Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-10-17
WESTINGHOUSE
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BY WILLIAM BRUCkART
NATIONAL PRESS BLDG. WASHING TON. o. T.
sY WILLIAM BRUCKART
NATIONAL PRESS BLDG.

Get Data for tary Iekes have
Relief Job Just completed
ross-counny tour
and are now in possession Of infOrma-
ton on which 10 base the future
course for management OF the relief
Job this winter What their plans are,
beyond the use of the funds appro-
priated last winter. remain confden-
tial but without doubt the country
can expect to see some very definite
! changes In the practices that have
been followed.
The New Deal was swept into the
governmental control upon the twin
arches Of recovery and relief. The re-
covery arch seems to be holding up.
The relief arch, believe, can be said
to be teetering. At least that is the
conclusion that must be drawn on a
set Of circumstances In which billions
have been spent to tide destitute per-
sons over their distress only to leave
millions of them still looking for gov
eminent handouts.
1t is quite apparent that Mr.. Roose-
welt took his two relief advisers on his
Western trip chiefly for the purpose,
like the well-knOwn bear, Of going
over the mountain to see what he
could see. The word that has come
back to Washington is that he saw
some things that were not altogether
encouraging He found that his previ-
Gus relief methods were not in high
favor in the Middle West and on the
Pacific coast. Hence there are some
changes in prospect.
New Deal opposition has character
lied the Presidents vacation trip
westward as being, in part, politics
Whether this be fact or not, anyone
can recall that there Is an election in
November. 1896. and that shrewd poll
ticians begin many months in advance
to oil the campaign machinery and
see that the gears mesh. 1t Is not at
all unlikely, then, that while Mr..
Roosevelt was sincerely examining the
relief situation and attempting to as
certain for himself what should be
done to make the going easier for
those in distress. he probably had in
the back Of his mind thoughts Of how
those same people would react when
they go to the polls a year hence and
find his name as the Democratic Pres
idential nominee.
Some months ago Mr.. Roosevelt an
nounced with emphasis that the job
of taking care of the
Courftng destitute must be
Trouble turned back to the
states and private
charity. II was, he said, no longer a
federal proposition. A good many OBJ
servers here felt at the time he made
that announcement that he was court
ing trouble. Those who took that
view have found their conclusions am
ply supported by the facts since de-
veloped- The President, indeed, has
eourted trouble and it is a species of
trouble that is going to remain with
him throughout a long. hard winter
just ahead. Probably he will be able
TO find way out If. indeed. a way out
was not discovered while he and
Messrs. Hopkins and Ickes were on
their transcontinental tour. To the
average person, however. the solution
Is not so apparent.
That brings us to a phase of feder-
al administration, a new circumstance
and problem, confronting the nation.
describe 1t as a new problem which
in fact it is when considered in the
light Of developments since the New
Deal took control
1t seems TO me that 1t ought to be
said the Roosevelt administration
failed to profit by a knowledge of
what has happened heretofore in the
use Of the dole. Just across the At
lantic has been available a splendid
demonstration Of what the dole can
and will do to population. The Brit
ish government listened to the appeals
OF the professional BELIEVERS and hui
manitarians and adopted a dole. 1t
has taken that nation four years to
whittle away even a part Of the stu
alton It built up for itself.
Here is the crux of the problem:
At any time a governmental agency
begins to feed people. to clothe them
and to provide them with the other
necessaries Of life free. by that act 1t
inculcates in those people-not all of
them of course-a feeling that the
world, and particularly their govern
ment owes them a living. A certain
percentage Of them Immediately be-
come convinced that while the dole
may be smaller than their weekly pay
check earned in industry. II comes
without work In fact. 1t breeds lazi-
ness.
So. In this country now we have
certain percentage Of the population
who are wholly I'M
They Don't willing to work be-
Want Jobs cause they have
found that the gov
eminent will take care OF them in
times of stress. In consequence, this
segment OF the population Is making
no effort to obtain jobs and is quite