The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-19

VIII w L. NAAOJ l. - 49, - 49,
hold work or acting as
kit c h en- "mechanician"
when they can receive S55
monthly and an assured in
come by working on a
Works Progress Admins
tration project.
why should I slave in kitchen
for Sc week when can get en-
ployment here. Me! I'm doing
something I've been wanting to do
learning pattern making-and
maybe some day I'll be a dress
maker if times improve eXclaims
Annie" some ones Annie"
Annie" is one Of the lucky
women working on three floors of
the S. Meridian-st building max
inf garments for the city's indi-
gent.
CHE feels she's lucky, first be-
~ cause she is one of the "cho-
sen" with WPA job. She was
out of work before she went on
direct relief. She has three al
ways hungry mouths to feed. A
wage of Sc week and board
would not care for herself and her
three children.
j, H. Crawley, assistant director
of Marion County's WPA Office,
and other officials say that the
security wage of $55 monthly in
the county has tended to increase
wages in private employment
rather than decrease pay.
A department store controller
in indianapolis tells of q similar
circumstance and the desire of
the WPA worker to be secure in
employment at fair scale of
wages.
The merchant wanted carpen-
ter part time" but when he ap-
preached the man who had
worked for him on former occa-
sions he was told that he had
WPA work and feared that if he
worked at odd times for his old
employer that he might not be
able to keep his WPA job.
COUNTY WPA. officials declare
~ that since they have assured
workers that they would be rein
stated in WPA should their
private employment fail that
greater tendency to take jobs in
industry is seen.
They assert that some workers
have accepted jobs in industry at
lower wages if permanency of the
job was assured.
Loafing on WPA projects is held
to be no greater problem than in
private industry.
There's about as much loafing
on WPA as you'll find in the
United States Steel Corporation
vouches Wayne Coy, Indiana Ad-
ministrator.
The trouble we have with men
and women is trying to work when
it might mean a death warrant.
We try to be sure that they are
sound physically" he added.
A look around" the S. Me-
ridian-st sewing project for
women finds substantiation in Mr..
Coy's declarations.
The women are calm workers
and the calmest is Mrs. Bette
Cunningham who is ITO years old,
March 2, and don't feel a day
of it."
ITER needle steering in and out
i l. of patchwork quilts supports
a 74-year-oid husband Her rent
is IS month for room in the
home of her daughter The daugh-
ter's husband works for WPA.
The daughter is blind. The gro
Gerry bill for the aged couple is S18
month, the coal bill So more and
what's left of the S23 goes toward
medicines and few little luxuries
for her sick husband
This is so much better than
getting grocery relief. We old folk
can't eat what the young 'uns do
and by working I can get Pa and
myself a few more things" Mrs.
Cunningham says as she smooths
the folds of q dress which she de-
clares is Il years old IF it's a
day."
Possibility of increase of the old
age pension from a maximum of
SIS to $50 monthly at the March
special session of the General As
sembly holds no rainbow with a
pot of gold at the end for Mrs.
Cunningham.
"A jobs all I want. They can
keep the pension, she says.
Working on the floor below Mrs.
Cunningham is 18-year-old
:Daisy." Negro girl, who in taking
a SIS Federal pay check monthly