Evening star., 1934-11-11

A seventeenth century law which
governed the feeding Of cattle and
sheep as to make diversified farming
obligatory. A sheep man, having pas
ture also f1t for COWS, was not per-
mitted to Craze more than $50 sheep
above his actual needs and was COM
PEELED to raise a calf for every so
sheep and keep a milk COW for every
10 oxen. Buyers Of oxen, steers, sheep
and goats were not permitted to sell
them under five weeks after their pur-
chase
Those who might feel inclined to
regard the F. Z. r. A. program Of re-
lief as radical will be surprised to
learn how closely akin 1t is to relief
measures adopted by the first City
Council Of Washington. under the
following mandatory act of Congress:
"And be 1t further enacted, that
the City Council shall provide for the
support Of the poor, infirm and dis
eased Of the city" This was no dis
cretionary power, but a command
without even the aid Of a benencent
Congress.
Immediately the Council faced their
task. Three trustees, serving without
compensation, and an overseer on q
salary of $3.50 year, were appointed
to direct relief. The trustees were
given authority to provide board,
lodging, washing, clothing. medical aid
and even a 50 advance weekly to the
poor and helpless. For this work
iofn fnd
because in those days Washington
was self-sustaining and the entire cost
of the city government was met by
local taxation. The first allotment
for relief was $500, a rather liberal
sum at that time, but it was not long
before $4,000 per year became the
poor fund item in the budget.
Outside Aid Given.
While the F. z. r. A. may proudly
point to its Nationwide scope, it must
not be supposed that Washington
confined its charity to the people
within its borders. Down the river
was Alexandria. the nearest port OF
ocean-going ships. During a nalig-
nant fever epidemic there many Alex
andrians hurried to Washington. With.
out thought Of quarantine. the refu-
gees were Hospitality received and the
trustees Of the poor directed to give
them free lodging, medical aid, food
and even advances Of money.
A few years later when Petersburg,
| Va, 200 or more miles distant, was dew
astated by fire, with many persons
| homeless and destitute, the Nations
| Capital sent them a free-win contribu-
ton Of $1,000, which had to be bor-
| rowed from the bank against future
| tax collections.
The fact stands out that the city
| fathers, endowed with great faith,
constantly pledged the city's future
revenues to raise money for all neces-
| sary purposes, in consequence Of
which they were almost continuously
! Just several laps ahead Of tax collec-
tions, custom paralleled a century
and a quarter afterward by our Ma
tional Government in financing the
multifsrious activities comprised un-
| der the questionable title of New
Deal"
1t would appear from the codes
cited above. that some of the present
administrations ideas are strikingly
akin to the laws in vogue during the
pre-machine, pre-capital age, yet not
withstanding the paradox of the New
Deal being reversive, the very fact
| of the New Deal ideas being based
upon laws governing the English
speaking people of two continents over
long period of years precludes their
| being viewed as radical and danger.
| ously revolutionary.