Evening star., 1934-09-30

From lithograph by Henry Raleigh
have no choice but to pay. The Gov
ernment administers it. We don't
know how or where. We have, no
doubt, certain pride in knowing that
we are partners with the country in
carrying out its undertakings. But We
also have anxiety about administra-
ton. We are often baff1ed by our in
ability, unless we are ION the in
side" to get even a hearing One of
us tried her best last Winter to get
from the c. w. A. Bureau in New York
City moments attention for group
of women who had, so she believed,
something useful to offer. She was
unable to get even acknowledgment Of
the letters she wrote or an interview
with even an undersecretary for the
women she wanted to see put at work.
There must have been thousands
who, because its machinery was
hasty improvisation and its days num-
bered, had no chance with the C. w. A.
Spiritual Value Lacking.
This is not charge against Harry
istrator, who dumped the c. w. A. into
our laps. Few men could have done
as well as he has in this heartbreak-
ing job of feeding the millions Of un-
employed who faced the crisis with
out backlog Of training for trouble.
! What we are saying is that publicly
administered relief, In an emergency
particularly. has no personal signifi-
canoe and so no spiritual value to
those who put up the money.
Now men and women in a civiliza-
ton as pre-eminently materialistic as
this, once so given to thinking life can
be solved by blueprints and statistics
and efficient mechaniZation, need
nightly to be in personal touch with
human beings and their needs, to un-
derstand how much more they need
than food, and that If they are to get
it it is by our individual sacrifices
not forced sacrifices, like taxes, but
those made from choice because We
can do no less.
George Eliot says Of one Of her
characters that she sprang as instinc-
lively to help the one she saw in need
as she stretched out her hand to save
herself If falling. Is not this exactly
the natural, unconscious response each
of us would make to need which
came our way If we were fully de-
veloped, ripely cultivated humans?
But we shall never develop such in
stinctive grace Of nature by paying
taxes alone. The best opportunity the
day furnishes us for an education in
wise compassion comes in these agen-
cies which our communities have built
to succor the sick, guard children, knit
together families, build or rebuild
character.
Establishes Bond.
1t does something for us and 1t does
something for those who receive-es-
tablishes between us sense of neigh
borlinsS, a consciousness that what
ever the difference in our social or
material position we have a tie, will
always stand by each other. Is not
this one reason why ture sung and
played and whistled everywhere of late
is so popular? Love Thy Neighbor"
is as timely today as ever, and re-
minds us that sharing his burden
and seeing him through is still our
instructive response when our neigh
bor is in trouble.
Such activities are too precious to
neglect, to let starve. They mean too
much to the community. Whatever
the emergency they must be carried on.
Our situation today is very like that
in the great war. Then everything
was given for the armies overseas or
on their way. It was the Women's
Committee of the Council of National
Defense which first realized that in
our absorption with war needs we were
forgetting home needs, and that par
ticularly were we in danger of neglect
ing the agencies for looking after the
health and recreation of children. AS
soon as this was sensed the Women's
Committee Of the Council Of National
Defense called in Julia Lathrop, chief
of the Children'S Bureau, as an ad-
wiser. The organization the committee
had built up was amazing, reaching
into every corner Of practically every
county in the Nation. At once a cam
paign was begun under Miss Lathrop's
direction to revive and extend all work
4OT N11oo 1dti0OP d4tC4 WdAo
said that there had never been done
in a year as much to extend the ideals
and plans of her bureau as was done
in two months of the war through the
thoroughly aroused national organiza-
ton of women.
Case Today Similar.
They saw what they had not real
ized-that to win the war and destroy
or let run to seed civilizing home in
stitutions was defeat.
The case today Is similar. We must
meet the emergency the depression has
thrust upon us, but when it passes
as it will-we must not allow ourselves
to be found with all our splendid Gre
ations for caring for human needs
wrecked because we have confused
the province of emergency and per-
manent public and private undertake
ings for human service.