Evening star., 1935-01-04

into a task for which there was
little time to make preparation and
little American experience to fol-
low. Great employment has been
given and is being given by these
works.
Two Billions Spent
On Relief Measures.
More than two billions of dollars
have also been expended in direct
relief to the destitute. Local
agencies of necessity determined
the recipients of this form of re-
lief. With inevitable exceptions
the funds were spent by them with
reasonable efficiency and. as re-
suit, actual want of food and
clothing in the great majority of
cases has been overcome.
But the stark fact before us is
that great numbers still remain
unemployed.
A large proportion Of these un-
employed and their dependents
have been forced on the relief rolls.
The burden on the Federal Gov
ernment has grown with great ra-
pidity. We have here human as
we'll as an economic problem. When
humane considerations are con-
cerned, Americans give them pre-
cedence The lessons of history,
confirmed by the evidence immedi-
ately before me show concluSively
that continued dependence upon
relief induces a spiritual and moral
Gisintegration fundamentally de-
structive to the national fiber. To
dole out relief in this way is to ad-
minister a narcotic. subtle de-
stroyer of the human spirit. 1t is
inimical TO the dictates Of sound
policy. 1t is in violation of the
traditions of America. Work must
be found for able-bodied but desti-
tute workers.
The Federal Government must
and shall quit this business Of re-
lief.
l an not willing that the vitality
of our people be further sapped by
the giving of cash. of market bas-
kecs, of few hours of weekly work
cutting grass. raking leaves or pick
ing up papers in the public parks.
We must preserve not only the
bodies Of the unemployed from des-
titution but also their self-respect,
their self-reliance and courage and
determination This decision brings
me to the problem of what the
Government should do with ap-
proximately five million unem-
ployed now on the relief rolls.
Future Relief Placed
On Local Agencies.
About one million and a half OF
these belong to the group which in
the past was dependent upon local
welfare efforts. Most of them are
unable for one reason or another
to maintain themselves independ-
ently-for the most part. through
no fault of their own. Such people,
in the days before the great de-
preston. were cared for by local
efIorts-by States, by counties, by
towns. by cities. by churches and
b. private welfare agencies. 1t is
my thought that in the future they
must be cared for as they were be-
fore. I stand ready through my
own personal efforts, and through
the public influence of the Office
that I hold. to help these local
agencies to get the means neces-
Sary to assume this burden.
The security legislation which
shall propose to the Congress will,
I am confident, be of assistance to
local effort in the care OF this type
of cases. Local responsibility can
and will be resumed. for, after all.
common sense tells us that the
wealth necessary for this task ex-
listed and still exists in the local
community. and the dictates of
sound administration require that
this responsibility be in the first
intance local one.
There are, however, an additional
three-and-one-half million employ
able people who are on relief. With
them the problem is different and
the responsibility is different. This
group was the victim of Nation
wide depression caused by condi-
tions which were not local but ma
tional. The Federal Government
is the only governmental agency
with sufficient power and credit to
meet this situation. We have as
sumed this task and We shall not
shrink from it il the future. 1t Is
a duty dictated by every intelligent
consideration of national policy to
ask you to make it possible for the
United States to give employment
to all of these three-a -one-half
million employable people now on
relief, pending their absorption in
a rising tide of private employ
ment.
Proposes Combining
Public Works Programs.
1t Is my thought that with the
exception of Gel ltain of the normal
public building operations of the
Government, all emergency public
works shall be united in single
new and greatly enlarged plan.
With the establishment of this
new system we can supersede the
Federal Emergency Relief Admin
istration with a co-ordinated au-
thority which will be charged with
the orderly liquidation of our pres
ent relief activities and the substi-
tuition of a national chart for the
giving Of work.
This new program of emergency
public employment should be gov
q 2H9