The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-23
Complaints Found Base
less; Workers at Posts
for Long Hours.

from l2,UO0 to $4,000 families in
Center township, Indianapolis, alone
are "on the county
From $50 to 5000 baskets Of food,
ranging in cost from $3.50 to SIS
each, are being distributed by the
township trustee, Mrs. Hannah
Noone, daily.
Thousands of bottles of milk for
babies, additional thousands of
loayes Of bread and countless orders
of coal, clothing, and other neces-
sites, are pouring out of this center
of human distress each week.
Workers are handicapped by the
hopeleSsly inadequate facilities of
an old-fashioned, grimy, two-story
brick building at 100 North East
street, continually harassed by the
inconsiderate among charity seek
ers, heckled from all sides and de-
pressed by the seeming lack of APP
probation from both those they are
helping and those who provide the
funds.
Labor Long Hours
These are some of the things re-
vealed to Times reporter investi-
eating complaints of petty grating,
favoritisa in granting contracts for
supplies and heartlessness in dealing
with human suffering, which had
originated from recipients of county
charity who felt they had not been
treated fairly. -
Instead Of Substantiiation of these
reports, the reporter found these
things:
Social workers laboring from ten
to fifteen hours daily, with no
thought of extra effort or extra
hours that they might relieve dis
tresS.
A sincere effort to investigate and
record the results of investigation of
each case. that diSpensation of the
poor relief fund might take place in
inorderly manner and with due re-
spect to the rights of county tax
payers who provide that fund
Agitation Is Noted
A great deal of agitation, much
Of it provocative in motive, among
victims Of depression. Much Of this
is in the form of quiet propaganda
emanating from a. limited group of
professional agitators who have been
operating here for some time.
A sincere attempt to induce the
destitute to help themselves, in the
form of pro-sding employment for
them.
And host of evidence that even
in these days of depression, poverty,
unemployment. hunger, there are
those who would take advantage of
the really needy and seek to obtain
charitable disbursements where they
were not deserved.
One of the primary cases of COM
plants reaching The Times came
from applicants for poor relief who
had claimed that the baskets Of
food received by them did not con-
tain full value in food itemS-that
either the township officials or the
grocers providing these baskets were
making exorbitant profit.
Complaints Found BaseIess
The complaints were checked and
unanimously were found to be with
out foundation.
One sample case: W c., a
painter living in the Brookside sec
ton, has a wife and two children.
He never before had applied for
poor relief. He appeared at the
trustees Office. asking for work.
He received ticket to report
to the make work" committee at
306 North Meridian street, where he
was given three days employment
at 80 cents an hour. He was told
at the time that SIS of the amount
to be earned would be supplied in
food items and 1920 in cash. He
worked the three days.
basket OF 1000 was sent to his
home. He and his wife checked the
items, discovered that, there Yves not
S. worth of food in the baskeS and
he came to The Times with his
story.
Checked at S3.5S
Reporters for The Times took his
sales slip, Shopped ten independent
groceries, averaged the prices, and
found the average total to be 1888.
Feeling sure that evidence of ir-
regularity had been found, hasty
call at the trustees Office was made.
This was revealed:
The basket sent to the home of
this painter was not the basket for
which he had been charged SIS. 1t
was, instead, a $3.50 basket, sent out
that he and his family might have
food while he was working.
His IS basket will arrive at his
home Saturday afternoon with the
regular weekly deliveries. AS a re-
suit for his three days work he gets
$3.50 in food and $500 in cash.