The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-08-28
MEETING R. C..
co. COMMITTEE
REPRESENTATIVE TALKS TO
COUNTY WORKERS; ADVICE
AND PLANS

all parts OIL the county moI hOAS
last Thursday evening with MISS
Emma Mortenson, a representative
of the Red Cross headquarters al
St. Louis. o. c. Johnson, county
chairman presided over the meet
ing.
In a straight forward clear-cut
talk Miss Mortenson explained
the scope of the work that the
Red Cross is doing in the drought
striker areas. After this, various
nhases of the local situation were
taken up and a number OF quest
ions we're asked by the committee
men.
For Rural Families
For the present at least, h ald
given is to go to families living
on farms, and does not take into
consideration relief work for the
families of the unemployed in
towns. In cities and towns else
where the care of the unemployed
has been taken care of in these
towns. In order to receive Red
Cross aid a family must remain
or the farm. The Red Cross aid
given at this time is not expected
to be sufficient to take care en-
tirely of the families aided, but
is supplementary to what re-
sources they have.
Orders are to be given for a
month at a time, and by planning
a housewife may buy more eco
nomically that way. Miss Morten-
son said that at n meeting she
was asked if the Red Cross in
tended to give people a decent
diving this winter" She said that
this is a time of emergency, and
people have got to get together,
work together and pull together,
lust as they did in war time. That
while the Red Cross aid is only
supplementary, at the same time
the Red Cross is not going to let
anybody starve here.
The wide extent of the drought
disaster makes it more difficult
to give large amounts to each
family requiring aid. She told a.
bout conditions in Arkansas where
the Red Cross was operating in
81 out of the 60 counties of the
state last year. People there were
much worse off than they are in
Montana this year in that they
didn't have so much in the way of
resources as here. They didn't
have COWS except in rare in
stances, and they had only a few
chickens. After being in Arkan-
sas for nine months, the Red
Cross left the people in better
health and better condition than
usual. No one starved, although
the rations could not be called
sumptuous, and having a more
balanced diet than usual their ply
steal condition was better at the
end of winter than it ordinarily is.
The people of Arkansas this year
have enjoyed a bumper crop.
Food Only, at Present
Miss Mortenson said that at
this time it is impossible for the
Red Cross to take up the matter
of supplying clothing. She sug-
gested that a direct house-to-house
drive be made in each Red Cross
district for used clothing, and
that people be urged to give ev-
erything they could possibly spare
that might be Of use to someone
else. 1t was the recommendation
from headquarters at st. Louis
that nothing except groceries be
purchased with Red Cross funds
at this time. Later on, it is pos
sible that they will put on a used
clothing drive. Miss Mortenson
blamed that there is so much I'M
employment in the large cities
that much of the used clothing
available there is needed to take
care of the families of the unem-
ployed.
Various committee members
pointed out the need for shoes
and underclothing in order that
children could go to school.
Miss Mortenson said that it was
not the Red Cross purpose to ship
in foodstuffs in carload lots, but
that orders for groceries would {
be filled through the local mer-
chants. The applicant for aid
must specify the grocer whom he
to have his business. The
Red Cross committee does not
specify by whom the orders must
be filled. If any grocery in a town
gets more Red Cross orders to
fill than some other grocery, 1t t
IS probably because that grocery i
makes more attractive prices than
The others. Red Cross grocery
orders are good for staple grocer
les, but not for tobacco, candy
Or snoose". c
Local Com. Decides =
Determination as to whether :
my person is deserving or Is in
need of Red Cross aid is up to the !
ocal or county committee. There f..
is no arbitrary rule that a man