Evening star., 1933-04-23
BY ROBERT F. WAGNER,

TINE drop from a state of inde-
pendence to a condition of de-
pendence which occurs in every
L period of depression Is not a
precipitste one. The descent
proceeds along a dreary path that
leads sometimes rapidly and sometimes
sluggishly from stage to stage as job
is lost, savings are depleted and credit
is eXhausted-until welfare agency is
confronted with what 1t calls new
case"
No relief program is complete unless
it is designed to offer asslstenc not
only to those who already have become
the recipients of public relief but also
to those IN the upper stages who might
still be spared the tragic blow to chsr-
acter and Self-esteem which inevitably
accompanies the first recourse to chari-
table aid.
The present relief program as 1t is
being developed in Congress is designed
in obedience to that principle. 1t eX-
presses a vivid realization that the peo-
ple of the United States are confronted
by forces which threaten the social and
economic dissolution of the system OF
American life; that these forces must
be met by a vigorous and unified mob1-
lization of all our defenses and re-
sources if we are to preserve America
as the land of opportunity and promise
for ourselves and our children.
Questions Before People.
Three questions, believe. are upper
most in the minds of the American
people: l. What Is being done about
relief for those in need? 2. What is
being done about employment? 8.
What is being done to alleviate the
burden of mortgage debt which is rap.
idly crushing out hope in millions of
farm and city homes throughout the
United States?
In these days Of great national stress
it seems to me that the first obligation
of the Government is toward those
whose need is the greatest. There can
be no doubt as to who they are. More
than 100000 American families have
depleted all their private resources,
outworn the generosity Of their friends
and neighbors and now lead day-to-
day existence only through the grace OF
public relief.
The plight of these victims of the
depression was not brought ABOUT
through any fault of their own. 1t Is
the consequence of a national calamity.
Almost year ago Congress recog-
nized that the burden of providing Tor
these innocent victims of the depres-
sion had become much too heavy for
the local communities to carry with
out assistance. It therefore passed a
bill I had introduced making $780,
600 900 available for advances to the
States to be used for the relief OF dis
tress. That fund has been virtually
exhausted.
TO meet this situation I introduced
a bill. during the present session on
behalf of Senators Costigan, La Fol-
lette and myself making $500. 600 600
available out of the funds OF the Re
construction Finance Corporation 70
be granted to the several States Tor the
relief Of need, and distress arising OUT
of the present emergency.
The bill provides that the 1uno Is
to be administered under the single
headed responsibility Of q Federal re-
lief administrator and is to be distrlo-
uted to the States in the following
manner: For every $1,000 OF public
money spent within q State Tor reneI
curing the months of January. FeDfu-
ary and March of this year the red
eral Government is to contribute $333'
Similar Grant Quarterly.
A similar grant is to be made every
three months thereafter, but altogether
not more than 5000 ,000, 900 may be dis
tributed in this fashion. Should q
State find, however, that the money
available from all sources, including
these Federal grants, falls below its re-
lief needs, then the Federal relief ad.
ministrator may make further grant
to that State. For that purpose $780,
OO0, 900 Is available.
The plan embodied in the bill is de.
signed to stimulate the maximum OF
local effort and to supplement that ef-
fort with Federal assistance. Above all
it rests on the principle that not only
must actual starvation be prevented
but that standards Of relief must be
placed on q level of adequacy and de-
cency in order to preserve the growing
generation from the disastrous conse-
Quences of prolonged undernourish-
ment
The bill has passed the Senate and
as I write, is pending in the House Of
Representatives. It constitutes an i'm
portant part Of the Presidents program
for national defense and recovery.
I desire now to direct attention to
special and extremely important phase
Of the emergency problem which here