The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-04-02
Charge
Waste


relief situations. They are stressing
the waste that they charge has per-
meated every phase of the relief eff
fort in the last three years as we'll as
the waste that has taken place in the
countless alphabetical agencies that
Mr.. Roosevelt has built up in the fed
eral government.
The relief machinery, Roosevelt op-
ponents claim, has been converted into
gigantic political machine, the chief
Roosevelt. They claim as well that
there has been created a bureaucracy
that makes us, as individuals, RESPONSE
BILE to thousand little dictators who
act as prosecution, judge and jury
over our every coming and going.
All of these are harsh accusat tons
but there is enough evidence available
now to make it appear that there is,
at least, some truth upon which such
charges can be based.
OF course, politicians will magnify
all phases of every subject which they
discuss. The opposition will make the
crimes look heinous and the admins
tration spokesman will make every
thing look pure. Neither one is justi-
fed in going quite to the extent of the
indicated trend. 1t seems to me that
voters ought not be fully convinced
by either side but that they ought to
examine the picture from the local
viewpoint where the evidence is first
hand and where the people who did
good job or who were guilty of fraud
or corruption are known to the voters.
Then, if in November the election re-
suits for the whole country show a
preponderance one way or another, the
voters will have established their will
as being either in favor of or definite
ly opposed to management of such
things from Washington.
There are 3,071 counties in the Unit
ed States. In nearly every one of
them, there are
more Republican and
PoJifics Democratic county
chairman. In many
of the counties the Democratic cOun-
ty chairmen are trying to use the WPA
and its relief setup for political advan-
tage. In an equal number of coun-
ties Republican county chairmen are
watching for and reporting irregular
titles. There can be no doubt, there
fore, that the charges about relief be-
ing used politically will increase in
number as the campaign progresses if
there is ground for the charges. SO, 1t
is made to appear that the local voters
will have complete picture of condi-
lions upon which to base their judg-
ment.
Two recent instances where impor-
tant individuals have called attention
to alleged corruption and political
maneuvering under guidance of relief
leaders serve to support the conten-
ton I have just advanced that the
local communities will have complete
facts before them. | refer to the
charges by Senator Holt, Democrat, of
west virginia, tnaL the WnOlc relleI
organization in his state is honey
combed with politics and the bitter at
tack by Governor Pinchot, Pennsyl-
vania Republican. upon what he called
the manhandling of relief administra-
ton in the state In which he formerly
was the chief executive Relief Ad-
ministrator Hopkins, with the aid of
politicians. has denied these charges
in toto. Senator Holt called the Hop
kin's denial whitewash of his own
appointees and Mr.. Pinchot turned
loose a fresh fire.
This sort of thing probably will de-
velop in every state in the Union. Some
of the charges will be found true and
some of the denials will be substan-
tiated. Obviously. it is not a matter
that can be dealt with generally and
so it behooves the voters in the vari-
GUS communities to look into the facts
for themselves.