Digital Arkansas City

Arkansas City, Kansas

Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 25 - April

Title

Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 25 - April

Subject

Great Depression, 1929-1939

American Red Cross

Food relief--Kansas

Unemployment

Description

A page from the 1934 scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, dated April 12th 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

1934-04-12

Contributor

Red Cross volunteers

Rights

Used with permission of copyright holder. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

In Copyright In Copyright

Format

application/pdf

Language

English

Type

Clippings

Identifier

RC34021

Coverage

Cowley County, Kansas



Citation
Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, “Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 25 - April,” Digital Arkansas City, accessed May 2, 2024, https://arkcity.digitalsckls.info/item/80.
Text

A FEW VERBAL Tilts 4-12-34
Com. W. F. Walker Outvoted By Others After )He Had His Say.
Commissioner W. F. Walker, following the last Saturday meeting of the county board received most convincing proof that votes are far more weighty in obtaining results than oratory; and that the two commissioners from the north end are in control of county; policies whenever it is their will. This has always been a contention of former county commissioners from this district of the county. At a meeting of the board last Saturday morning, Commissioner Walker, as is his wont, championed a cause, but just what the cause is, is rather indefinite. Commissioner Walker who, allegorically speaking battles in all divisions from lightweight to heavyweight, objected to the contract of the new case worker, Mrs. Jessie Miller, and stepped a few fast rounds with County Attorney L. C. Brown, sparred with Mrs. Miller and shadow-boxed with his two partners, Messrs. Russell Hanna and Jaimes Grant,—and lost the decision, for Mrs. Miller was employed according to her own expressed desires.
Mrs. Miller's salary as temporary case worker will be $200 a month of which $100 will be paid by the county and $100 iby the state,” says the Winfield Courier in reporting the meeting.
“Commissioner Walker addressed Mrs. Miller saying, T have confidence in your ability but I haven't seen evidence of it yet,' ” continues the Courier’s article.
“ ‘To be frank with you Mr. Walker I am not particularly anxious to accept the job at all,' Mrs. Miller replied.
“She went on to say that she had accepted the challenge of the state office to come to Cowley county and try to straighten matters out. She said she had been advised seriously not to accept the responsibility of case supervisor of Cowley county, but she has accepted and believes that she can get an efficient staff working soon, ‘We have had to start below scratch in this county,' she said, and explained that no usable record had been kept in Arkansas City prior to her arrival, Which makes the work more difficult.
“Mr. Walker said he doubted the legality of the county entering into a contract with a case supervisor. Mrs. Miller said that she did not believe F. H. Marvin, state FERA director, would approve of such a contract if it were illegal. She quietly informed Mr. Walker that she had instructions from Mr. Marvin to leave the county immediately if the commissioners did not take some definite action immediately to hire a permanent case supervisor.
“When it was pointed out to Commissioner Walker that" the county would not receive federal aid if a case worker was not employed immediately, he argued that there is no law which required such an action on the part of the board of Commissioners. His attention
was called to a bulletin from Topeka offices of the emergency relief administration which states the importance of a case supervisor and that federal funds are contingent upon the appointment of a supervisor.
“Commissioner Walker and County Attorney Brown engaged in a heated argument over this point. Mr. Brown charged that on Friday when he presented the matter to Mr. Walker over the telephone, the commissioner said he didn't care if Cowley county did lose federal aid, he was opposed to the county entering into a contract with a case supervisor.
“When the contract, which was drawn up by County Attorney L. C. Brown, was presented to the commissioners, a motion was made by Commissioner Hanna that the contract be accepted. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Grant and these two men voted in favor of it.
“Commissioner Walked voted against the contract. He gave as his reason for voting so that the contract is misleading and not necessary.
“The contract was drawn up for a year, but on Mrs. Miller's suggestion it was amended to six months. She stated that she would rather sign the contract for only six months in view of certain objections raised which might necessitate changes in the future. Her appointment became effective Saturday.
“The board of county commissioners passed a resolution approving Mrs. Miller as assistant poor commissioner. E. P. Kininmonth, Winfield, and L. J. Bennett, Arkansas City, also were approved as assistant poor commissioners with salaries of $1 a year each.
“The commissioners also approved Mrs. Louise Steinberg, Leland White, Joyce Elwell, and Miss Alice Palmer as case workers in the north part of the, county and Miss Ernestine Youth and Mrs. Della Bullard were approved as case
workers in the south part of the county. Mrs. Leslie Roberts had been recommended as a case worker in Arkansas City, but her application has not been filed with the county commissioners. Applications of Mrs. Steinberg and Mr; White were forwarded to the Topeka office several days ago to be certified and approved. All these applications also were approved by the county KERC committee which was represented at the meeting Saturday by three of the five members. Oscar Stauffer of Arkansas City, who resigned recently as a member of the county KERC committee which is the old CWA committee, has withdrawn his resignation and Will serve, it was announced.
“A report from R. M. Roseberry, accountant for the poor commissioner's office, submitted his report on poor relief expenditures in the county from March 1 to March 31. The report shows that 978 families were cared for, 556 families in Arkansas City and 422 families in Winfield. The cost of earing for these families was $11,-

509.24 exclusive of the $1,723.93 expense incurred in administration. This amount is in addition to federal CWA relief.
“Wayne Lambert, assistant county engineer, was approved by the board as KERC project engineer in the county.
“L. L. Petticord, county KERC administrator, reported that Cowley county has been allotted $10,-000 KERC funds to supplement county funds for direct relief for five weeks. Last week there were approximately 200 men given work under the new setup and the payroll was $2,200 or $200 more than the weekly allotment from KERC funds. A plan is being worked out by which it is expected that work will be given soon to men in Arkansas City. Last week there were no men on KERC projects working out of Arkansas City.
“Mrs. Miller reported that there is a need of projects for women. The sewing rooms at Arkansas City and Winfield have been approved which will give employment to 24 women. Twelve will work at each place and will be six at each sewing room every other week.
“Miss Gladys Hale was recommended and approved as supervisor in charge of records in the Winfield sewing room and Mrs. Frazee was recommended and approved for a similar responsibility in Arkansas City.
“Mrs. Miller also suggested a shoe repair project for Winfield and such a project was approved by the commissioners. A cobbler who is on direct relief will be given the job of repairing the 300 pairs of shoes collected last week by the Boy Scouts in the city. The cobbler will do no other shoe repair work except on the shoes collected by the Scouts.
“Concerning the status of CWA emergency education teachers under the new setup, Mr. Petticord reported that all of the CWA teachers will be required to register again and will be investigated and budgeted under the new setup. A bulletin to this effect was received Friday and the information precedes information received a few weeks ago stating that the emergency education classes would continue under the CWA program until June 1.”

Original Format

Newspaper clippings on scrapbook page