Evening star., 1935-11-10

~ RAGEDY lays its somber color
heavily on the daily scene il
each of the six branch office
L of the public assistance di
vision of the Board of Public Welfare
But a closeup of the picture tn.
depression has painted there is no
an experience in unrelieved ugli
ness. There are the pleasant shade:
provided by the evidence that some
body cares" that there has been NJ
surrender in the face of seemingly in
superable odds.
Before 9 o'clock of a morning I;
long line has formed outside the relic
stations. When the doors open at
O'Clock the human wave pours in
Chairs are quickly occupied and {
line forms to the desk to present cases
A year ago last May. at the termina.
ton of C. w. A., when relief organi.
cations were unprepared in personne
for such an influx. police had to bt
called in to quell the hungry nnobS oi
men and women, determined to be
fed if they had to break in windows
in the process.
Now, with an experienced corps Of
trained men and women, the daily
crowd is handled with courtesy and
efficiency. It's case of Yes, Mr.. S
Ill see that your message is delivered
to your case worker"
Discouraged backs straighten! The
promise instills optimism
A study of the faces in the closely
packed room is a study of suffering
discouragement, pride. bewilderment
sullenness, worry. resignation, hope
and faith. Like clouds scudding
across darkening sky, faces reflect
these varying emotions. A great paint
er might perhaps catch the spirit of
1t all. Colored people and white
people of all nationalities. in the
melting pot of suffering, jostling each
other in the great effort to keep their
heads above water. Lovely faces, some
OF them are. but haunted by insecurity
Also there is among the workers a
great understanding of human woes
and a patience in handling them.
There's a spirit of conservation, al
most. among them all. And a pride
also. that each applicant for charity
shall be made to feel the Importance
of his or her problem. Procedure ir
handling people follows proven lines.
To the initiate it is familiar ground
but to those who have never seen the
system, it is virgin soil.
And so the first faltering steps to-
ward better days for greater mum.
bers of people" are systematized to
get the maximum of service with a
minimum of effort for all concerned.
There are in general three kinds of
cases handled daily. They are: CD
Active cases of those who are On the
relief rolls and want to see their case
worker: CD the new case. who has
never been on relief; 60 those cases
that have been on relief, but have gone
off through work projects, and want
to be reinstated.
THE first group is the largest. Data
are sent to the case workers, To-
Gated In another part of the building,
and who have successive interviews
like doctors. There are calls for sheets,
for shirts, for shoes, for fuel, for
blankets.
AS an anvil chorus, however. is
always the reiteration MY check
hasn't come yet" Relief checks are
sent out the 1st and the 18th of every
month. This goes to the unemploy-
ables, and those not yet assigned to
work. The month of october was
woefully long and their resources had
been strained.
= Pay rolls for the unemployed vary
according to the emergency plus the
number of people dependent in the
family. A single person on relief re-