The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-03
By PHILIP STERLING

FEB. %, 1o32.-Those five women
didn't take their beatings in vain,
A new order came through from
borough office today saying that all
delegations must be given hearings
when they ask it. But that's no
tribute to the -nindedness Of
borough supervisor Molly Ryan. 1t
is, however, an indication that she
knows the Unemployed Councils
have plenty Of backing in this
neiglborhood.
MAR. 5, 1881 made my first
investigation today. Mrs. Portmsn
handed me slip this morning and
said, Visit this family at once. It's
an emergency" I looked at the slip.
It bore the northumberland and
Loli Lugo, 875 l. Ave. Loli Lugo,
what euphonious name. It might
belong to movie actress or to a
musical comedy star deoked in
feathers and spangles.
When I got to the apartment,
Mrs. Lugo, answering my knock, adj
mitted me and led the way to a
living room. She moved with short
painful, shutting steps. She can't
weigh more than 80 pounds. She's
been out of the L. Hospital ma
ternity ward a week. AS I looked
at her face I was reminded of the
heads which South Seas head-hunt-
ers preserved by shrivelling them
down to half their normal size,
She and Manuel are Puerto Ri
cans. Until five months ago he was
low-paid garage mechanic. They
had no money saved up when he
was fred. She went through most
of her pregnancy in q half-starved
condition. AS result her baby
weighs only five pounds-about six
ounces less than he weighed at
birth.
The apartment she's living in
isn't her own. 1t belongs to two
other Puerto Rican families. Mrs
L, the woman Of one of the two
families sharing the apartment,
spent her confinement in the bed
next to Mrs, Lugo's. When she
heard that Loli had no place to go
when she was discharged, she Of
fered to take her home. That was
six weeks ago. Now Mrs. II and
her husband can no longer carry
the burden they assumed so will
| ingly. Mrs. L came in while I
was asking my routine questions
and told me: IT have to give her
baby half of my baby's milk every
day. That's no good because my
baby needs the whole bottle" I
stepped to the crib, which stood in
one corner of the room and looked
at Loli Lugo's baby, was Mortified
as I made the inevitable conpari-
son with Billy at the same age. I
concluded my investigation and as
sured Loli Lugo that I would re-
turn with a food ticket in a few
hours. I did, too. But can Loli ever
weigh more than 80 pounds on a
Home Relief Bureau diet? And can
her puny son fight through to nor
nal health on what the Bureau
provides? 1 hate to set the answer
down on paper.
MAR. II, 1932-There seems to
be no way and no willingness on
the part of the bureau to forestall
evictions. The only time a family
gets its rent paid is when the fllr11i-
| ture is on the curb, Evictions have
become so common all over the city
that nobody in the Home Relief
Bureaus seems to give them
thought.
From window in our Office, I
saw the furniture Of an evicted
family being carried to the side
walk today. Half an hour later
there was an Unemployed Council
delegation in the Office, demanding
payment of rent for a new apart
ment for the family. Mrs. Portman
demurred. The family isn't regis
tered-theyll have to wait for an
investigation. Why didn't they reg
lister before. etc.," The committee
wouldn't take no for an answer.
Mrs Portman had to give in A.
nally She ordered voucher writ
ten. And food, too the commit
tee spokesman said. Food, too, s.
Mrs. Portman echoed.
l went back to the window to see
what was happening to the furni-
ture. 1 looked out just in time to
see the last piece being carried back
into the house. The crowd which
had collected before the delegation
came to the Office hadn't bothered
waiting for Mrs. Pcrtman to make
up her mind.
NOV. Is, 1932.-I've been trans
ferred to a bureau in the Negro
section Of Harlem. l see so much
misery in single day that my mind
can't retain details. There remains
only general crushing impression
of hunger, disease, degradation.
dirt, oppression. Here are q few
Of the high spots of a months work
that rise to the surface at random
Charles and Lily Skinner, living
in one small furnished room with
three week-old baby. They cook,
eat sleep and live there. Nobody
seems to have any furniture in Har-
lem. It was all lost long ago. either