The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-02-01
A REFORM THAT is NEEDED

A REFORM THAT is NEEDED
Action that will be approved by all good
citizens was taken by the county Five-Ten
farm organization in requesting the Red
Cross to petition Congress to require the
exchange of labor of able bodied persons
for Red Cross flour and other commodities.
The man who is unemployed and who
needs food and other supplies for himself
and family, will gladly work for the same,
if he is an honest, independent, right-thlnN-
ing citizen. He will not be found willing,
except in extreme cases, to accept supplies
paid for by the federal government with
the money of all the country's tax payers
without making return to the best of his
ability for the help afforded by benevo-
lent government.
Of course, it is clearly understood that
up to this time the exchange of labor for
Red Cross commodities is not required.
Many persons have voluntarily exchanged
their labor for supplies; and their standing
with those engaged in welfare work has
been enhanced by their display of man.
hood and sense of fair play. On the other
hand, there are those who have insisted on
receiving this help and have flatly declined
to exchange labor for Red Cross supplies
or to accept the opportunity to work for
cash. All such should be marked for fu-
ture dealings, by public officials and pri-
vate welfare workers.
1t is now generally realized that the gov
eminent made a grave mistake in its ull-
dertaking to distribute commodities to the
value of hundreds of millions through the
Red Cross without providing more rigid
rules for participating in this emergency
relief. The cash which is now being dis
tributed through the federal relief agen-
cies is being paid out exclusively for work,
in all eases where the recipients are able
to work and work is provided. This should
have been the plan for Red Cross relief
from the beginning.
Some people seem to have the view that
they are entitled to Red Gross and govern
ment relief regardless of their condition
and needs; and we have people applying
for help who are able to get along without
aid from the public charity agencies
Others evidence no appreciation of what
the government and private organizations
are trying to do and take advantage OF
opportunities to graft.
1t is fact, as all citizens know, that the
federal government has no money and no
income except as it is obtained from all the
people in the form of taxes. AS a Il after
of fact all Red Cross and federal relief is
being supplied by the tax payers of the
country and not by some powerful and
wealthy agency detached from the people
Citizens of the country who do not need
charity and who are not accepting charity,
are paying for the charity distributed to
those in need; and they are doing it in
most cases without complaint, even with
out criticism of the glazing mistakes which
have been made by the federal authorities
in handling these matters. They are war
ranted in protesting, as the county Five
Ten organization has done, against con-
tlnuance of policies which have been found
to be unsound and the cause of declining
morale and loss of self-respeet among the
people of the country.
There is no moral or legal obligation
resting on the man who works and sup
ports himself and family, to support an
other man and his family in idleness. If
the last named man belongs to the army Of
unemployed and is unable to obtain work,
there is moral obligation to extend tenn