Montana labor news., 1939-06-01
Condition Of People Approaches Desiifufion;
Collapse Of Public Welfare Administration
Endangey General Health and Deteney
Aged and Needy Forced to Rely
on Humanity of Merchants and
Landladies. Federal Funds
Lost. Investigation Needed to
Disenta n gle Administrative
Red Tape.

A large number of human beings
fellow citizens of ours-throughout
the state of Montana are, in this year
1899, managing to exist in circum-
stances which menace the public
health and decency of our people.
Destitute unemployables are
housed, without privacy, in the coun-
ty jail building of Silver Bow
county. They are fed two meals
day-the last meal at about 2:30
p. m.-with food cooked in the
county Jail kitchen, on county jail
dinnerware, to, be consumed with
the aid of county Jail silverware
Destitute unemployed (single men
and women) were allowed $40 per
month in April, 1889. This was re-
duced to 81 per month in May, 1889;
and there is no definite provision
for June, 1899. The destitute aged
and destitute needy children have
had their allowances reduced or
withdrawn.
The County Welfare Department,
the State Welfare Department and
the State and County Welfare
Boards agree that the allowances are
not sufficient to maintain those en-
titled to awards either in decency
or in health. All claim that there
is some stumbling block which
causes these conditions and which is
beyond their control.
The Federal Social Security Act
and the State Public Welfare Act
have committed the state and nation
to a solemn covenant that these
destitute persons must-as a public
obigation--be provided for in a
manner compatible with decency and
health. In fact the state of Montana
is enabled to make such provision
for its needy-at half price. The
state has failed to provide this half
price; and, therefore, loses the fed
eral contribution for which taxes
have been paid. The poor don't die
thanks to private charity-but the
poor have their health impaired from
lack of proper food, clothing and
shelter, and private charity gets no
help from the federal government.
Both the Social Security Act and
the State Public Welfare Act have
been declared constitutional by the
United States Supreme Court and
the Montana Supreme Court.
Yet both acts have failed to re-
lieve real distress. Under them have
arisen a host of departments, boards,
bodies and administrators-supplied
with an over-abundance of red tape
so bewildering that honest men
completely miss the beneficent pur-
poses and objects Of the laws. The
only real accomplishment of the
administration seems to be that ad-
ministrative officers are maintained
at good wages, sufficient to add
few luxuries above the mere sub
sistence guaranteed by the law to
unfortunates- denied them by
the administration
In future articles, effort will be
made to untangle the red tape, the
pitiful alibis, and the basis of self
deception which pervades admins
trative practices. These have de-
prived the needy of the provision
made for them in the Acts
In these articles, it will be shown
that the needy do not die; that land
ladies and landlords are forced to
take over the states duty to pro-
vide shelter for the poor; that
grocers and butchers are forced by
their very humanity to take over
the states declared obligation to feed
the poor; that merchants are supply
ing the clothing and other neces-
saries which the state has obligated
itself to take over.
Continued on Page A.