Camden Courier-Post – June 24, 1933
Jobless Applicants Compelled To Wait Beside Garbage Cans In Court House Basement
Dr. Stone Calls for Removal of Refuse After Complaint Stench Menaces Health of Tattered Relief Seekers; Custodian Denies Anything Wrong
Charges that unsanitary conditions exist in the basement of the old court house building where hundreds of needy receive clothing and shoes were made yesterday by Clarence E. Moullette, secretary of the Unemployed Union.
Moullette, who called on Dr. A. L. Stone, city health director, stated that stench arising from accumulation of garbage and refuse from the county jail menaced the health of persons who must call at the temporary headquarters for clothing.
Stone Orders Removal
Dr. Stone said the place was opened in an emergency after forced removal from the former distributing station at West and Clinton streets.
He ordered the debris removed. Yesterday more than 100 men, women and children were crowded there and some, Moullette complained, must remain for periods of more than four hours before their wants are filled.
“When the Emergency Relief Committee took over the present quarters,” Moulette said, “it was promised that the unsanitary condition would be corrected.
“Responsibility for the stench of moldy garbage remaining in the small space to which these unfortunates must come should be placed on the custodian of the building. Such conditions should not be allowed to exist even if there were no people forced to enter the place.
“Unlimited space is available in the new City Hall building for accommodation of these people, and it appears that one of the chief reasons why that space is not used is that appearance of poorly-clad unemployed persons and their children is offensive to some of the occupants of the building.”
Dr. Stone accompanied Moulette in an inspection through the temporary headquarters, and stated that arrangements are being made to use additional rooms in the basement to accommodate applicants for clothing. He stated that orders were issued for daily removal of all refuse.
Thomas Dickinson, acting custodian of the court house, stated last night that garbage was removed from the basement daily.
“The garbage is collected at 11 a. m. each day,” he said. “If these complainers saw any garbage, they saw it before it was collected this morning or some which had been placed there after the day’s collection, awaiting collection tomorrow.”
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