Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1932-09-08
Island Preparing
For Relief Work

AS the summer passes more and
more consideration is being given to
the subject of relief and welfare work
that is facing the Island during the
coming winter.
1t is conceded that the $1,000 with
which the county commissioners have
entrusted the local Commercial Club
will not be enough and canvass of
the Island will be made to secure sign
ers to pledges Of so cents month for
the coming year to augment this fund.
There seems to be growing senti-
ment among those who might con-
tribute to this fund that they do not
feel like doing so until they are as
sured that the money will be used for
the relief of bona fide Island residents
and not the drifting element which
has injected itself into our community.
The plan of the committee is to
make residence on the Island for
certain length Of time a requisite for
relief. The plan is also to give orders
on local firms in payment for the
labor of the head of the house on road
work that the county men will not
otherwise do. All of us have been hard
hit by the state of financial affairs
but everyone in business is giving his
time to earning enough to pay the
taxes from which county relief comes,
and there is no reason why those who
receive direct benefit from these funds
should not give certain amount of
work in return.
Surprising as it may seem there are
those who have been misled into
thinking that the unemployed citizens
relief organization has resources other
than the supplies distributed by county
commissaries. This mistaken idea has
originated with the trial made by the
county commissioners in allowing the
unemployed, at their own insistence, to
manage the county commissaries. The
food dispensed by those commissaries
never was, or never will be, anything
except the food that you and I are
paying for with our taxes and which
your children and mine will likely
continue to pay for for years to come
if relief continues to go on at the rate
it is now being carried on. Bonds
must be sold to secure funds for carry
ing on relief work. What success the
Unemployed Citizens League had in
eliminating graft is matter of COM
mon knowledge. This week the COM
missioners replaced men chosen from
the ranks of the unemployed with men
chosen by the commissioners them
selves.
A case which occurred on the Island
shows what claims are being made
without foundation. A certain woman
applied to the deputy sheriff for
groceries. Before she received them
through the county welfare agency she
was informed by local representative
Of the Citizens Relief organization
that she was to ignore the deputy
sheriff and was to tell him that she
didn't need the groceries; that this
organization would provide for her
needs. This man went to the welfare
department in the county-city build
ing and resenting their refusal to
render aid until the case had been
investigated grew abusive and ma
ligned the deputy-sheriff with the re-
suit that he was ordered out of the
office. In the meantime the Island
woman waited for her groceries much
longer than had she depended on the
regular course to get them. Despite
all claims to the contrary the COM
missaries these representatives claim
to have access to are no more or less
than the regular county commissaries.
1t is pitiful how many, feeling sure Of
help during the winter, are being mis-
led by false promises.
The Island welfare committee ex-
poets to pursue the course that Jack
Early, the courageous commissioner of
the North District has taken. All who
eat must work, just as those of us who
are carrying on and trying to do our
bit are having to do. If the same
course were pursued in all parts of
King County many who are "unem-
ployed" by choice would find sweet
charity" not so sweet. We have very
few of that type on our Island, for
tunately, and with cooperation we can
get through the winter without suffer-
ing.