Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 47 - July
Collection: Red Cross Scrapbook 1934
Title
Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 47 - July
Subject
American Red Cross
Great Depression 1929-1939
Food relief--Kansas
Unemployment
Description
A page from the 1934 scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, dated July 7th, 1934. The scrapbooks were created by local Red Cross volunteers. Articles during the Depression years covered food and other relief efforts, and documented unemployment issues.
Creator
Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler
Source
Arkansas City Public Library, Arkansas City, Kansas
Publisher
Arkansas City Public Library, Arkansas City, Kansas
Date
1934-07-07
Contributor
Red Cross Volunteers
Rights
Used with permission of copyright holder. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Clippings
Identifier
RC34043
Coverage
Cowley County, Kansas
Citation
Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, “Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 47 - July,” Digital Arkansas City, accessed November 21, 2024, https://arkcity.digitalsckls.info/item/100.
Text
You are invited to make free and full use of this column. We ask only that you be concise as possible and your name and address accompany your communication. _______ 7-7-34
RELIEF COSTS
To The Traveler: An article contained in yesterday’s paper stated that “Relief costs are lessened.” All this was carried on the front page and looked rather good to the readers. But! Was it true? Had the costs of relief been lessened? I think not! Now let’s see!
According to the article, May, 1934, a record breaking month for relief of thirty-one days, showed an expenditure of $29,381 or $947 per day. June, a thirty day month, cost $26,426, $880 daily or $67 less per day than the month of May. Now for the information of you readers, there were no grocery orders issued to the poor after the 27th of June until the 2nd day of July, a lapse of four days which nearly caused a riot in the unemployed ranks, but on the 2nd and 3rd of July $2,333.66 in grocery orders were sent out. Now if you will only read between the lines, you can see how this article of yesterday that “Relief costs are lessened” was made possible. Now add that $2,333. to the $26,426 will equal $28,759, divided by thirty days shows $958 spent per day in June as against $947 spent per day in the month of May. “I don’t see the decrease.” Do you? There is no use trying to deceive the taxpayers. Facts are facts.
Since we have gotten into this subject of expenses, it might be well to study it a little closer that we might understand what it costs to administer some $28,000 in one month; $12,000 from the Federal Government (and that’s you) and $16,000 from the County (and that’s you too).
To begin with, I think you should know what it costs to operate the county business from a salary and mileage standpoint. First, an average cost for the first five months of year 19 34 for county attorney, assistant and stenographer, probate judge and assistant, register of deeds and clerks, clerk of court, assistant and other help, county clerk, deputy and organization, all clerks and bookkeepers, county treasurer and entire set up of employes, county engineer’s office in full, sheriff, all deputies and jailers salaries and mileage, county commissioners salaries, mileage and expenses, janitor for building, bailiff for court, and county superintendent of schools; in fact it consists of ail expenses for salaries and mileage for the county courthouse from basement to garrett at $4,950.97 per month.
Now let’s compare the expense of this entire program of administering the county’s business and affairs with that of administering a few thousands of “borrowed dollars” for relief to our worthy and unfortunate brothers and sisters. Last month, June 1934 “as per the records” Cowley county spent for administration of relief $2,819.22, the Federal Government spent for relief in same month $1,866.60, which would equal a total cost of administration of relief for June $4,685.82. Only $265. less than it cost to operate the entire county as above set out. Then they tell you that the cost is decreasing. Well! What do you think? And we subscribe to such a program and call it good business. Maybe it is!
But going back to the transient claims again, I quote to you from a letter dated June 27, 1934, from Mrs. Martha U. Tidd, State Case Supervisor, Transient Service, who isn't at all satisfied with and has turned down many of our transient claims on account of improper handling and poor judgment which we will lose that will also add to the high cost of administration. It reads in part as follows:
“On your clothing vouchers for March, will you explain why it was necessary to pay $3.49 for shoes for Steven Moross, $2.35 for a hat for Robert Walters, and .75 for a pair of hose for Wallie Sewell. Why was it necessary to buy six pairs of socks at one time for Otto Kretchmer? Also, why was it necessary to buy an overcoat for George Richman? I should think that as late in the season as this was a sweater would have done quite well, especially since they had purchased him a three piece suit of clothes.
“The receipts for Oscar Stevens for two tickets is illegible as to the place where he is going. On your claim vouchers for cash, we are unable to understand the amounts which were paid. You have $2.62 listed for Burt O’Neill, $2,61 for Jack Carson, $2.62 for Johnny Stewart, $2.87 for Mose Gunter, and $1.83 for Ernest Goodall on your March voucher. The only cash allowance which is given in counties is .90 a week. On your claim voucher for April for meals and lodging, there are several large bills which will have to be explained. On April 8th for George Brandenburg, lodging is listed at $4.25 and meals at $9.60. There is nothing in our files to show whether or not the worker was trying to make any disposition of these men.”
This is a long two page letter of which I am citing only a few cases. Another letter from the same source June 27, 1934, reads in part as follows:
Attached is another voucher
which will have to have some explanation. Why are these men allowed to stay at the Salvation Army and run up such bills? There is no correspondence in file on John Lewis, Alfred Hart, Clifford Ross, Bill James, John E. Sullivan, Wesley Ogen, Irving Dykes, Curtis Blackwell, Milo
March, Leo Triplett, William Dugan, Fred Stone and Julius Cline.
Also we should like some other
arrangements made in Cowley county for the care of transients.”
These are just a few of the many cases of extravagance and unbusinesslike methods used in this system of so called “Scientific Relief.” Now if they do such a miserable poor and expensive job of handling a few transients relief as above cited, what are we to expect from them in our county relief set up? Well! We are getting “It”!
This method of kidding the people compares very favorably with the rest of our national program of which it is a part. You taxpayers are entitled to know just what is going on and when someone attempts to mislead you in regard to county affairs, I feel it my duty to make full explanation.
Now in closing, is relief cost going down? Last year without any CWA funds whatsoever, we went through the year without any bond issue for relief. This year with our affairs in the hands of “strangers’’ at high salaries, who claim to be very efficient, have issued $75,000 worth of relief bonds and spent the same, and now ready to issue some $75,000 more to carry us through the year. Also I am informed there were two more case workers put on and some thirty new families added to the relief list this month. I ask you the question, Mr. Taxpayer: Do you think relief costs are lessening?—W. F. WALKER.
Original Format
Newspaper clippings on scrapbook paper
Title
Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 47 - July
Subject
American Red Cross
Great Depression 1929-1939
Food relief--Kansas
Unemployment
Description
A page from the 1934 scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, dated July 7th, 1934. The scrapbooks were created by local Red Cross volunteers. Articles during the Depression years covered food and other relief efforts, and documented unemployment issues.
Creator
Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler
Source
Arkansas City Public Library, Arkansas City, Kansas
Publisher
Arkansas City Public Library, Arkansas City, Kansas
Date
1934-07-07
Contributor
Red Cross Volunteers
Rights
Used with permission of copyright holder. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Clippings
Identifier
RC34043
Coverage
Cowley County, Kansas
Citation
Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, “Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 47 - July,” Digital Arkansas City, accessed November 21, 2024, https://arkcity.digitalsckls.info/item/100.Text
You are invited to make free and full use of this column. We ask only that you be concise as possible and your name and address accompany your communication. _______ 7-7-34
RELIEF COSTS
To The Traveler: An article contained in yesterday’s paper stated that “Relief costs are lessened.” All this was carried on the front page and looked rather good to the readers. But! Was it true? Had the costs of relief been lessened? I think not! Now let’s see!
According to the article, May, 1934, a record breaking month for relief of thirty-one days, showed an expenditure of $29,381 or $947 per day. June, a thirty day month, cost $26,426, $880 daily or $67 less per day than the month of May. Now for the information of you readers, there were no grocery orders issued to the poor after the 27th of June until the 2nd day of July, a lapse of four days which nearly caused a riot in the unemployed ranks, but on the 2nd and 3rd of July $2,333.66 in grocery orders were sent out. Now if you will only read between the lines, you can see how this article of yesterday that “Relief costs are lessened” was made possible. Now add that $2,333. to the $26,426 will equal $28,759, divided by thirty days shows $958 spent per day in June as against $947 spent per day in the month of May. “I don’t see the decrease.” Do you? There is no use trying to deceive the taxpayers. Facts are facts.
Since we have gotten into this subject of expenses, it might be well to study it a little closer that we might understand what it costs to administer some $28,000 in one month; $12,000 from the Federal Government (and that’s you) and $16,000 from the County (and that’s you too).
To begin with, I think you should know what it costs to operate the county business from a salary and mileage standpoint. First, an average cost for the first five months of year 19 34 for county attorney, assistant and stenographer, probate judge and assistant, register of deeds and clerks, clerk of court, assistant and other help, county clerk, deputy and organization, all clerks and bookkeepers, county treasurer and entire set up of employes, county engineer’s office in full, sheriff, all deputies and jailers salaries and mileage, county commissioners salaries, mileage and expenses, janitor for building, bailiff for court, and county superintendent of schools; in fact it consists of ail expenses for salaries and mileage for the county courthouse from basement to garrett at $4,950.97 per month.
Now let’s compare the expense of this entire program of administering the county’s business and affairs with that of administering a few thousands of “borrowed dollars” for relief to our worthy and unfortunate brothers and sisters. Last month, June 1934 “as per the records” Cowley county spent for administration of relief $2,819.22, the Federal Government spent for relief in same month $1,866.60, which would equal a total cost of administration of relief for June $4,685.82. Only $265. less than it cost to operate the entire county as above set out. Then they tell you that the cost is decreasing. Well! What do you think? And we subscribe to such a program and call it good business. Maybe it is!
But going back to the transient claims again, I quote to you from a letter dated June 27, 1934, from Mrs. Martha U. Tidd, State Case Supervisor, Transient Service, who isn't at all satisfied with and has turned down many of our transient claims on account of improper handling and poor judgment which we will lose that will also add to the high cost of administration. It reads in part as follows:
“On your clothing vouchers for March, will you explain why it was necessary to pay $3.49 for shoes for Steven Moross, $2.35 for a hat for Robert Walters, and .75 for a pair of hose for Wallie Sewell. Why was it necessary to buy six pairs of socks at one time for Otto Kretchmer? Also, why was it necessary to buy an overcoat for George Richman? I should think that as late in the season as this was a sweater would have done quite well, especially since they had purchased him a three piece suit of clothes.
“The receipts for Oscar Stevens for two tickets is illegible as to the place where he is going. On your claim vouchers for cash, we are unable to understand the amounts which were paid. You have $2.62 listed for Burt O’Neill, $2,61 for Jack Carson, $2.62 for Johnny Stewart, $2.87 for Mose Gunter, and $1.83 for Ernest Goodall on your March voucher. The only cash allowance which is given in counties is .90 a week. On your claim voucher for April for meals and lodging, there are several large bills which will have to be explained. On April 8th for George Brandenburg, lodging is listed at $4.25 and meals at $9.60. There is nothing in our files to show whether or not the worker was trying to make any disposition of these men.”
This is a long two page letter of which I am citing only a few cases. Another letter from the same source June 27, 1934, reads in part as follows:
Attached is another voucher
which will have to have some explanation. Why are these men allowed to stay at the Salvation Army and run up such bills? There is no correspondence in file on John Lewis, Alfred Hart, Clifford Ross, Bill James, John E. Sullivan, Wesley Ogen, Irving Dykes, Curtis Blackwell, Milo
March, Leo Triplett, William Dugan, Fred Stone and Julius Cline.
Also we should like some other
arrangements made in Cowley county for the care of transients.”
These are just a few of the many cases of extravagance and unbusinesslike methods used in this system of so called “Scientific Relief.” Now if they do such a miserable poor and expensive job of handling a few transients relief as above cited, what are we to expect from them in our county relief set up? Well! We are getting “It”!
This method of kidding the people compares very favorably with the rest of our national program of which it is a part. You taxpayers are entitled to know just what is going on and when someone attempts to mislead you in regard to county affairs, I feel it my duty to make full explanation.
Now in closing, is relief cost going down? Last year without any CWA funds whatsoever, we went through the year without any bond issue for relief. This year with our affairs in the hands of “strangers’’ at high salaries, who claim to be very efficient, have issued $75,000 worth of relief bonds and spent the same, and now ready to issue some $75,000 more to carry us through the year. Also I am informed there were two more case workers put on and some thirty new families added to the relief list this month. I ask you the question, Mr. Taxpayer: Do you think relief costs are lessening?—W. F. WALKER.
Original Format
Newspaper clippings on scrapbook paper