The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-01-26
Our Own DOleS


Gov. La Toilette in his second mes
sage to the Wisconsin legislature
writes, apparently not without pride,
that although in September it was
estimated $4,000 families in the state
soon would need public relief, they
were giving, by the end of December,
aid to more than $4,000. His COM
munication has something of the
sound of a successful manager who
has exceeded his sales quota.
While every humane man recog-
nizes the need of caring for the less
fortunate, and the American purse
always has been quick to open wide
for the relief of suffering, sober
thought must be given to the effect
on American life of too free handed
distribution of public aid.
There already is resentment ex-
pressed. Not by the rich, who are
doing their part in sustaining this
aid, but by the self-respecting fam
lilies of small means, who, during
their periods of prosperity, made
some provision for the future and
who feel an imposition at the easy;
way their less provident neighbor has
shifted his responsibilities on his
community and now lives, maybe as
we'll as ever, at the expense of the
city or county.
It is we'll within the memory Of
men in middle life when there was a
stigma attached to the poor list, when
men and women struggled to avoid
the acceptance of public aid and
when families rallied to the help of
their less successful, even though
distant, relatives, to avoid the shame
felt at being county charges.
There are still many who feel keen
humiliation at accepting public aid,
and who defer it to the final neces-
sity. They now see their neighbors
with rents paid and larders filled
from the public store, and with no
loss of community standing.
The head of one of Wisconsin's
largest factories said that, the same
week hiss company shut down after
number of years Of constant work
at high wages, a considerable num-
Der. of employees at once applied tt
the city for help. Officials who over.
see the distribution Of public aid are
frank to admit privately that large
share of the beneficiarieS are living
far better than they have ever before
Milwaukee was treated to an in.
congruous scene recently when sew.
eral hundred who are regularly or
the poor list Stormed a meeting o.
the council committee to demand
that their aid come from the loca
stores so that it could be delivered
rather than from central depots from
which they had to carry their owr
bundles.
There are a hundred incidents O.
farmers who attempted to engag,
seasonal help in husking corn, onl.
to be met with sneers at the offer o
40 cents an hour for useful work
1.-THE city pays me more than thai
for doing nothing" was the tenor o
many responses.
Is there not question that the
American habit Of wanting every
thing bigger and better than it eve
has been before IS tending to max
charity too free handed and unques
tioning? Bigger and better poor list
are destroying American self-respec
and independence.
Gov. La Toilette boasts that tn
charity lists contain one-tenth of tn
families in the Is leading commun
tiles Of Wisconsin and are CROWNS
rapidly. But q sentiment is grow
Ing. too, that many Of the need
one-tenth are sitting pretty on til
backs Of the other nine and givin
strength to political situation tina
IS a menace to the United States.