The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-04-07

stephens rises occasionally to shift
the table or the bed so they won't
get wet from the newest leak in
the roof. Puddles of rain water
are on the floor, the plaster is
cracked on the wall and three
small children are wondering If
there will be enough beans in the
sack to provide dinner. Mrs
Stephens makes quilts for the Mid
dlesboro Charities association; her
husband died in a mine two years
ago, her son Frank, rs, is in Jail
charged with carrying con-
cealed weapon; another son, Fred,
walked out of the door one day
and never came back.
"Guess he don't want to have no
more truck with me-" Mrs
Stephens explains.
Louis, Is, Margie, 13, and Dester,
10, are left. Mrs Stephens would
be happy if she could earn $3.50
a week at the Charities associa-
ton, but there are hundreds seek
ing work there and she must wait
her turn.
Enter the home of Henry Will
liams at Dorton's Branch-a small
kitchen and one shabby room. Mrs
williams is seriously ill and has
not been out of bed for two weeks.
Two small children play on the
bed beside her. Williams Is affili-
ated with the National Miners
Union, and is in town looking for
work or charity. There is flour
sack, one-third filled, on the
kitchen floor; kettle, containing
thin brew of beans and water,
hangs above a wood fire. Filth is
everywhere and the floor is lit
tered with crude, dirty dishes that
have been used and then used
again without being washed. Yes,
Mrs williams hopes there will be
food from somewhere tomorrow
not for herself particularly be-
cause her illness and the monot-
onous diet of beans and bread
have made her lose interest In
food-but the children are hun
cry.
One more visit. Charles Nick is
an occupant of a four-room house
in which IS persons are living, in
Guiding his wife and six children
His sister-in-law has tuberculo-
sis. There is the inevitable flour
sack on the floor and the bag OF
beans. Nick has been in Jail al
Kettle Island on a charge of Grim
inal syndicalism, but now he is 60
ing to the Charities association in
Pineville to see if they will give
him an emergency order for food
They do, and he is jubilant because
the problem of life and death is
settled for at least three more
days.
Members of the National Miners
Union have charged that charity
officials are denying them relief il
an attempt to help break the
strike. After investigating tina
charge and making test case Of
two members of the Nationa
Miners Union, 1 believe it to bt
untrue. Both of the men used ii
the test case received aid, and one
of them got an emergency order
for food. However, Mrs Heller
Forester, in charge of relief ap-
plications in the Middlesbore
charities Office, admitted thai
where there was insufficient food
or work for everybody preference
was given to men not Animated
with the National Miners Union
Ard Robert l.. K1ncatd, editor Of
the Middlesboro Daily News and
I believe, as unbiased person a!
is to be found in Belt and Harlan
counties, said: Much relief hal
been given through the agencie!
supported by the National Miner,
Union, but because of the radica
activities connected with the dis
tribution of this relief it has me
with little favor and actual oppo
sition."
I believe the examples of living
conditions cited above are not ex
aggerations but typical pictures o.
conditions in camps where exist
ence is stripped of motion pictures
candy. toys, silk stockings and al
the other non-essentials and lif,
settles grimly down to the question
OF whether a person shall eat ant
live or starve.