The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-07-20

001OI0
The essentials Of Edmunds'~ talk
follow:
This is the second time / have
talked In this courthouse. I met 4
group here during the eva and re-
call some Of the things said then.
Il remember that there were . lot
Of complaints and I am not surprised
at them and suppose that . good
many were to some extent justified
II everyone Of 200 heads Of families
had a complaint and every one was
right In his complaint it would look
bad but 1t is not so bad after all. A
possible 200 is one per cent Of 10000
possible mistakes, or only per cent.
You still have some confidence In
lawyers-Christianson and LANCER.
Halt Of the lawyers are wrong and
make SO per cent mistakes.
I'VE hear about all the mistakes In
relief.
1.-THE average doctor makes many
mistakes.
80 relief workers make mistakes
In individual cases."
Edmunds had Mrs. Clendenning,
county relief worker, stand up.
You make mistakes and we do. I
have to tell you the truth.
Red Tape Slashed
Another reason for mistakes-to
get expense accounts out Of Washing.
ton it takes two or three months for
the wheels Of machinery to 60 around.
The FERA at Washington isn't tied
up with red tape. II people are hum
cry or are freezing to death they can't
wait SO the FERA Is speeded up so
that the people don't have to wait
long. When you speed things up,
what happens? There are . lot of
mistakes.
Sometimes we make mistakes be-
cause:
Il. We are human beings.
y. Things are speeded up.
g. The thing wrong is the money
limitations.
How about the people who get re-
lief? Your neighbor and my neighbor
and the best citizens in every town in
this county may need relief. Unem-
ployment Is universal and causes lot
OF distress. It has nothing to do with
the character Of the people.
Around the county there may be
lot Of misunderstanding about the
responsibility for the unemployed
problem.
In a country where people govern
themselves by legal units, the law
says that the county has the respon-
sibility for the care Of the people. The
next responsibility IS on the state. The
federal government has no legal res
possibility for the care Of the people
In need. In the law Of the state, the
primary responsibility Is that Of the
county commissioners.
State Has Done Nothing
when the federal government gave
grant to the state it said to the
state Of North Dakota, since the
counties haven't put in or haven't got
the money for relief and the state
has not done 1t, we will put money In
to help you with your problem be-
cause
81. Drouth
y. The state legislature has done
nothing.
1T (the legislature) created q beer
tax that goes to pay beer tax inspec-
tors. II should lose my job with the
relief, would like to have one Of
those jobs. The legislature created
no sales tax to help the people in need.
Not damn cent has come out Of the
state for relief. The state has had
no special session to devise some way
to provide relief money. The federal
government has assumed the respon-
sibility that belongs to the state.
Il was up to the Capitol today and
talked to one Of your governors and
saw can Of Velvet tobacco sitting on
his desk. I said to myself that the
million and quarter that comes into
the state every month is velvet
you are asking certain amount
Of money. Washington would like you
to have It,"
John williams held up blackboard
and Edmunds wrote figures to explain
the relief fund situation.
Congress appropriated for
relief for one year -. 10000, 600
Congress appropriated for
drouth relief In 10 states l25 900, 900
This Is NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1928 100000
for one year or $4s,000000 for one
month.
Five Times the Average
There are $4,000 people In North
Dakota.
There are 13o,ooo,ooo people in the
United States and territories.
1.-THE sum Of $40 900 q month, on the
basis Of population, Is North Dakota Z
share.
North Dakota got $l,20o,Oo0 act
ually, five times as much as 1t would
| have on the population basis.
How did North Dakota get it,
Largely through Judge Christianson
relief administrator until few weeks
ago. He had the respect Of every
body at Washington. Washington
believed him to be both intelligent
and honest and considered his de-
mands reasonable. l recommended the
figures set by Christensen and North
Dakota got q good break.
Mrs. Clendenning and Wilson want
to give more, but take the figure and
divide 1t among So counties.
"They have met some Of your re-
quests
They decided to pay % q month
rent. They now are working out q
plan to pay q reasonable amount Of
rent.
"As to q member to represent you
on the county committee, II way
-. los