Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-05-07

O~0A ACAiCA u
comes rather close to disclosing the
transcendent Importance of the ma
tons relief problem in American
economy at this time.
/ refer to the recent testimony by
Harry A. Hopkins, Works Progress Ad-
ministrator and professional reliever
before the house committee on appro-
priations. He told that group few
days ago that 1858, 900 heads of fami-
Hes or unattached persons were receiv-
Ing livelihood for themselves and
their families from the federal govern
ment on March first of this year. II
this be true, and 1t can hardly be
disproved, there are nearly fifteen mil
lion persons dependent directly upon
FEDERAL assistance. And the condition
appears even worse when 1t is shown
that about ten million others are re-
ceiving assistance from state, county
and city relief or charitable organiza-
tons. In short, the Hopkins testimony
reveals that about twenty per cent
Of all Of our people are living on relief
money.
These figures are astounding. They
are made the more amazing when one
considers that the condition exists even
after the New Deal has expended ap-
proximately twenty-one billions In its
three years Of government manage
ment, the bulk Of the outgo being d.
rectly chargeable to what Mr.. Roose-
Welt has consistently maintained was
an emergency.
have reported to you intermittent
ly heretofore the various stages
through which Reliever Hopkins has
gone In his search for means to solve
the relief problem. have been among
those observers here who have felt
that even though Mr.. Hopkins lacks
practical experience in commercial life
and even though he casts aside every
consideration except those inherent in
his life professionally to relief work,
that he should be given time to solve
the problem. 1t seems to me, however,
that he has had ample time to find
the answer If he is ever going to pro-
vide a solution. Neither he nor Presi-
dent Roosevelt has given any indica-
ton yet that they know the answer or
even have a clew to it. The net result
of their efforts to date has been the
expenditure of money in unprecedented
amounts and the piling up of debt,
the like of which this country never
has known.
Mr.. Hopkins has gone about his job
smugly and with that apparent COM
placency that characterizes the official
who Is convinced that he alone is
equipped to do a particular job. By
his attitude, he has created in congress
q feeling that he thinks he Is a su-
perior' being and If anything makes
q congressman hot under the collar, 1t
is to see a member Of the executive
branch exhibit a pose that the con-
gressmen are dumbbells. Some Of them
are, of course, but that Is not true of
all and 1t Is fast doing Mr.. Hopkins
no good at all to show arrogance to-
wards the men who 60 out and cam
paign directly for the votes Of the
people.
l said that the relief problem was
Of transcendent Importance In govern
mental affairs at this
Visionary time. That is true be.
Policy cause believe the
conviction Is grow
ing that the whole New Deal policy
on relief Is impractical and visionary:
that It is founded upon wrong psy-
chology; that 1t Is creating In this
nation the greatest mass Of panhand-
lers and "the world owes me living"
type or class of individuals that has
ever existed anywhere and that, in
addition the men who are doing the
job for the federal government lack
the ability to understand its whole sig
niicance.
AS proof of the observations have
Just stated, let me point out how the
demands for vast expenditures Of
money and wholesale methods Of re-
lief for the destitute have subsidized
In congress. Time was when half
dozen so-called welfare workers, col
lege professors or organization lead
ers could get a hearing by the simple
crook Of a finger before COMPRESSION
al committee. Such men as Senator La
Toilette Of Wisconsin, and Senator
Costigan of Colorado, and the late Sen
ator Cutting of New Mexico, to men,
ton only a few. would weep salty
tears in senate speeches; they would
call for ten billions for this and five
billions for that and other billions for
other things and shout that people
were starving In the midst Of plenty.
And they were starving In the midst
Of plenty, but the shouting and the
tumult raised by these political saviors
did not provide solution for the
problem. l have a bunch that the 81
lence Of such men as these through
the last year can mean only that they
now see they were Off on the wrong
foot. They cannot help but realize
that their theories were all wet be-
cause Mr.. Hopkins certainly has dis
proved the value of their plans.
Another indication Of how congress
feels Is the movement to divide the
hoIR roliof fund which