DESPERATE PLIGHT OF AMERICAN CITIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 289, 7 December 1939, Page 7

DESPERATE PLIGHT OF AMERICAN CITIES

UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS MANY LIVING ON SINGLE MEAL DAILY NEW YORK, Dec. 5. Despite lhe highest industrial employment since 1929, two of America's greatest industrial centres, Cleveland and Toledo, because of depletion of current relief appropriations for 36.000 needy, are facing an unemployment crisis even unequalled at the height, of lhe depression. Both cities have been in a turmoil in the past fortnight, with many living on a single meal daily. There have been indignation meetings and threats of unemployed marches. City officials fear the arrival of winter, which will increase the already desperate suffering and is likely to precipitate violence unless a solution is found. Cleveland was recently forced to halt relief for 16,000 adults to assure a continuance of food for children, but the general outcry caused the city to evolve an emergency rationing system, forcing many lo depend on the charity of neighbours and friends for food beyond a single meal daily. Toledo is in similar plight because of the election defeat of a plan to levy a tax to maintain relief. Officials have suspended direct relief for 20,000, substituting a limited relief plan similar to that in Cleveland. Both cities are importuning slr. JW. Bricker, the Governor, to convene a special legislature to appropriate relief funds, but the Governor has so far refused, alleging that the cities are shirking their share ot the burden. The situation in Ohio is focussing attention to the national unemploy.ment problem. Despite business improvement and industrial activity I partly through the war which brought (the number of employed in the United States to the highest level since 1929, unemployed are still estimated al. 9,000,000. Relief officials fear that the winter will bring the worst privations in lhe country's history since the Federal Government is gradually reducing relief and Works Progress I Administration programmes in an effort to shift the major portion of the ,burden on to local agencies in order ,to absorb defence expenditures and I avoid increasing national taxes before (the 1940 Presidential election. Local I agencies, however, ar e not prepared ■and are unwilling. Tint the needy I are suddenly denied Federal aids anfl I are caught in the gravoot plight.