Montana labor news., 1936-05-14
P~ANHANDLERS AND
THE RELIEF SETUP

WHICH lllC QGplNoSlOn AAAoA ~
and for some time thereafter, It was
a common experience, when saunter-
ing down n OF the main streets Of
this city, to be accosted by some for
lorn and piteous looking individual for
a dime or a nickel or any mount OF
money in order that he could get
something to eat or TO put it with
another nickel or dime that he had
acquired, in the same manner, from
some other generous hearted pedes-
trian.
This practice became SO prevalent
that it was taken cognizance OF by the
state and county and even the Federal
government as the panic and the pow
erty OF the common people increased
in intensity.
The local relief agency Of Silver
Bow County was established in Octob-
er 1881, after the people had suffered
fortunes of he'll. OF course this was
during the administration of President
Hoover. A drive was made and more
than a million dollars raised over a
period of time principally through
deducting a certain amount from the
pay checks Of people who were then
working. In September, 1882, grants
of money were made by the Federal
Government to the states to care Of
the relief situation. This initiated the
first movement Of the Federal Gov
eminent to care for the needy people
of the country regardless OF where
they lived. These Federal grants con-
tinued until last November. Since that
time the various states have been tax
ing care of distressed people, and un-
less these state agencies divise a bet
Ter plan than they have at the pre-
sent time, there is going to be as much
suffering as prevailed prior to October
1881.
The institute OF public opinion states
that the people Of the United States
favor state administration Of relief.
Undoubtedly they do, but not the way
it is being carried on now, The peo-
pie may favor a system of state ad-
ministration wherein the Federal Gov
eminent makes grants to the states
TO assist in the alienation OF distress.
and does not put the entire burden
upon the treasures Of each common
wealth. Under the Federal Emerg-
ency Relief Administration, soup kit
chens we're set up and even places OF
Judgement, where transients could &c
and be given a meal, a wash and pos
sibly a bed to sleep in for a night OF
two. These places distributed relief tc
distressed, temporary strangers ant
became a phenomena Of the entire
country.
All of these remedial measures have
been abandoned. The Federal Gov.
eminent has even gone out OF the re-
lief business and the burden Of car
ing for people Of the various commun'
tiles has been saddled on to the states
Each community is supposed to take
care of its own people. There pos
sibly would be no complaint with this
arrangement if we should look upor
each state or each community as hav-
ing a Chinese wall surrounding it anC
through which no one would be al
lowed to enter or leave. If we looE
upon the people Of the United State:
in this narrow sense, somewhat like
California is doing at the present time
then any unfortunate worker, woulC
have no right to go outside the con.
fines of his own narrow hamlet
Should the rules be broken, a poverty
stricken itinerant or an unfortunate
stranger finding himself suddenly in
new town, under the new setup nov
has no place to look for relief excep
TO pan handle some easy looking in
dividual coming down the street. Th1
practice is going to get worse ans
worse, and, it is not the fault Of tn
individual who is requesting the gift
In the vast majority of these case
the beggar is not only willing, but an
xious to go to work and create wealt
and spend what meagre earnings tina
he does make under the capitalist sys
tenn to further enrich the few at TIL
top.
No provision has been made by tn
cities or counties or by the state gov
eminent to care for these transfer
people. In fact it is almost impossibl
now for even a bonafide resident, VIII
has been in the community for yeai
and who is employable to get on relic
regardless of how worthy he is. Sine
the Federal Government has withdraw
from relief are these new conditions {
be the criterion OF how the states sha
look after unemployed?
God help the working people if the
are because they surely will not re
ceive much help from the State Coy
ernmen judging by the narrownes
the jealousy and the -impecuniousne
exhibited by the various counties a
ready in the treatment of strangers
the community and in their own hon
folks.
Previous to the organization of Il
local relief set-up in October, 1913
the Salvation Army was operated c
funds collected each year by means
a drive put on in the local communit
The chief duty OF the Salvation Arm
previous to the relief organization, WI
to care for transients and homeless sill
gle men, who were temporarily out
employment.
Upon the organization of the Edne
gency Relief Administration, it W
decided by different organizations
the community that there would be
individual drives; that the Red Gro:
Salvation Army, and etc, would
subsidized from funds collected for r