Evening star., 1934-11-04
Is Relief Breeding Idlers?

to be sitting behind a desk now,
wearing a white, if sometimes frayed
collar; but since I left college in 1929
1 have loaded cloth in a cotton mill,
peddled plants and cut flowers,
clerked in a department store and
done few other things less impress
sive than sitting behind desk.
Mr.. c., however, is unmoved by my
answer that I most certainly would
accept job either as laborer or time
keeper on a road job. With dis
dainful farewell he returns to his un-
remunerative piano and Government
relief. To give the tale a lovely but
truthful climax, he has guests from
the musical intelligentsia over the
week end and calls the Office to
employ a maid. The Government,
aided by private charity, is the goat.
I find it difficult to remain silent
when l learn that people who to my
certain knowledge have been offered
decent jobs are seeking and obtaining
relief from Government funds. When
go to union meeting and hear
some of the LATEST men I ever met
talking about organized relief workers
well, it is just little too much of
a good thing! When I find people
content to receive relief when they
have actually refused private employ
ment, become all the more pessi-
miStic about the wisdom OF paying
out millions Indefinitely. When I
come in contact with such persons I
shudder to think of the number of
men and women who will never work
again if they can get out of it.
Problems Varied.
Now I know there must be relief.
There must be work provided for de-
serving people who have had to turn
to their Government. OF course,
can cite you about men and women
on relief who would not consider jobs
in department store, for instance,
sales work being beneath their dignity.
can tell you about men and women
who accept relief for a variety of rea-
sons, all of which amount to one
it is easy to accept something for
nothing.
But I can tell you also of fine
people who have been helped through
desperate situations and are grateful.
I like to remember the beaming face
of a boy our Office placed as soda
dispenser after he had been up against
it for months. I contrast the differ
ence between the men and women who
loaf around waiting rooms of the re-
lief Offices and an 82-year-old Negress
who recently asked me to find her
some housecleaning to do after a
welfare worker had "insulted" her by
Offering her ticket emitting her to
rations. II may be black. but my
mother didn't learn me to be no
beggar," she said.
Government jobs and relief checks
are not things to be scattered about
in any wind like leaves from the trees.
If all the people handling Federal
money are spending it as carefully as
they would their own, we could ask
no more.
1t is imperative to check the in
creasing dependence upon the Gov
eminent by people who expect some
thing for nothing. This is not an
impossible order-certain definite
things can easily be done. To begin
with, relief emergency work must
cease paying higher wages than those
offered by fair private employers.
Workers should not be placed in
made jobs for which they are not
qualified and paid higher wages than
they will ever be able to make when
their made jobs end, as they must
eventually. What is most important,
relief officials can work with en-
ployment bureaus and private en-
polyers in making sure that people
are made ineligible for relief when
they have had ample opportunity to
support themselves and their families
otherwise. Some may fear that these
people may starve; we should do bet
ter to fear that people in danger of
starving are those least likely to visit
relief Offices at all.
A welfare director recently told me
about an astonishing number of peo-
pie in one county who had been sup
ported by relief for years and who
never visited the relief Office again
after being informed that they would
be required to. work for what they
had been receiving in the past as a
hand-out. Investigation proved they
did not starve.
OF the people who come to the re-
employment offices asking If any jobs
are available, some seem disappointed
when we are able to say: "Yes. some
jobs are available today" 1t is these
people whom we do not help by max
ing things too soft for them.