The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-16
C. o N tt N U E ID
~ from page ono
Like Federal Help
But Not Satisfied

cases.
Where relief assistance Is on q d.
rect basis, their Job is relatively easy.
They figure the number Of persons In
the family, inquire into special cir
cumstances which might make re-
vision necessary. and then issue
enough grocery orders to permit Of an
adequate diet. Certain fancy" foods
are not available on these orders, ex-
cept by special permission. but where
illness makes special diet necessary
it is provided for. Thus the relief adj
ministration has given certain Of its
"clients" oranges and other fresh
iruit, chicken and other delicacies.
The relief orders are for amounts Of
money. rather than for quantities Of
specified food. but they are based on
food budgets prepared for the FERA
by experts at the state agricultural
college and based on current food
prices in the given locality. These
budgets are prepared from both the
quantitive and monetary standpoints
Thus one budget prescribes so much
milk, meat, fats, starches and proteins
per person. The other shows how
much money it takes. In certain STAN
dard foods. to pay for the quantity
needed. Hence. except where allow
ance is made for special conditions,
the issuance of food orders is rou-
tine matter.
Work Held Constructive
But the relief workers. for conStruc-
tive social reasons. prefer work relief
to direct relief. They would rather
have man work and earn money
than sit around the house and accept
lelief orders. even though 1t costs
them more. They feel 1t maintains
family solidarity. makes for the re-
tention of proper spirit and feeling
OF independence. There Is not so
much hopelessness about 1t, even
though the amounts granted are only
enough to maintain life on purely
subsistence basis.
For persons on direct relief. no al
lowance Is made for clothes. When
garments are needed they are sup
piled, either from the community
sewing rooms or on purchase order.
People on direct relief are figuratively
taken by the hand and led by the re-
lief worker. There seems no other
way If all are to be given their just
due, for "gypping" is not unknown
among applicants for help and there
must be some sort Of control II ex-
penses are to be kept down.
Then, too, families on work relief
live little better. In direct relief, for
example, no provision is made for to-
bacco and similar "luxuries" But the
relief administrator knows that q man
who smokes is going to buy some II he
has money In his pocket, even though
he has to do without something else.
Provision is made for this. Hence the
worker gets about Is per cent more
than the drone.
The fact that women are generally
more grateful than men for the help
extended arises from two things. One
is the woman's knowledge Of just how
empty the cupboard can be and the
practicability which Is common
attribute of feminine nature. They
do not dream as much as men, hence
have less opportunity for menetal es-
cape from their problems. The other
is the manner in which they have re-
sponded to the work opportunities Of
tered them under the FERA system
Thus the relief workers have received
more letters of commentator from
women employed in community sew
ing rooms than from any other single
branch Of the work. And it is very
small part of the FERA set-up.
Dull Routine Disheartening
Some women had been given no op.
portunity to get outside Of theil
homes for several years until they
were employed on these Jobs. Theil
social contacts had been limited ant
the deadly routine Of getting along or
little or nothing had worn on thei,
nerves. Outside employment was 6
relief and a boon which they were
quick to acknowledge.
The loudest "squawk" heard by thu
FERA, other than that with reference
to lack Of progress, Is that of unfair
treatment. Stories abound Of how
family with three children Is getting
less than man and his wife withou
children. There are q thousand var
iations to the story, but they all poin
in the same direction.
Miss Salsberry and Miss Lowry den!
that these stories are generally true
although they admit the possibility o
error. In many cases, they point out
the actual facts do not bear out sur
face appearances.
For example, the man with thre
children may have other resource
such as q government pension. or oc
casional outside employment, where
as the family Of two may have moth
ing but what they get from the FERA
In this connection, they pay tribut
to the ideal Of family solidarity i
Tightening the relief burden. Man
individuals have been kept off tn
relief lists by the help Of relative
extended In numerous ways. Were