Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 30 - April/May
Collection: Red Cross Scrapbook 1934
Title
Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 30 - April/May
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 from April 30th, 1934 to May 5th, 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
1934-04-30
1934-05-05
Contributor
Red Cross volunteers
Rights
Used with permission of copyright holder. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Clippings
Identifier
RC34026
Coverage
Cowley County, Kansas
Citation
Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, “Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 30 - April/May,” Digital Arkansas City, accessed April 19, 2024, https://arkcity.digitalsckls.info/item/85.
Text
Unemployed Of City Will Join Jobless League
It was agreed at a meeting of 100 or more of Arkansas City’s unemployed Friday night in Wilson park to renew the charter of the A. C. Unemployed league, which was obtained in the fall of 1932 and to go ahead with the activities of the organization where they were left off some time ago. After this decision had been reached a number who had belonged to other such bodies, signed the papers of the league and agreed to become ac- tive members, in order that the Arkansas City group as a whole would be able to stand together and obtain its share of county work and money. F. C. Coberly is chairman of the league.
It also was decided that new officials of the league may be elected at a later date, but for the present the organization will go ahead under the present bylaws and officers.
Several men in the group expressed the belief that all of the unemployed here, should band together for their own good and that it would be folly to attempt to carry on with several organizations which might have different views.
William Turner acted as temporary chairman of the meeting, for the reason that the recently elected president of the new group which called the
To The Traveler: There has
been much said in recent months
regarding federal relief civil
works, and now work relief and direct relief. There has been quite some difficulty between the county case supervisors and myself. In many instances the county has
been threatened that if we did not comply with their requests, Cowley county would be cut off from federal aid.
meeting, Harvey Allen, was not present. Later Mr. Coberly was given the chair, as head of the original league, and he conducted the business meeting. Saturday the officials of the organization were out working in the interest of the league, obtaining new members. No decision was reached as to the time of the next meeting,
Federal Relief Funds
Are Increased Here
4-30-34
Cowley county has been allotted $12,000 in federal funds to assist in relief during the five-week period ending June 7, it was announced Monday by L. L. Petticord, county poor commissioner.
This is $2,000 more than was received for a similar period last month. The increased appropriation came as a surprise to county officials, who had been led to believe that the allotment would be less than the $10,000 received for April.
The FERA payroll in the county last week totaled $1,774.05, paid to 165 men and ten women who worked a total of 3,978 hours.
County grocery orders will be used for relief the early part of this week, Mr. Petticord said.
Now, there arises in the minds of the public just what this dissention was and is all about.
First, the statutes of Kansas sets out very plainly the procedure for handling relief. Then, the federal instructions so set out by officials of our federal government, who, no doubt, took into consideration the statutes of various states, are also very plain and self-explanatory. All of which I have asked the social workers or case supervisors to adhere to and comply with. This, I have been unable to get them to do, which has, in the long run, caused our relief to be very unsatisfactory, expensive and unbusiness-like, having no records with which to explain their work or actions.
In order that you might understand the whole situation in this writing, let us go back and refresh your memories along about September last, 19 33, when we were compelled to hire certain qualified county case supervisors, of which we employed two, a Miss Brady and a Mrs. King at $10 0 per month and mileage each, with an office set up which consisted of several assistants, also stenographers, private stenographer, clerks etc., private rooms, telephones and many other such equipments as files, desks, mileage and all that it took to make a perfect distributing system of scientific efficient relief, to our unfortunate poor.
After about six weeks of their splendid reign, we were informed, that the next move that was necessary was a social audit of our county poor, and, as you will remember, one good day some six or eight, “young and old,” “certified”, experienced, well qualified | social workers found their way into our fair county and again began their diligent search for facts and figures, that would make our, then in vogue system of relief, much more efficient. This, we very generously and pleasantly submitted our much needy neighbors to. At this stage of the game our people had become so accustomed to being investigated and ! questioned that the embarrassment had worn off, and they would immediately put themselves in readiness for such an ordeal as the, “old family milk cow”, would when she saw some one approaching her with the stool and pail.
Now, Nov. 17, 1933, came further instructions ushering in the civil works, placing all men then on federal relief on a 30-hour week job, which carried on until Mar. 31, 1934, some 18 weeks, with an expenditure of some $300,000 in Cowley County, being distributed very unequally amongst the needy.
Then Apr. 1, 1934, all civil
works were closed and the needy people again placed upon federal work relief and direct relief. Again it was necessary for all to register and again pass before the scrutinizing eyes of the case supervisor and be investigated. Now, this supervisor was not the same one as we had in the past, as both of the supervisors had resigned and retired to private life, and the thing had happened as we had predicted. No records of any value, things in such a mixed up mess that it took nearly 15 days before anyone could be found eligible to work on the new orders.
At this time we had decided to put into effect a book-keeping System, such as we had in the days of the county commissary, that we might have some fair knowledge of why and what for our money was being spent. Up to the present
time I had been told that the case work system was very efficient and only people who were deserving relief were getting it, all of which we knew was not so. So we instructed the book-keepers to make us a report covering the 18 weeks during civil works and up until Apr. 15, the period in which the records were not clear. The following examples are some of the many hundreds and hundreds of specimens of inefficiency we found, and we feel you tax payers and responsible officials are entitled to know what has transpired.
Examples:
ONE FAMILY, 3 PEOPLE
March 1 ________________________$ 9.00
March 8 _______________________ 9.00
March 15 ______________________16.80
March 22 ____________________ 16.80
Total— $51.60
Grocery order April 2 __________ 4.50
$56.10
FAMILY, TWO PEOPLE
$52.80 cash during March, with grocery orders April 9.
FAMILY, FIVE PEOPLE
February__________________cash $ 48.80
March _______________ 13.6 5
_________________ 15.75
March
March
March
1
8
15
25.20
$103.40
Grocery Order, Mar. 24_________3.00
Grocery Order, Apr. 2 ________4.00 7.00
Total— $110.40
FAMILY, THREE PEOPLE
Month of March $62.40 cash; Grocery Order Apr. 9.
FAMILY. ONE PERSON Month of March $38.00 cash; Grocery Order March $12.00, Total $50.00. FAMILY-, FOUR PEOPLE
Mar. 1 ___________________________________$11.25
Mar. 8 ____________________________________16.50
Mar. 15 ___________________________________ 26.40
Mar. 22 __________________ 26.40
Mar. 29 ___________________ 8.80
$89.35
Grocery Order, Apr. 2_______________________________ 3.50
Total— $98.85
Original Format
Newspaper clippings on scrapbook page
Title
Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 30 - April/May
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 from April 30th, 1934 to May 5th, 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
1934-04-30
1934-05-05
Contributor
Red Cross volunteers
Rights
Used with permission of copyright holder. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Clippings
Identifier
RC34026
Coverage
Cowley County, Kansas
Citation
Arkansas City (Kansas) Traveler, “Red Cross Scrapbook 1934: page 30 - April/May,” Digital Arkansas City, accessed April 19, 2024, https://arkcity.digitalsckls.info/item/85.Text
Unemployed Of City Will Join Jobless League
It was agreed at a meeting of 100 or more of Arkansas City’s unemployed Friday night in Wilson park to renew the charter of the A. C. Unemployed league, which was obtained in the fall of 1932 and to go ahead with the activities of the organization where they were left off some time ago. After this decision had been reached a number who had belonged to other such bodies, signed the papers of the league and agreed to become ac- tive members, in order that the Arkansas City group as a whole would be able to stand together and obtain its share of county work and money. F. C. Coberly is chairman of the league.
It also was decided that new officials of the league may be elected at a later date, but for the present the organization will go ahead under the present bylaws and officers.
Several men in the group expressed the belief that all of the unemployed here, should band together for their own good and that it would be folly to attempt to carry on with several organizations which might have different views.
William Turner acted as temporary chairman of the meeting, for the reason that the recently elected president of the new group which called the
To The Traveler: There has
been much said in recent months
regarding federal relief civil
works, and now work relief and direct relief. There has been quite some difficulty between the county case supervisors and myself. In many instances the county has
been threatened that if we did not comply with their requests, Cowley county would be cut off from federal aid.
meeting, Harvey Allen, was not present. Later Mr. Coberly was given the chair, as head of the original league, and he conducted the business meeting. Saturday the officials of the organization were out working in the interest of the league, obtaining new members. No decision was reached as to the time of the next meeting,
Federal Relief Funds
Are Increased Here
4-30-34
Cowley county has been allotted $12,000 in federal funds to assist in relief during the five-week period ending June 7, it was announced Monday by L. L. Petticord, county poor commissioner.
This is $2,000 more than was received for a similar period last month. The increased appropriation came as a surprise to county officials, who had been led to believe that the allotment would be less than the $10,000 received for April.
The FERA payroll in the county last week totaled $1,774.05, paid to 165 men and ten women who worked a total of 3,978 hours.
County grocery orders will be used for relief the early part of this week, Mr. Petticord said.
Now, there arises in the minds of the public just what this dissention was and is all about.
First, the statutes of Kansas sets out very plainly the procedure for handling relief. Then, the federal instructions so set out by officials of our federal government, who, no doubt, took into consideration the statutes of various states, are also very plain and self-explanatory. All of which I have asked the social workers or case supervisors to adhere to and comply with. This, I have been unable to get them to do, which has, in the long run, caused our relief to be very unsatisfactory, expensive and unbusiness-like, having no records with which to explain their work or actions.
In order that you might understand the whole situation in this writing, let us go back and refresh your memories along about September last, 19 33, when we were compelled to hire certain qualified county case supervisors, of which we employed two, a Miss Brady and a Mrs. King at $10 0 per month and mileage each, with an office set up which consisted of several assistants, also stenographers, private stenographer, clerks etc., private rooms, telephones and many other such equipments as files, desks, mileage and all that it took to make a perfect distributing system of scientific efficient relief, to our unfortunate poor.
After about six weeks of their splendid reign, we were informed, that the next move that was necessary was a social audit of our county poor, and, as you will remember, one good day some six or eight, “young and old,” “certified”, experienced, well qualified | social workers found their way into our fair county and again began their diligent search for facts and figures, that would make our, then in vogue system of relief, much more efficient. This, we very generously and pleasantly submitted our much needy neighbors to. At this stage of the game our people had become so accustomed to being investigated and ! questioned that the embarrassment had worn off, and they would immediately put themselves in readiness for such an ordeal as the, “old family milk cow”, would when she saw some one approaching her with the stool and pail.
Now, Nov. 17, 1933, came further instructions ushering in the civil works, placing all men then on federal relief on a 30-hour week job, which carried on until Mar. 31, 1934, some 18 weeks, with an expenditure of some $300,000 in Cowley County, being distributed very unequally amongst the needy.
Then Apr. 1, 1934, all civil
works were closed and the needy people again placed upon federal work relief and direct relief. Again it was necessary for all to register and again pass before the scrutinizing eyes of the case supervisor and be investigated. Now, this supervisor was not the same one as we had in the past, as both of the supervisors had resigned and retired to private life, and the thing had happened as we had predicted. No records of any value, things in such a mixed up mess that it took nearly 15 days before anyone could be found eligible to work on the new orders.
At this time we had decided to put into effect a book-keeping System, such as we had in the days of the county commissary, that we might have some fair knowledge of why and what for our money was being spent. Up to the present
time I had been told that the case work system was very efficient and only people who were deserving relief were getting it, all of which we knew was not so. So we instructed the book-keepers to make us a report covering the 18 weeks during civil works and up until Apr. 15, the period in which the records were not clear. The following examples are some of the many hundreds and hundreds of specimens of inefficiency we found, and we feel you tax payers and responsible officials are entitled to know what has transpired.
Examples:
ONE FAMILY, 3 PEOPLE
March 1 ________________________$ 9.00
March 8 _______________________ 9.00
March 15 ______________________16.80
March 22 ____________________ 16.80
Total— $51.60
Grocery order April 2 __________ 4.50
$56.10
FAMILY, TWO PEOPLE
$52.80 cash during March, with grocery orders April 9.
FAMILY, FIVE PEOPLE
February__________________cash $ 48.80
March _______________ 13.6 5
_________________ 15.75
March
March
March
1
8
15
25.20
$103.40
Grocery Order, Mar. 24_________3.00
Grocery Order, Apr. 2 ________4.00 7.00
Total— $110.40
FAMILY, THREE PEOPLE
Month of March $62.40 cash; Grocery Order Apr. 9.
FAMILY. ONE PERSON Month of March $38.00 cash; Grocery Order March $12.00, Total $50.00. FAMILY-, FOUR PEOPLE
Mar. 1 ___________________________________$11.25
Mar. 8 ____________________________________16.50
Mar. 15 ___________________________________ 26.40
Mar. 22 __________________ 26.40
Mar. 29 ___________________ 8.80
$89.35
Grocery Order, Apr. 2_______________________________ 3.50
Total— $98.85
Original Format
Newspaper clippings on scrapbook page