Montana labor news., 1932-08-11
I~nadequacy Of Private
Charity to Aid Relief
Set Forth by Writer

JllSdlC 1iLhi oNNCA
adequate method to relieve the dis
caused by unemployment.
Although this fact is well known tt
those familiar with the situation
there are still some who continue t.
harp On the necessity of local charity
organizations taking are of the un.
employed and their dependents.
An illustration Of the failure o.
charity is found in a report made tt
the executive committee of the May
or's Employment and Relief Commit
tee of Wilmington, Del, by Mrs. B
N. Norton, in charge Of the issuance
food orders for the committee.
"The item of fuel for cooking
and lighting is becoming a far
greater problem than heretofore"
Mrs. Norton said. MANY fami-
lies are having to eat delicatessen
food due to the absence of any
fuel fer cooking. Such food is
more expensive than that pre-
pared in the home, but there is no
leeway to increase the grocery
order accordingly.
Until July 16 W. adhered to
the scale Of food relief which we
adopted a month ago, and is s1.50
per week for one person, $3.50 for
two persons, $3.50 for three per-
sons, up to $500 for five persons,
when the scale changes, adding
so cents per person per week up
to $3.50, which is the maximum.
1t now looks as though we must
cut our cost to fit the cloth in
order to live within present budg-
ct allowances.
''This will mean a scaling down
of this table probably to one-half.
This thought is very depressing
to the caseworker in the unit who
has to explain to the individual
with no income that we know peo-
Pile should not be expected to live
on that amount, but when there
are so many people in need and
only so much money to go round
we are forced to apportion it that
way. = #
at takes more Imagination than
the average person possesses to
realize what it means to be abso-
lutelr dependent upon a food ra-
ti0ning program such as we must
carry on at the present time. 1t
means that not only is there in
sufficient food in many cases, but
there is no ice to keep the baby's
milk from souring, no money to
buy the baby a new bottle if he
breaks it, or to provide mercuro-
chrome or iodine if Johnny cuts
his finger. Many of the common
ordinary necessities of life are en-
tirely eliminated"
1t was stated that the food orders
issued by the relief committee arr
made possible by weekly contribution
1862 families who are endeav
bring to maintain the principle tina.
The citizens of Wilmington will pro
vide for the needs of their own job.
ess and destitute people.
The 1862 families are probably
contributing to the limit of their abil
ties. But when one reads Mrs. Nor
;on's statement that despite their lib,
the rations for the destitute
obless are IS a week for a family OF
i've, which means insufficient fooc
n many cases." and "no ice for the
milk" while "many of the COM
non ordinary necessities of life are
intirely eliminated" it is plain as day
hat private relief in Wilmington can
lot cope with the situation.
The relief situation in Wilmington
S duplicated in every industrial center
n the United States. 1t is a situation
hat should be promptly corrected.
The millions of destitute jobless and
heir families throughout the United
itates must be supported according to
ecent living standards. To compel
hem to live on the pitiful rations fur
ished in Wilmington and similar
communities is not a credit to Amer
IAN institutions. It is an insult to
ne millions of self-respecting, able
odied workers whom our employers
eny the right to earn a living.
Much Of the wealth these workers
reduced in the past is now owned by
lany Of the very people whose BUSH
ess in our industrial system is to
,cumulate as their own property the
ealth produced largely by labor.
his unjust accumulation of wealth is
fundamental reason why it should
: taken by taxation in every commu-