Montana labor news., 1936-02-27
TOWNSEND PROGRAM
TO Save THE YOUTH

AT the regular meeting Of Townsend
Club No. l, held February q at the
Y. M. c. A., a varied and interesting
program was presented. Mrs. Bertha
Kunz gave a numerous recitation, en-
titled The Townsend Jubilee !" Mrs.
Z. H. Giberson recited That Old
Sweetheart OF Mine" in a very effec-
tive way. Mrs, Barton Philpott,
dressed in a special costume, sang two
Mexican songs to the delight of the
members. Community singing was en-
joyed by all.
The speaking program c%entered
around the appeal the Townsend Plan
should make to our young people.
The following thoughts were brough!
out;
The Townsend Plan promises to re-
lieve some very bad conditions among
almost a million youths between the
ages of 10 and 20, who are not in
schools. They are idle, wandering
around their home cities, towns and
farms, looking eagerly for some chance
to do something other than merely
walk and learning only habits of
idleness. Or they are tramping from
one city or town to another, enduring
the hardships of hunger, cold, accident
and disease. Such an army OF idle,
wandering youths which has been
called the lost generation" will some
day become a real menace to our ma
ton.
Our present social chaos is causing
widespread disruption Of the homes.
The calm and clear thinking of many
Of the distressed parents is all that is
holding their homes together today. Do
we not need to hasten the enactment
Of the Townsend Plan into law so that
we may not be to late in salvaging
these young people from their present
day lives?
No student Of sociology is needed to
predict with a great deal of accuracy
what is in their minds and hearts and
what the majority Of them will become
in the future unless they are given
their i~nalienable right to work and tc
work at tasks for which they are fitted
One out of every six persons on re-
Lief is between the ages of 10 and rs
The statment is made by Aubrey Viii
liams, who heads the National Youth
Administration which has been allotted
$27, 100000 to temporarily aid these
young men and women in schools anC
colleges. 2,875,000 young people live
upon government charity because they
are refused work, or come from fami-
lies unable to place them in school.
Butte surely has its share Of this
problem, since approximately 400 higI
school graduates are turned loose or
the already glutted local labor market
each year. Young people who are in
terested in their future welfare should
join a Townsend club and help to bring
about a changed condition that will as
sure to them not only employment fol
their younger years, but the best kline
of insurance when they have passed
the producing age. They should be in
terested, too, for the sake Of their par
ents who will, in many cases, remain q
burden on them unless the Townsend
Plan becomes a law.
Organization work in the Butte dis
trict is progressing rapidly. A newly
organized club has as its officers Pau
Canon, president; Mrs. Mary Hennessy
Vice President and Miss Mary Hogan
Secretary. The next meeting of thi'
club will be held March II in Judge
Downey's court room. County Attor.
ney H.. J. Freebourn will speak to tn,
Meaderville Mcqueen club on Frida,
evening, February 28.
The people of this ne~ighborhood arr
urged to attend this meeting.