Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-10-19
New Relief Plan
To Hurt JObleSS
By Mary Jordan


SEATTLE, Oct. 1S-According
to reports received from various
sections, the new VERA forced
labor, self-help program, newest
addition to the New Deal, is be-
ing put into effect rapidly in the
state of Washington.
Shoe shop and Cannery Open
In Port Angeles, the local well
fare board is taking over the
Electric Shoe Shop, and will EN-
ploy relief workers to operate it.
Workers needing shoes will have
to work on some FERA job and
get an order on this shop.
At Sequim, the Sequlm Can
merry is operating, employing re-
lief workers.
Land Bought for Work Centers
Near Pc Ell, Salkum and Long
view, the government is buying
land to establish the new work
centers and work camps.
In an effort to make the work
ers think they will be rewarded
for meekness in submitting to
the new forced labor program,
families are to be selected for
their work record to go on sub
sistence farms. Yet throughout
the state farmers themselves are
unable to make living and
many are on relief.
Farmers Outlook
The new VERA program will
result in a drop in farmers in
comes through production by
the unemployed of food when
is now obtained through tine reg
ular channels of business. AS
stated in last weeks Voice of
Action editorial, 20 per cent OF
the retail grocery business in the
U. S. is relief business.
Under the VERA rural reha-
Utilization department the needy
farmers are to be provided with
such material as they need to
put their farms on a self-sustain-
ing basis, Hawley, auditor OF this
department states. Maybe a COW,
a few chickens, or a new barn
would be sufficient. However,
the farmer will have to pay for
these either with money, pro-
duce or labor on projects to be
set up by the department. The
COW, a few chickens or a new
barn are supposed to solve the
entire farm problem of Washing
ton-whieh has resulted not from
scarcity but from the loss of pur-
chasing power of the working
class.
Relief Shelter to be Closed
This new program also calls for
doing away with relief shelters
and transferring to work camps.
The Federal Transient Shelter
Camp between Centralia and
Chehalis will be closed, the Voice
of Action is informed, and the
men will be sent to work camps
being planned by the state-the
New Deal Roosevelt style OF con-
eentration camp.
Plan to Reduce Cost of Living
In recent talk before the
Yakima Chamber of Commerce,
Charles F. Ernst, state director
of the VERA, stated that it is
up to the VERA to reduce the
number of public dependents in
order that the burden be lifted
from classes with self-sustaining
or surplus incomes.
Must be Halted
This new NRA policy to put
the cost OF the capitalist break
down on workers will further
intensity the misery of the en-
ployed and unemployed workers
and farmers. Its intention is to
lower the standard of living of
the working class still further,
save the tax money Of the sur
plus incomes" and divide workers
now in cities and towns, and de-
stroy militant organizations and
action. 1t is another step toward
faseism. 1t must be fought and
killed by active work to put over
Workers Unemployment Insur-
ance at the cost of the employers
and the Observation-Disclosures 4.