The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1939-05-25
Relief Publicity
Continued from page one)

iSoo llSiii llStS pIcpdTeu Dy Tie
welfare staff and officials in the
sections from which they come
discuss their needs or report any
abuses which they are known to
be practicing.
The Milroy meeting was a ty-
pical one. Mr.. Reed explained the
/ reasons for calling officials to-
gether and maintaining the ses-
sions closed.
eff it were possible to go back
to the old township and village
system of dispensing aid" he said,
.These meetings would not be
necessary as representative of
each community know who really
needs assistance.
"Since the present law does not
allow such an arrangement, and
since, up to this time, publication
of relief items has been forbidden,
we have felt we should come to
you to talk informally and get
ideas and suggestions on deserv-
ing relief clients and information
on any relief abuses"
Miss Tucker and the welfare
staff were lauded by Mr.. Reed
for using every possible mean
in making necessary investiga-
tons of applicants. He said the
small percentage of undeserving
cases disclosed further attested
their throughness.
''Mr. Reed should be given
credit for presenting the idea of
these meetings to the county
board" MIR. Raveling said.
John Zwach, state representa-
tive, talked on the new relief
publication statute, but complain
ed bitterly that it has been block
ed and. lobbied against by the
state board of control.
Considerable amusement was
expressed when Miss Tucker then
introduced Ruth Isker, board of
control representative, who de-
Tended the state bureaus posi-
ton, explaining that it is subject
to regulations by the federal So
cial security board.
Phases of relief work which
came up included complaints by
merchants that some WPA work.
ers are not paying their grocery
accounts. Miss Tucker assured
them that she would make every
possible effort to have them ar
range for payment and if they
should not do so, to have them
stricken from the work rolls.
Authorities have no control
over the purchase of intoxicating
liquors by WPA workers, but a
system of blacklisting drunkards
which might include some of them
can be invoked, Mr.. Reed said in
presenting communication from
the state liquor commissioner.
Councils were urged to call in
their licensees and inform them
of law which makes it a mis-
demeanor to sell drinks to habit
ual drunkards.
1t was further brought out that
few arrests of DRINKS in vii
lagos throughout the county might
serve as deterrents to the misuse
Of public funds. 49,. ..,... ,
No wholesale policy forbidding
the use of cars to direct relief
clients can be put into effect as
some clients use the machines in
work for a part of their living
expenses, it was stated. Measures,
however, will be taken where
there is found to be an abuse of
the driving privilege and officials
of every community have been
asked to report violations.
Chiseling cited included cases
where clients used their own
funds to build or purchase pro-
perry while using relief checks
for coal and provisions.
A full explanation of the sur
plus commodities set-up was Civ
en- at Vesta by Miss Tucker. She
informed attendants that the fed
eral government furnishes the
food free of charge, with counties
paying only for transportation
and distribution.
Mr.. Raveling attended all three
meetings. Herman Muetzel, chair
man of county commissioners,
was present at Vesta and Mrs.
Peter Cantine of Wabasso, well
fare board member, was at the
Walnut Grove meeting.
Councilmen at Walnut Grove
expressed appreciation of the CO.
operation which they receive
from headquarters in Redwood
Falls.
The spirit of officials called to
the session has been fine, authori-
ties said, adding that from indica-
tons at all the meetings, every
man attending is ready and will
ing to carry his full burden of
aid to the needy and will gladly
assist in helping to stamp out