The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-24

amendment have all focused atten-
ton on the relief ISSUE in recent
weeks. Actually, however, public
dissatisfaction with relief methods
dates back for many months. Al
most year ago an Institute sur
vey found that a large majority of
votcrs-about s in every i0-had
become convinced that politics
colored the handling of relief in
their communities. There WAS a
virtually unanimous vote that such
abuses should be eliminated.
In the course of testing opinion
on relief issue, the Institute col
llected the publics views on many
specific plans for eliminating poll
tics from the WPA. It's latest
study. just completed, measured
sentiment on number Of the pro-
posals made by the Sheppard COM
mittee which investigated abuses
in the last election. Other surveys
have covered the principle Of the
Hatch amendment re-introduced at
this session, N well as other as
poets OF the problem.
Several Plans Favored
From all these studies a COM
posite picture of public sentiment
can be drawn about as follows:
IA large majority of voters be-
] licve that all relief officials
should be put under civil service rs
a means of eliminating politics and
favoritism In appointments. This
vote Ia a reflection OF widespread
public faith, often noted in 1nsti-
tute surveys. in the civil service
system as opposed to the spoils
system.
9-Nearly . In every 10 vot-
4 ex favor = drastic law
against allowing anybody 10
influence the vote Of persons
IN relief either through coer-
cion or promise Of reward.
The Hatch amendment, which
failed to pass In the last scp-
sion, sought TO accomplish
this reform.
BY 4 vote of more than 7 to 3
, the public believes that neither
persons on relief nor relief Of
ficials should be allowed to con-
tribute money to 4 political cam
paign--two of the recommends
lions of the Sheppard committee.
The voters also support Q to 4 the
committees proposal that all fed
eral employees be prohibited from
contributing money to campaigns.
"A large majority Of voters Ga
per cent? feel that relief would
be better administered by BIZ
partisan board than by a single
administrator ms at present. This
plan. sponsored by Senator Bailey
of North Carolina, is favored by
voters chiefly because they think
that control by bipartisan
board will help to eliminate graft
and political preference. Even
Democratic voters approve the
plan.
One fact emphasized by the sur
vey results Is that attitudes on
the relief question cut across party
lines. The pattern la not one
where the rank and file of Demo-
Gratis think one way and the Re-
publicans another. Instead the
surveys find that both camps are
equally anxious to see politics and
graft purged from relief.
For example. large majorities of
both Democrats and Republicans
think it should be considered n
crime for a relief official to try
to influence the vote OF persons
on relief. Bringing relief officials
under civil service Is favored by
more than 70 per cent Of both Re-
lpublicans and Democrats, who also
agree that reliefers should not con-
tribute money to political CAM
paigns, and that relief funds
should be administered by BIZ
partisan board
Thus there Is every indica-
ton that New Deal senators
and congressman who advocate
reforms In relief are carrying
out the wishes Of their own
party members In addition 10
forestalling CT ificis m from
their Republican foes.
In the early days of the New
Deal there was much debate as TO
whether II was the government s
responsibility to take care of
needy persons out of work. Re-
cent Institute studies show that
this principle Ii now a definite
part OF the social philosophy of our
times. Approximately 10 per cent
of voters declare that the govern
ment should take responsibility for
the jobless. About the same num-
Der think that the relief problem
is no temporary phenomenon but
that relief appropriations will have
TO continue permanently.
The majority also feel. however
that the government is doing
enough for the unemployed. When
the Institute asked voters recent
.ly do you think that people on
relief in your community are get
ting as much as they should ?" a
ma jority of II per cent said yes. -
And other surveys indicate that
the dominant pull of public opinion
at the moment Is more in the direo-
ton of reducing relief appropria-
tons than in the direction of rails
ing them.