, 1934-11-28

NANAAAGAAA0GA @AAAAA NMAA~
fellow ! went to grade school with.
and who kind Of went on the bum7
I had a letter from him today"
There was a lifting Of eyebrows
about the Jones dinner table. They
all knew Slim. son Of q neighbor-
ing family. He'd been away from
home for years now, "on the road"
or "on the bum" as most Of the
neighborS put 1t.
Never had been able 10 get or
keep q job-iust drifted. Jails,
and hobo camps, and the blind
baggage"
why. where is he. John?" Ma
Jones asked.
Hes In q government Transient
Camp out In California" replied
john And listen to some Of his
letter:
...I was on the bum for
sure. Johnnie. Just from one
town to another, a Jail one night.
a flophouse the next. Begging
on the streets. Was I sick or IL.
But when / heard about this
camp, I thought I'D try anything
once. I get food, and q bunk and
shelter and there ~ q doctor here
and dentiSt-they fixed my teeth
last week. I get On dollar O week
spending money, and we have
baseball and games every day.
Ambition Won Back
y we work at fixing the camp,
and, believe me. we've got IL In
swell shape. Pretty soon they're
starting q JOB In connection with
the camp where I car work and
lay I'D enough money for a new
suit and fare to get home.
Then I'm going 10 have an
other try at getting q real job.
I'm sick OF being on the bum,
Johnnie. and / want 70 get q start
az a real Job Of some kind again T"
John dropped the letter on the
table. i Just happened 70 no.
tice the figures on that In the
paper the other day" he went on.
There are 400 shelters and $50
permanent camps which the gov
eminent has set up for fellows
on the bum And there are
20O.0 900 men in EN-. 1900 fami-
lies. and even 5000 single girls
staying at those hampS and trying
TO get a new start"
Gives Youths A Chance
Seems like a lot OF considera-
ton for trampS," grunted Pa
Jones. when I was young we
rad TO get a job and stick 10 IL.
NobOdy'd feed rs II we didn't"
III you knew young fellows
better. dad. you'd know you can't
40 that today. I know a dozen
young fellows who went 70 school
with me who never have had q
lob since they left school.
II happened 10 be lucky be-
| cause YOU can use me at the store.
but lots OF fellows haven't any such
luck. why, there were supposed 10
be 100000 fellows absolutely on
the bum In i932-you know how
we used to see them coming up
from the railroad yards every
morning.
And It's those young fellows
who are getting a break through
the CCC camps. too. Bill Bar
nets written me about that-he'S
in a camp up In Michigan, you
know.
They Earn Their Way
They stopped a forest fire last
month that would have caused
damage OF hundreds OF thousands
OF doliars II they hadn't been there.
Bills tickled TO death with the job.
says he's gained IL pounds, and IS
| -arin' TO go when he's discharged
next spring.
The boss down at the planning
mill thinks he'll be able to put
Bill on then"
one of the good things about
the Civilian Conservation Corps
camps has been the large number
who have graduated" into regu-
lar Jobs IN industry. There have
been $1,000 OF them since April.
There are now about $4,000 men
IN 5000 CCC camps, and 3l5,-
600 families are receiving remit
tances from their pay.
Pa Jones rubbed his chin re.
/ flectively. We'll, IL s GEMS all
right" he unused, but ID seems
TO me that all those men are TAX
ing jobs away from somebody else.
aren't they?"
That's the swell part OF IL,
dad rejoined John, Jr. They
aren't. Practically all that work
OF forest protection, planting trees,
building trails, clearing brush, and
building dams To stop erosion just
wasn't being done at all
Given Education. Too
1T was nobody's business. and
II Just didn't get done. Now the
government makes 1t It's business,
and It's getting done"