The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-02-10
(BY JOHN B. GRECO.)

| lcngc the future of civilizatfon.)
 (BY JOHN E. GRECO.)
 l It is deplorable that little ac- tivity should have been devoted under the present circumstances to the welfare of the suffering unem- l ployed and that highly civilized people, mostly professing the hu- manitarian principles of Christian teaching, should fail to realize that charity is the basis of both our civil and religious convictions. Well satisfied, however, with perfect lease and comfort, we ramain en- tirely unmoved and indifferent to ] the plight of the stricken neigh bor.
 We generally take for granted that the social service bureaus and welfare organizations suffice to ad- minister to all the needs of the poor at large. Our charitable ln- stitutions, despite their high effi- I ciency, however, have considerable difficulty in reaching every afflicted home, With inadequate funds at their disposal they cannot do more than keep the pulse of life moving in the gloomy hearth.
 l There are hundreds of families who are in dire need of the very necessities of life. The privation and hardship they are compelled to go through seldom come to pub lie notice. The haggard and weary husband, the care-Worn wiie and the under-nourished chl'o with tattered clothes are but mere reflection of the suffering and mis- cry that take place in the homes of these unfOrtunates.
 It is a mockery to our justice 10 see countless revelries, orgies ana sumptuous entertainments where
 untold hosts of extravagances, Luxurious and unbridled pleasures are indulged in, almost next door to the languishing and shivering neicffbor, We marvel and be- come astonished when we hear the story of Dives. the rich man of the Gospel, who permitted La zarus to pine away at the foot of his bounteous table; and shud- der at the legend of the wicked Nero who played the fiddle while the distressed Christians were be- ing ,stifled by the raging flames, not knowing that we ourselves, un- der the cloak of culture and civil ization, might go down in history as worse offenders. "A.
 The pathetic and heartrendlng stories that occasionally find ac- cess to the press will ever remain n blot upon our present civiliza, ton. The freakish episode ana
 paradox will undoubtedly be re- called by future generations in the same manner and with the same horror we recall deeds ascribed to the so-callad age of barbarism.
 Some people who revei in tne oasis of affluence and who, Tar from being affected by the presen.
 crisis, seem to have rather pronteu
 bys It's condition show no concern
 for the stricken. Devoid or hu- mane straits they go about seek ing diversity of pleasures, amuse-
 ments and delights without stint or
 limit, Their revelries often go be- yond their capacities proving thereby harmful to their mind ana body. In the pursuit of their sell
 fish ends they unconsciously violate
 the natural laws of compensation
 with no realization that small
 fraction of what they waste with
 harmful consequences to them
 selves, might bring relief to a suf- ], fering and starving neighbor.
 No one who is fortunate to pos-
 sess ample funds and enjoy q
 steady income has the right under
 the present conditions to live for
 and by himself, with no thought
 of others. To help the afflicted
 needy Is not only 8 compliance with the ideals of charity but also } a fuIfillment of a social duty which : flows from our relations with fel- low man. AS member of the
 household of the same great family
 one cannot reap the benefits and shirk the burdens. Such a person comments himself to the degrading
 epithet of "slacker." We owe our
 security. our comforts and apove
 all our possessions, to the social
 organization which is made up of
 rich and poor united by the bonds
 of reciprocal rights and duties and
 by the healthy principle of give
 and take. It is the laborer, now In
 desperate need, who made possible r through his efforts and energies l translated into mechanical useful.
 ness, the good things that are al
 our disposal The automobile. the radio, the frigidaire and countless ! other comfort-giving devices. are , but mute representatives of the , craftman's and artisans services r The trademark of their contribu' 5 tions is inevitably reflected 1T l nearly every comfort or advantage l we enjoy. Every member of ths
 social organization Is . contribut ing factor not only to items o Ipersonal belonging but also to for