Memo on question for Continuing Committee

Minutes of Continuing Committee

The second meeting of the sub-committee of Diocesan Directors of the NCCC - the committee formed in order to give O'Grady input from other Catholic leaders concerning the topics under discussion by the President's Committee on Economic Security - was held in early December of 1934. In advance of the meeting, O'Grady wrote a memo presenting questions for discussion, which is the first document presented here. The second document contains the minutes of the meeting; readers can compare the questions in the memo with the actual discussion that took place. This meeting is particularly interesting because of a discussion concerning the historical context of the American unemployment, as well as comparisons of American relief programs with similar programs in Europe.

Questions:

As you read the documents, reflect on the following questions:

• The confidential memorandum lists questions for discussion, including whether there should be a public, government-administered welfare bureau and the role of Federally-sponsored public works as a means of stimulating economic recovery. Can you find the corresponding discussion of these questions in the minutes of the meeting? What was the general consensus on them?
• What were the European relief programs like? Did American programs compare favorably with the European examples? Why or why not?
• Are there any questions from the memo that were not debated at the meeting?