The result of
his action was to make the collection Of the
Red Cross fund drag from the start. The
senate Saturday adopted his amendment
however in fear Of a legislation Jam.
The federal government has not enter
ed into the field Of food distribution hereto
wv. AAS III . q ICOCIdl lIlCdSUIC Is d new
thing and one wonders whether the senat-
ors realize or care what such an action may
open up in the way of treasury raids. We
have followed the policy of holding the local
municipal or county governments response
BILE tor such charity work. In extreme in
stances the states themselves have inter
vened. The source of relief was close enough
at hand and the source of the revenue was
SO evidently coming from the pockets of the
taxpayers at home that there was some check
on ndiscriminate distribution of public
moneys.
But no one feels very keenly their per-
sonal interest in the federal treasury and if
the government in Washington once begins
handing out doles in time of some special
need, there will be a continual demand on
the Uncle Sam for relief for this and that
and the other group. The abuse of the pen
sion system, as a result of the irresistible
pressure OF Congressman desiring to be good
fellows at the expense of the treasury, is an
example Of how the dole idea will mount up.
There have been reverberations alrea-
dy Of the coming conflict. City congressman
from New York and Chicago, ehvying the
political capital rural congressman and sem
ators are making out of drought relief pro-
posals have demanded appropriations for
food for the hungry in the cities. And
their demands are logical. If it is incumbent
on the federal treasury to supply food gratis
to the farmers Of Arkansas who lost their
crops, it is incumbent in Congress to give
free food to the workers of New York who
have lost their jobs. The success of the Rob-
inson move will mean similar demands ev-
cry time trouble overtakes any section. 1t
will mean eventually calling on the federal
government to feed the workers of the cities
as we'll as the farmers. The utmost pension
extravaganza of the past will be a trifle be-
side the extent to which the new method of
voting money into the districts of the con-
gressmen may be carried.
There are cries when local communities
are unable to care for all of their people The
Red Cross is organized for such emergen-
cies. Its appeals for funds are always an
swered. 1t is already at work in Senator Rob
inson's state. 1t can secure the ten million
its asks and more if it is needed. Because it
is an emergency relief financed by volun-
tary contribution, the tendency to abuse it's
benefits is reduced to the minimum. Poll
tics can not force the Red Cross to carry its
work beyond the unnecessary plan.
But Red Cross funds solicited from the
people ona voluntary basis does not help
get votes for our political candidates. The
Robinson request should be declared a mea-
sure to give relief to congressman in search
of votes. 1t is not necessary as a practical
measure. The Red Cross can finance itself.
1t is a vicious precedent to set. Demanded at
the point of threat to force a special session.