Reasons for Relief

Shall the Federal Government use public funds to help feed hungry men, women or children through this third winter of Depression?

For the first time a Senate committee sat last week with the avowed intention of answering this red hot question in the affirmative. Human relief has inspired many a turgid speech, many an elaborate bill, but never before has it been made the subject of specific Congressional hearings.

Federal relief for hungry Industry is the keystone of President Hoover's whole legislative program. But Federal relief for hungry individuals he, his followers and most "right thinking" people vigorously damn as a "dole." To make direct aid by the Treasury unnecessary, the White House coordinated a nation-wide campaign for private contributions to local charity to sustain the needy, stressed "individual initiative," "community responsibility." But for every 50-c- thus voluntarily contributed, governments-- city, county. State -- are spending $1 in tax money to relieve mass distress. If a "dole" consists of public support of the needy, countless jobless are already on a "dole."

Robin Hoods. Before the Senate Manufactures Committee were two bills for human relief: 1) a $250,000,000 appropriation sponsored by the committee's chairman, Senator Robert Marion La Follette Jr. of Wisconsin who likes to play a sort of political Robin Hood; 2) a $375.000.000 appropriation backed by Senator Edward Prentiss Costigan of Colorado, Virginia-born Harvardman, old-time reformer, Bull Mooser, Anti-Saloon Leaguer, longtime (1917-28) Tariff Commissioner. Having no stake in the proceedings, the rest of the committee went home for the holidays, leaving Senators La Follette and Costigan to prepare what amounted to a record on reasons for relief.

Iron Rations. Among the first witnesses to testify were welfare workers from the nation's three greatest cities. They painted a doleful picture. Executive Secretary William Hodson of the Welfare Council of New York said that at least 800,000 were jobless in New York and that throughout the U. S. "the spectre of starvation faces millions of people." Executive Director J. Prentice Murphy of Philadelphia's Children's Bureau testified that 970.000 were out of work in his city, that people in some States would get no relief unless it came from the Federal Government. Executive Director Samuel A. Goldsmith of the Jewish Charities of Chicago declared that there would be 150.000 destitute families in Chicago by March, and by that time there would be no more funds available to help them. All three agreed that relief funds were now being spread so thin that those being helped were on "iron rations."

The La Follette hearings popped a surprise when one of the foremost charitarians associated with the Hoover voluntary relief system backed down on the President. He was Allen Tibbals Burns, executive director of the Association of Community Chests & Councils. Director Burns estimated that U. S. community chests would raise only $100,000,000. Dispirited, he said that four times that amount would be needed. Asked if he had any objection to the use of Federal funds for relief, he shook his head. "It doesn't make any difference to the person who gets help."

6% Help. An official representative of the American Federation of Labor declared that his organization had spent $52,000,000 to help the jobless, that its funds were almost exhausted, that direct aid from the Government was now necessary. Other witnesses put U. S. Catholic bishops on record for Federal relief, described Toledo as "an extreme case of community distress," declared only 6% of New York's jobless would get help under the present system.

As one by one the procession filed up to tell their tales of woe. Senator Costigan felt more & more satisfied with himself. To a suggestion that his bill proposed a "dole," he answered hotly: "Americans must not starve while we quibble over words." Evidence lay before him from the American Association of Public Welfare Officials that only ten States were able to take care of their distress.

Bluebird. Only bluebird to chirp out in the committee's gloom was Director Walter Sherman Gifford of the President's own Unemployment Relief Organization. "I am still unable to find any grounds," he declared doggedly, ''for questioning the effectiveness of local, county and State public and private agencies and the thousands of voluntary committees and organizations to meet the present emergency."

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