Evening star., 1934-09-28
PRESIDENT RATES
FEDERAL RELIEF
AS LAST RESORT
U. S. Duty Begins Only After
Community Resources
End, He Says.
INCREASED VIGILANCE
IN CASE WORK URGED
Newton D. Baker Lauds Govern.
ment Methods in Speech to
Human Needs Conference.

President Roosevelt today re-em-
phasized that the Federal Government
should be called upon to provide com.
munity relief only after the COM
munity and the State resources have
proved insufficient.
Addressing 500 leaders in the Com.
munity Chest movement Throughout
the country gathered on the south
lawn of the White House, the Presi.
dent, speaking from the south portico
urged them to continue their effort.
for little longer until this continue
ton of unified efforts would bring
national success to our nationally uni
fed efforts to bring Old Man Depres.
sion to the point where we can finally
master and destroy him"
The President emphasized the re.
luctance with which the Federal Gov
eminent has been compelled to un,
dertake the task Of supplementing tht
more normal methods which have beer
in use for many generations" in re-
lieving community distress.
Duty Of State.
He said: "The primary responsibilit,
for community needs rests upon tn,
community itself. That If every ef
fort has been used by any given com
munity and has proven insufficient
then it Is the duty of the State t,
supplement, with the resources of tn
State, the additional needs up to TIN
limit of its power. That, finally, it /
only when both of these efforts. takel
together, prove insufficient that tn,
Federal Government has any duty t,
add its resources to the common cause
1T Is inevitable, Of course, that Ii
carrying on relief-whether in tn
form Of work relief or home relief
in an area that includes every State
every county and every city in tn
Union, local inefiiciency is bound t
exist in some instances. 1t is yer,
definitely our task, yours and mine. I,
see to it that during the coming Win
ter there shall be increased vigilanc
in every locality against the giving o
relief except to those who definitel
and clearly need 1t and are entitle,
to it.
In q great emergency system W
are establishing with each passin
month q greater degree of efficiency
and We are eliminating many Of tn
evils which Of necessity attended ou
first efforts. The trained worker
which belong to the many organiza
tions represented in this conferenc
have an opportunity and a duty t
see to 1t, first of all, that destitutiol
Is relieved and, secondly, that no in
dividual and no family shall be en-
titled to public assistance If that in
dividual or that family does not de
serve It,
Cooperation Urged.
Your work and the work OF local
State and Federal agencies, is s.
closely associated that your success
vital to the success of Government
I am confident that the people o
this country, in each and every com
munity, will understand the true i'm
portance Of cooperating in this grea
mobilization for human needs.
Il like to emphasize the word priv
lege' rather than the word duty TO
it is clearly the privilege of the in
dividual American to bear his persona
share in work which must be KEEP
personal in so far as it is possible t.
make it so. 1t is that personal appeal
that personal service, which has car
ried us through these trying years. /
unity of effort for little while longe
will, I am confident, bring nationa
success to our nationally unified effort
to bring Old Man Depression to tn
point where we can finally maste
and destroy him.
The church groups and the socia
groups organized on private line:
whether they act separately or through
community chests, are an essentis
part Of the structure of our life. Tn
American people believe in them an,
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