The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-02-20
SOME FACTS PRESENTED
ON RELIEF CONTROVERSY
Signed Statements AlIege Sena'
tor Friend and Committee To
Have Been Wrong In Reports
TWO CASES IN QUESTION

Facts concerning two relief cases
under attack recently by Clifford
Friend and his investigating commit
tee are being brought to light this
week by members of the Welfare
Board at the request of number Of
citizens who wish that the situation
be cleared up.
At the request Of these citizens for
both newspapers to inquire into the
matter thoroughly, representative
of The Republican obtained state
ments from Charles w. Ream, chair
man of the Welfare Board, Mrs. Sadie
Shope, whom the investigating COM
mittee claimed was hired as Mr..
Ream's housekeeper while still re-
ceiving relief, and also obtained rec
ords from the Welfare office concern
ing the relief cases in question.
There is no intention to create any
further argument in the matter. The
actual facts and actual signed state
ments should speak for themselves.
In a recent article published by the
investigating committee and signed
by Clifford Friend, Truman G. Bit
finger and A. ]. Richter there was
the following: eve would like for
Mr.. Ream to explain why this particu-
lar woman MRS. Sadie Shope) is en-
ployed as his housekeeper in Crellin
and at the same time she is receiving
four dollars relief per week at the
hands of the county welfare Office"
A signed statement from Mrs.
Shope states, 81 was not hired by
Mr.. Ream, nor did he need house
keeper, since he is at home so little,
but my family and I are very fortu-
nate to have the advantage of living
in a warm home during this severe
winter with plenty to eat, through the
goodness and favor of Mr.. Ream."
The first part of the statement tells
why she and her two children, boy 9
and a girl moved into Mr.. Ream's
home.
81 want the reading public to know
that Senator Friend and his investi-
eating committee have misrepresent-
ed the facts in this particular case.
am a widow with two children and
had been living in two rooms of an
old building in Crellin, which was
very hard to keep warm and COM
Portable.
con October IL, 1885, my little girl
was struck by an automobile. She was
taken to Memorial hospital, having a
fractured skull and a badly fractured
hip and leg. Mr.. Ream, realizing my
circumstances, and desiring to help
me, said that I might go into his
home with my children for the winter
where it would be warm and where
it would be easier for me to take
better care of my little girl when she
returned from the hospital, and that
he would provide all provisions"
In a signed statement Mr.. Ream
says: "The investigation by Senator
Friend and his committee of Mrs.
Sadie Shope was certainly not an in
yestigation as scarcely anything
stated in their report is fact"
His story of how Mrs. Slope came
to his house is the same in content
as that told by Mrs. Shope herself.
The records show that at the time the
investigating committee was around
the little girl was just able to get
around in the home, having had her
leg in cast and being unable to be
out of bed until December 8. Yet the
committee reported her in school. Mr..
Ream concluded, "The committee
seems to object to her receiving $1,000
for clothing for herself and children
during this time, even though all
other provisions were furnished by
me, and I am at home scarcely any
of the time and do not need house
keeper"
An inspection of the records in the
welfare office disclose that Mrs.
Shope was housekeeper in Mr.. Ream's
home from May, 1884, until April,
1895, after which Mr.. Ream closed
his house. They also disclose that she
was not hired as housekeeper dur
ing the time under discussion.
CONTINUED on Page Six)