The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-07-17
ACTION is TAKEN
FOLLOWING TROUBLE
AT STATE CAPITOL
Relief "in Kind" to Be Substi.
tuted for Those on City
Rolls Says Wilson
PROGRAM IS THREATENED
Possibility Exists Government
May Leave State to Pad.
die Its Own Canoe

Relief lin kind" was substituted for
cash relief to the needy Of Bismarck
Tuesday as the result Of q disturb
ance by approximately $50 members
Of the Burleigh County Labor Club
Monday at the state capitol building.
This was the relief ADMINISTRATOR
answer to the demands Of the organ
ization and to the action Of the men
who Monday manhandled John E.
Williams, executive secretary of the
| relief organization, and tossed q
cuspidor through one of the plate
glass panels Of the huge south win
dow In the main hall of the capitol
building.
Hating of cash payments was auto
matte following the disturbance, Re-
lief Director E. A. Wilson said, the
rules Of the organization requiring
such action in the event Of disturb
ance by persons receiving relief.
At the same time Wilson expressed
fear that further incidents Of similar
nature might cause complete with
drawal Of the federal government
from relief work in North Dakota,
leaving the state to take care Of its
destitute as best it can. The amount
Of this relief now totals about 81 $780,
600 monthly. The state isn't giving q
cent to relief and the counties are
paying only small part Of the total
bill.
| Wilson's announcement came on
the heels Of strike of Bismarck re-
lief clients" which will continue for
at least the next 10 days, the amount
Of time granted by the Labor Club
members for the relief administra-
ton to meet their demands. The
strike was voted Monday afternoon
at meeting in the Burleigh county
courthouse which was addressed by
Wilson. Williams and Governor Will
liam LANCER. Wilson and Williams
explained they were doing the best
they could with the money available.
LANCER urged further agitation as the
best means of inducing the govern
ment to send more money into North
Dakota.
Relief Stepped Up
Admitting frankly that some Of the
complaints were justified, Wilson
said Tuesday that steps were taken
on July to improve the situation by
granting 10-per-cent increase In the
budgets allowed families on relief and
increasing the allowances for rent.
One demand of the group which
visited the capitol Monday was for
additional rent money. Another was
for 80 hours of work weekly for
every man on relief at so cents an
hour This will not be met.
If the relief administration were to
accede to this request. Wilson said
Tuesday, the money allotted to this
state soon will be exhausted and
thousands of persons would face
starvation and actual hardship before
the winter ends. AS it Is, no one is
starving in North Dakota now and
the needs Of every family are being
met.
Fear that North Dakota may be
left to paddle its own canoe is based
on the policy adopted by the ma
tional relief administration else
where, Wilson admitted Tuesday. In
certain parts Of Kansas, Nebraska
and other states where agitators
caused trouble, federal relief was
completely withdrawn. leaving state
and local officials to handle the
situation and finance relief work.
The result in every case, he COM
mented grimly, was very effective"
Wilson said the federal govern
ment has "been more than liberal"
with North Dakota, and that this state
has Jared better than some others,
largely because Of the faith which
the relief administration at Washing
ton had placed in Supreme Court
Judge A. M Christianson, until re-
Gently relief administrator for the
state.
han Member on Committee
Demands made Monday by the labor
club, in addition to more rent money
and minimum Of 80 hours work .
week, were for representative on the
county relief committee. This. too,
will be denied. In some cases where
there has been only one organization
representing persons on relief, such
representation has been granted. In
Burleigh county, however, there are
two such organizations and the pos
sibility exists that II member Of one
IS placed on the committee members
(Cnntina1Ad m Pn1a ~