Evening star., 1933-06-18

II the choice lies between living on a
lower standard, but without working, and
living on a higher scale, but sweating for
it, there's no question that many people
will make the first choice. In fact, this
aspect Of the problem has made itself
acutely felt in certain agricultural dis
tricts in the South that are dependent on
Negro labor. Many plantation owners in
South Carolina have complained that
they are having difficulty in getting
hands to work for wages, because relief
agencies are supplying the men with
clothing and food. They would rather
live poorly without working than work
for wages that would enable them to live
better.
OF course, many persons who have
lived on relief have rehabilitated
themselves sufficiently to become self
supporting. But the fact that between
20 and 80 per cent of the persons who
have applied for relief in New York in
the last six months are not considered
entitled to it indicates growing tend
ency to live at the public expense with
out working. There is fairly large
turnover in relief cases, and many peo-
pie have gone of relief because they have
found way to shift for themselves. But
there are also many who have remained
on relief rolls for a year or longer and
show no tendency or inclination to be-
come self-supporting. This has led
Joseph Brady, executive secretary of
emergency home relief for New York
City, to the opinion that definite term
should be set on direct relief. At the end
of that period the family should become
the object of special study to determine
if perhaps they are failing to make any
effort for themselves and if their need
for relief is not due to some special con-
dition in the family itself rather than to
conditions at large. This sort of treat
ment, he believes, might have tendency
to reduce the number of persons who
would allow themselves to become con-
tentedly adjusted to living on a low
standard at public expense.
Rehabilitation on any large scale will,
of course, become possible only with in
creased opportunity for employment. But
become Independent, and one interesting
case recently showed that the road to
rehabilitation Is sometimes blocked by
unexpected obstacles.
For a number of years the widow Of a
war veteran had been supporting herself
and her children on an allowance of $50
a month provided for such cases by the
citu oY,d Cfofo ~ Nouy vorE 0no Iou ch
appeared at the Veterans Relief Bureau
with plan whereby she might become
self-supporting. II the bureau would
place her on an abandoned farm and
provide her with necessary equipment to
1Aart, she felt that with the aid of her
children she could successfully establish
a chicken farm. She wanted to work and
be self sustaining.
The cost of such venture was eSti-
mated at $500, not including the aban-
doned farm, of which a number were
available. If the city and State of New
York would advance this money she
would sign away all rights to any future
claim
The woman's sincerity and common
sense impressed officials and the plan
seemed to be sensible. But when they
sought to put the plan in operation they
found themselves baked. For, while mil
lions were being spent to provide relief
for the needy, there was no authorization
in the law to permit the initial expendi-
ture of $500 from any of the funds Thus
the woman's eagerness to support herself
and her family had to be discouraged.
That was eight months ago. Since
lowances. She is still public charge,