The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1938-01-13

IS, 900 in December, 1885, Inasmuch
as the peak of the preceding fis-
cal year was reached in February
1887, when 1885 cases were in d.
rect relief, officials foresee a pos
sible peak Of at least $4,000 in Feb
ruary this year.
Now state relief of this nature is
confined almost exclusively to ur-
ban communities with three-fourths
Of the total amount going to Hen
nepin, Ramsey and st. Louis Count
les. Rural districts and rural legis-
lators have not in the past felt any
too kindly toward increasing relief
costs. This was witnessed in the last
special session where the fight on
the relief bill was almost entirely a
city-country fight, with party lines
being broken. The anticipated
special session Of the legislature
when and If 1t does meet, is likely
to be a very spirited one.
Indications that increased relief
programs will be pushed were seen
this week in a statement attributed
to George Blake of Detroit Lakes.
State Vice President of the Work.
ers Alliance, relief client organ
ization. When Blake was asked
where the money could be obtained
to meet his demands, he retorted,
1--WE don't care about that"
The ''fair and proper" standard
for relief clients, according to Mr..
Blake, is as follows:
Allowance of $3.50 a month for
groceries for a family of six with
an additional allowance for milk
and cream.
A modern house at 5000 a
month.
"A total of $4,000 for winter fuel
with provisions for repairs and pur-
chase OF equipment when required.
Provisions for b. replacement Of
household equipment,
Funds for keeping up time pay
ments on furniture or other house,
hold necessities where families
have entered into such contracts.
Clothing budgets Of $4,000 year
for adults and $500 for children,
W.P.A. clothing not to count on this
budget.
Carfare, union dues and school
supplies should be paid out of a
$1,000 monthly allowance for each
adult and $500 for each child under
sixteen.
All medical and dental attention
necessary, with the relief client to
have his choice Of doctor and dem
list.
Adequate burial grants.
Increase in number in the staffs
of relief offices so that clients will
not have to wait long for inter-
views.
All welfare board meetings to be
public.
No deduction from monthly al
lowance because of incidental earn
ings of clients.
Refusal by relief client to do
such work as shoveling snow or
labor on streets and highways
should not impair the clients right
to aid.
Blake appeared before the Polk
County Board at Crookston with
these demands and when he was in
formed that many Polk county
farmers live on much smaller bud
gets, Blake replied that that was no
concern of his. Mr.. Blake was ac-
companied to the meeting by Is
Workers Alliance members and a
CLIO organizer.
PetersOn-B Benson Fued Flares Again
The Hjalner Peterson Elmer
Benson feud flared out with new
violence this week when the Farm
er Labor state committee passed
a resolution censuring Peterson and
charging him with cooperating
with our enemies"
The committee declared Peterson
as seeking personal vindication at
the expense of the Farmer Labor
movement and that he lacks both
constructiveness and a decent re-
gard for his group responsibilities. :"
Peterson has already announced
that he will take to the air on JAN
uary 18th over a statewide radio
hook-up and 1t Is expected that he
will answer the Farmer Labor COM
mittee at that time as well as renew
the many charges he has already
made against Governor Benson and
the State administration. Peterson
is also expected to announce his
candidacy for Governor at that
time and political observers are
free in asserting that a bitter fight
between Peterson and Benson fac
tions will be on in real earnest fol-
lowing Peterson's speech on the
18th.