Evening star., 1949-12-25

the big difference in the economy
from Red House, a farming COM
munity on the other side of the
county. For one thing, the Parent
Teacher Association of his school
which has so children, was only
able to raise $1.28 cents in dues
the first year.
Trouble Begins in Summer.
The real trouble began in the
summer. AS if it were a mockery,
the men got about $50 each as
vacation pay in June. The mine
had closed down March 81 after
IL days of operation. Under the
UNIV contract the pay was with
out deduction but the men offered
to pay their back rent-$12.60
for a large house - and Mr..
Marshall took so cents on a dollar
and gave them receipts in full.
The men got unemployment
compensation ranging from So to
$25 a week which continued until
August. Next year they will get
none because the mine only
operated IL days this year, Some
of them got State road work.
BY the end of summer the COM
munity was in distress. The
Grouse family had 17-year-old
son, John, jr., diabetic. The
family tried to watch his diet but
during the blackberry season he
went up on the hill with some boys
and gorged himself. He is still in
the hospital. The nakedness Of the
children was such that Mr..
Andrick wrote the county Direc-
tor of Student Personnel, which is
a fancy name for truant officer,
and warned him there would be a
lot of absenteeism unless some
thing were done to clothe the
children.
Mr.. Males wrote to Gov. Lane
about the situation. The Cover
nor replied that he had the stu
alton in mind and that some
thing in the line of work projects
might be undertaken. Mr.. Males
never heard from the Governor
again. Apparently someone on
the Governors administrative
staff let him down.
Later in the year Mr.. Males
wrote to the county welfare Office.
The reply was that applications
should be made, the cases would
be investigated but that no help
could be expected until after the
first of the year.
No Appeal Made to Lewis.
Mr.. Males had $1,000 in his
treasury when the mine closed.
He made no application to the
international, John L. Lewis
headquarters here. Mr.. Males
explained that he knew that the
l.international's welfare fund was
for disqualification and pensions,
not for a local in economic dis
tress because its mine had closed
down.
In October, Gladys and Betty
Maule, 13 and 10, became i'll at
school. Mr.. Andrick went to the
Maule home and found the family
had been living on apples for
week. Even the next door neigh
bors hadn't realized that.
When the Maules were down to
one slice of bread the neighbors
had asked them how they were
doing. But, knowing the neigh
bors were not much better of. the
Maules' answer was that they had
food enough for four or five days,
School children started calling
at the Andricks' home at break
fast time and accepting handouts.
MIR. Andrick then announced in
school that apparently some OF
the children were not getting
lunch when they went home. He
said donations to the school from
those who had food would be ap-
preciated.. That brought In a
bag OF potatoes ana some canneu
goods.
A man named Bray who has. a
big farm near Deer Park in Gar
Irett County heard about it and
arrived with $40 worth Of food
and $3.50 in cash.
At this time the only relief was
from the treasury OF the union
local. Mr. Males gave the Maule
family 50 a week. others 81 and
So. He bought supplies. One was q
quantity Of lard.
Venison Helps Larders.
George Brady bagged q 190-
pound buck in the hunting season
after his 100 chickens were eaten.
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