The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-14
HOW RELIEF WORKS IN INDIANA
More Than 4G0O Dependent Federal and Taxpayers
BY ARCH STEINEL

siers today are depend
ent on Federal and state
relief.
Indiana's relief load is
heavier than two years ago,
and almost equal to Janu-
airy, 1885, because $26,000,-
900 in Federal and state
money : bags have been
dumped in the past six
months to care more amply
for the INDECENT.
One out of almost every seven
persons in the state is dependent
upon Federal or state taxpayers.
One out of every 38 persons
receives bi-monthly checks from
the Federal government for gro
ceries and coal.
one out OF every 10 persons in
Indiana is supported by the thir-
ty-eighth person who receives a
check from the COVER ment
through Indiana's Works Progress
Administration.
One out of every 10 persons is
fed, clothed and housed through
the generosity of state taxpay-
erS.
THESE facts are revealed in a
survey of relief conditions
made by The indianapolis Times.
The result of printing Indiana's
economic pump by work relief
wages was a six-month high in
January of $4,65O,0OO in Federal
funds spent by the states WPA
organization.
The survey shows that by
March Is a total of $35,000,0O0
will have been spent in an effort
to give jobs and direct relief "jowl"
-food-to stimulate industry and
slice unemployment.
The survey further shows that
another giant boost is to be given
industry between March Is and
April / when the expenditure of
$26,000,000 more on road building
and schools is to be inaugurated
under the State Highway Com
mission and the states division Of
the Federal PWA.
This $26,000000 expenditure, the
survey shows, coupled with sea-
sonal employment, may make 1886
one of the best industrial and
business years since the boom
period of 1928. Fifteen thousand
workers will be taken from WPA
work relief rolls to man the jobs.
THE sharp decline of direct
Il relief and the lessening of the
local tax SIrden is shown in the
survey as due wholly to work re-
lief and the outpouring Of money
on WPA projects sponsored by
cities, towns, school cities, and
other governmental units.
The survey reveals that where
$25 100000 was spent in II months
prior to November, 1884, with the
exception of CWA funds, to care
for unemployment relief, $1,000
600 more than that amount has
gone into the cash registers and
account books of grocers, land
lords, and merchants in the last
six months.
The Times survey shows how
the burden of the unemployable
has been returned to the taxpay-
erS in the states townships and
private charity.
1t discloses how the adjustment
of the Federal Transient Bureau
has increased the costs of Com
munity Fund welfare and relief
agencies.
WHO is the "unemployable?"
Wv The Times survey reveals
that they are persons from 35 to
SIS years of age who have reached
the end of their economic rope
and have been forced on charity
after WPA's inception or are the
sick, the lame, the young, the
widowed, or deserted.
Wayne Coy, Indiana WPA adj
ministrator, estimates that not
more than 5000 family heads of
the unemployables now on direct
relief can be put to work on state
construction jobs.
He sees, however, work salvage
possible for other thousands in
projects that would dequire the
minimum of physical labor.
Tracing wage averages under
WPA in Indiana The Times study
shows that the heads of families
employed on the projects received
an average wage of $44 a month
over six-month period with this
average reaching $40 a month in
December.
Administration costs under
WPA are shown to have decreased
over administration costs when
the Governors Unemployment Re-
lief Commission, in 1884, directed
the FERA work rolls.
The relief canvas in Marion
County shows that almost one out
of every five persons depends on
Federal or state funds for their
existence.
1t reveals that the county's
total population on. work and di-
rect relief is almost equal to the
highest relief figures for all de-
preston years.
- The dwindling cost to county
and Center Township taxpayers,
with the reduction of direct relief
and absorption of relief rolls by
WPA, is shown, while in the same
BENNY