, 1935-04-26
AS a Relief Worker Sees His Clients

what has relief done for people?
How do the people on relief regard
the visitors and the waiting room
a~ttendantss What do they ask
for7 Do they get what they ask
for? What Is waiting room like?
With what problems TO the relief
workers have to copef
The answers to these questions
are interesting. Few ~generaiities
can be made. Each client has diff
ferent problems, requires different
handling.
People on relief may be divided
into three groups.
Oneg roup makes few demands and
keeps striving for Jobs.
A large middle group exists. These
people have lost their morale, their
ambitions are dimmed and their
value az future workers IN practically
nil.
A comparatively small group Is
composed OF those who either cannot
work or won't work. such as the
neurotics, borderline cases. invalids.
and members Of the unemployed
councils.
Relief has provided all Of these
groups with the necessities Of life.
This includes food, clothing. bedding,
lodging, coal, coal oil, stores. mech
anical appliances and carfare.
Medicine Is provided by the vari-
Gus hospitals and medical care by
the hospitals and city doctors.
Relief workers try to inject as
much OF the human element into
their work as is feasible. They try
no. TO allow the Job TO descend to a
purely mechanical level.
The family welfare work we do
Is perhaps Of as much value TO
the clients as the relief that they
receive. 1t IN often helpful to a fam
fly trying to clarity some domestic
situation.
Advice is offered but never forced
upon anyone.
The attitudes OF the clients toward
the workers are as varied as the in
dividuals themselves. Some are
surly, a few are pleasant, some
friendly. others b~elligerent. some are
trusting. many distrusting. All the
reactions that human beings are
capable Of are exhibited by the
clients. Watch them come into a
relief district waiting room.
Clients may come there for en-
gagements with the visitor. to leave
messages or to register complaints.
Throughout one day the nan be-
hind the desk in a waiting room is
subject to threats. troubles. hys-
terical clients. neurotic clients, in
ebriates, Communists. etc.
Many Of the clients cannot speak
English well. The first may be an
Hungarian. His face Ia pleasant,
but even before he begins talking he
shakes q short, but clean finger at
the worker.
He requires coal and tells the
worker 1t was asked for three days
ago. He busters and RACES a bit.
but his rage Is not genuine. The
worker asks about his sick child,
Gains him down.
The effect is miraculous. A trou-
bled look appears on Mr.. KS face.
He pours out a sad story IN broken
English.
Meanwhile the worker has check
ed on the order and finds It is due
at the clients house that morning.
Mr.. X departs smiling after thank
ing Mister"
A little girl on her way TO school
comes In. Her request for shoes Is
sent to the visitor who viii send out
the reQuisition.
A member OF the unemployed
council enters. threatening physical
violence 70 the worker II his request
is not filled.
The worker knows his request for
a typewriter Is absurd and tells the
client the visitor will discuss his re-
quest with him. The client Is salts
fled because he has been given some
attention.
Next comes a small but neat APP
pearing woman who Immediately
apologies for coming to the office.
Her effusive attitude OF humility
c~hAracterizes her as the member Of
a certain religious sect.
She Is distinctly emotional and
subject to religious hysteria.
When I sell my house." she says,
Il will remember each person in this
office with something nice"
A short, pale, unshaven man wants