The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-11-12
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
RELIEF PROBLEMS

| national election comes and goes. As matter OF
fact, there were 100000 more cases on the relief
rolls of the nation on September 18th of this year
than there were in July, 1888 The figures for July,
1898. show that 100000 families or single per-
sons we're receiving relief from the government,
while on September 18th the number had risen to
more than 100000 including those employed by
the WPA, the unemployables supported by states
and cities, and all those receiving work or direct
relief from other federal agencies organized for
that purpose. And it is expected that the number
of relief clients vii show the usual seasonal in
crease during the winter, probably accelerated by
distressed conditions in the states that strick
en- by the summers destructive drought. These in
creases are coming about let it be remembered, at
a time when all employment induces reveal steady
gain in the number of privately employed men and
women. Now, this business of relief is a problem
of no small magnitude, and the difficulty of Sov-
ing it is not lessened by the indisputabe tendency
of far too many recipients of relief, whether in the
form of work or the dole, to regard it as a source
OF steady and dependable income. one not to be
lightly given up. The plain truth is that many re-
lief clients have come to regard relief a right,
something to be demanded, Newspaper headlines
telling of strikes of relief workers surely must
for relief. 1t seems to US that strike of relief
workers is tantamount to the strikers declaring
that they do not really need-and indeed, have
no right to-the made work that has been pro-
vded for them. And yet there have been WPA
strikes II is obvious to return to the principal
then that something is going to have to be done
about relief. The Government cannot afford to
continue to pay larger and larger sums of money
for relief Even country as wealthy as this one
cannot keep it up forever. One step that probably
would bring about immediate economy in relief
would be to turn it back to the States, with the
Federal Government making loans where neces-
sary Relief would be more efficient and less ex-
pensive if it were handled separately by each of
the 4S States instead of by one vast bureaucracy
conferred in Washington. And it is very necessary
that it be handled more efficiently, less expen-
sively.
The crybabies are, you see, getting plenty done
for Them despite their continued wailing they are
doing pretty well, thank you, and confidently ex-
pect to continue to do well. BY crybabies we mean
the professional howlers, the something-for-noth-
ing and nothing-for-anybody advocates, the men
and women of the country, on and off the rehef
rolls, who think the Government and their fellow
men owe them living, and who, when they get
that living, are so far from being grateful that
they, like Oliver Twist but with far less justifca-
ton and far less dignity, howl for more. The cry
babies are the ones who make the most noise about
relief preferably more and better relief, and they
are the ones too, who are ready to assure anybody
who will listen that 90 per cent of the countrys
wealth is concentrated in the hands of two per
cent or less of the people, that the poor man
doesn't have chance, and that America is no
longer the land Of opportunity-i, indeed, they
infer it ever was The crybabes are, in short, the
indolent the incompetent, and the malicious, JOY
fully swapping at the hands that feed them. Not
everybody on relief, not everybody out of a job,
belongs to this class; there are notable and shin
ing exceptions But there are too many crybabies.
And they are in their glory at this time Never be-
fore has there been such marvellous time for
them. We do not say mind you, that the govern
mental relief agencies started out with the deter
minaton to add to the number Of crybabies and
molcontents and to coddle them as they have never
been coddled before. But we do say that, regard
less of their intentions, this is precisely what has
happened. Unfortunately, it is still happening
And no one need be naive as to expect that
the crybabes will welcome any attempt to return
relief to the States or any effort to operate the
system more efficiently and less, extensively. Inc
crybabies don't care what it costs The crybabies
only know that the world owes them hVing' anu
they are decidedly out to collect n-stili eryihS'
we may be sure, because it isn't more luxurious
living Some of them have been on relef ever since
1882 when the RFC was the agency to which they
looked They haze lived through that period,
through the periods of the cWA and the FERA'
and are now doing very. we'll on the WPA. The
only way to get them off the rolls is to throw them
off. and their CONTINUAL crying undoubtedly is a
defense measure to prevent such drastic action.
II must be admitted that to date it has worked
pretty well. So far, the crybabies are doing all
right And we wonder how many wept on their
ballots last Tuesday.-Texas Weekly.