The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-08
Threat To Take Clothes
Forces Relief Heads
To Come Across
BY a Mine Worker Correspondent

By Mine Worker Correspondent
UNIONTOWN, Pa. - Here in
Uniontown, Pa, Fayette County, we
have two locals of the National IN
employment Council and scattered
membership in every part of the
town. Our committees took up
cases, and settled them fayorably
to the unemployed. However, on
the question Of clothing, we always
got promises but no clothing.
The excuse of Mr.. Hibbs was that
there is no clothing. Our local No.
l, consisting of the Bailey Gallatin
Avenues, decided to demand the
right to inspect and examine the
relief clothing warehouse. We
elected committee of Is and went
down to the relief office. We had
meeting with Miss Davidson, the
district supervisor, and got no sat-
isfaction. Our committee then went
to Mr.. Hibbs, the relief director. He
had a conference and could not
meet us that day, but arranged to
meet us day later
When we met with Mr.. Hibbs, he
told us sad story. There was
nothing in the warehouse. He called
Mr.. Baum, the man in charge of
the warehouse, and ne told us the
same sad story. We asked Mr. Hibbs
for money and we would go to the
shoe and clothing stores where
there is plenty of clothing. He told
us he could not give us money as
he had none, that Harrisburg was
in charge of money.
We asked to inspect the ware
house. Mr.. Hibbs stated that he
would have to write to Harrisburg
for an OK. as no committee of
unemployed ever inspected the
warehouse. He admitted that there
is lots of red tape" to go through
before we would be able to get a
permit to inspect the warehouse.
We told him that we don't care for
no damn red tape, either he would
let us inspect the warehouse or we
would go out and tell the people
that the warehouse was filled with
shoes and clothing, but the relief
refused to give it out.
We got permission to make an
inspection. Mr.. Hibbs knew, if we
made such a report, there would
have been enough unemployed on
hand to take the warehouse apart,
Our committee saw over 500
blankets in one bundle, but those
were for the Red Cross. There were
shoes and underwear, some OF it
was packed ready for SHIPMENT. OF
course there was not enough shoes
and clothing to supply the needs of
the $4,000 Fayette families that are
on relief; but, neither was the ware
house empty. Thus, we caught Mr..
Hibbs, Mr.. Baum and the whole
gang in a lie.
We went back to Mr. Hibbs and
we told him, Either have shoes
and clothes to meet our needs with
in ten days, or we will organize all
those that need shoes and clothes
and take them into the stores, and
supply their needs, and we will tell
the storekeepers to send the bill to
the relief" Mr.. Hibbs begged us
not to do it. He promised he would
go to Harrisburg and demand shoes
and clothes.
Other committees from the I'm
employed Council and local unions
in the county have placed the same
kind of ultimatum before Mr. Hibbs
and few days after our meeting
the paper carried the news that ten
truck-loads of clothing and shoes
have arrived in Uniontown. Our
ten days are not up, but, if we
do not get our demands by the
day the deadline arrives, we are
going through with our program
The relief is either going to give us
shoes and clothing, or else the stores
] will supply our needs, and the re-
lief can fight it out with them.