The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-18
BARE CRISIS
IN JOBLESS
FUNDS
Predict ImmediateHalt
in Already Meager
"Relief" Funds
breakdown Imminent
So Says Capitalist Or
gan of Social Service
Profession

- l. ~ l. - A)kJ4SAA
NEW YORK-Predicting an i'm
mediate crisis in even the meager
relief funds that are now doled out
to the starving unemployed, and
holding out to the millions Of jobless
workers a future Of really mass star
vation and increased misery, The
Survey" organ OF the social service
profession, and The Business Week"
Mc-Graw-Hill publication describe
the position of the unemployed as
one almost of living death.
William Mathews, director OF the
Emergency Work and Relief Bureau
in New York, declares that within
three weeks the relief funds in New
York will be completely exhausted
land from present appearances it is
extremely likely that thousands of
people who have been receiving relief
of some kind during the winter will
be thrown back ON the limited re-
sources, with no avenue of aid open
to them"
The enormous extent Of the suf-
fering Of the masses of jobless work
ers and their families and the alb
solute futility OF the crumbs of char
ity relief that are now privately given
out are exposed in the report of the
survey.
Huge relief funds raised in New
York, Chicago and Philadelphia have
been unequal to the staggering loads
in these centers of industrial disloca-
ton. Complete breakdown is immi-
nent. The fallacy of the idea that
private funds could cope with a sit
uation Of such proportions as this
one is remorselessly exposed Private
funds have done little more than act
as thin emolient on a deep wound.
NO rational adult can be blind TO
what lies ahead. This summer will
bring little surcease in human needs.
Next winter will be worse, not better.
Yet Congress is deaf. Legislatures are
adjourning, cities and counties are
temporizing with pinchbeck appro-
priations and private social agencies
are in position they cannot main
tain. There is no evidence of any
real facing Of what is on the door,
step, let alone any preparation to deal
with it."
Stating that unemployment instead
of decreasing, has reached ever larger
proportions, the Survey" says:
"Still painless and with no sign
of improved employment with relief
needs growing and relief funds
dwindling to exhaustion, they turn
their blind eyes to the future,
where already the spectre of an
other winter is rising"
While Congress legislates billions
Of dollars in loans to the railroads
and banks, it refuses to grant one
cent in unemployment insurance for
the 100000 unemployed. Instead it
is now passing one OF the most rob-
Der tax bills ever brought forward
and preparing for wholesale slashes
in the pay of civil service workers
and denial of compensation TO the
world war veterans.
An indication of the real intentino
Of Wall st. to make the workers pay
the cost of relief through the various
block-aid schemes put into effect
throughout the country is given by
Mathews. This well-paid director Of
the grating Tammany Emergency
Work and Relief Bureau openly de-
clares that the Bureau collapses
millions in New York will Starve and
that the only thing that win preevnt
it from collapsing is the forcible ex-
tortion Of relief donations from the
pockets of the workers through the
Block Aid Scheme.
Success of the Block-Aid is nee
essary if the Emergency Work and
Relief Bureau is to maintain its
present unemployment relief work
Any decrease in this would bring
about collapse of the entire structure
of this form of relief"
AS against this program of whole
sale condemnation of the working
class to death by starvation. the Com
munist Party calls upon all workers
to redouble their fight for full and
unemployment insurance to be paid
by the employers and the govern
ment.