The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-10-11
QkII'ii'i99'elf( Sljit1elZk
N,t,onal Topics Interpreted q fSY7TEfRF
by William Bruckart kgNT
paIief Cost Mounts


=, administration looks forward
nel a. winter months when the re-
" burden obviously is heaviest,
) p T.rry {. Hopkins, federal relief
inasninnistrator, makes public fig
-. showing that the average cost
u J. ,mvaintaining a family of four on
u = relief now is $23.09 a
p.nuth. He says this figure varies
usterially from section to section,
80. s Il is materially higher in the
:.dnstrial centers of the South
here D relief rolls are largest and
,hst probably the country may ex-
uect q higher average cost during
she forthcoming winter. In
The statement by Mr.. Hopkins
,..omes exceedingly significant in
A. opinion of observers here, es-
,eially with reference to the like
tfhood that there will be an increase
! cost this winter. It reflects two
things. First, the administrators
Awe to bring about increased
,rices through crop limitation or
rop destruction or any of the sew
srsl methods employed not only is
,dding to the burden of those with
limited buying power, but it is
,ompelling Uncle Sam and the
ustes and counties and charitable
organizations everywhere to pay
N added price to keep people from
asrving. Secondly, the Hopkins
statement gives more than an in
imation of how many additions to
lie relief rolls there may be as a
result of refusal of some people TO
seept any kind of jobs. It has been
Known many months that relief
rolls carry certain percentage of
Individuals who amount to the same
things as parasites, but the mount
ing cost both in the average and in
the total figures are being exam
med by many experts with the thot
b mind that considerable waste is
N prospect.
The relief administration h a S
been attempting to make surveys
Of relief rolls in many jurisdic-
tons. The results in some of the
cases have been quite disturbing
to those in the government who are
wholly DESTROYS Of lending help
wherever help is necessary, but
who obviously are unwilling to see
government funds drained off to
care for individuals who are re-
tusing to help themselves. How
Tar this condition is going, none
.an foretell; nor can anyone at this
time say accurately how extensive
bag become the list of those who
regard relief rolls as their rightful
neal ticket.
Some Of the political leaders
have become alarmed because, hav-
ing knowledge of the dole system
d England and in some of the 9TH
a European countries, they know
bow hard it is to separate individ-
mls from relief after those indi-
iduals have lost the pride and
norale which causes people to sup
port themselves. Hearings before
eongressal committees last winter
6sclosed in numerous cities how
sone people had declined to do the
odd jobs created under the "made
work" campaigfins for the unem-
ployed and had preferred to make
their semi-weekly trips to the re-
lief stores.
Difficult Problems
have heard several members of
cmgress express the opinion that
this phase of the relief problem
y really the most difficult of the
Whole structure. They want to see
he government spend all the
honey that is necessary to keep
PEOPLE from starving, but they are
oeginning to demand that some
say be found by which the sheep
nay be separated from the goats
nd properly fed.
Here in Washington a taste of
ne condition mentioned above has
oeen exposed as the result of COM
PAINTS by a taxpayers organiza-
non. The taxpayers group declar-
q that its Investigators had found
many unemployed appearing at re-
@d headquarters driving their own
sasomobiles, they thought it was
Mfadoxical that a man could af-
N'd to maintain his automobile and
~.id not maintain his family. Re-
au authorities in the local offices
senled these charges. The relief
aperts said some of the destitute
ssfe being transported to relief
Sa0quarters in the cars of friends,
w despite the denial there SEEM
70 have been sole fire in all the
moke. - :
"nateVer the facts in the Ma
IOnai Capital situation may have
Zen the condition itself neverthe-
ss is attracting attention for the
JASON that some of the soft
arted individuals who usually do
Sfe talking than anything else
:, 'e rlsen to the defense of those
'no called for their dolas in tbair