Home Photo Gallery Classroom Documents Letter, Salt Lake County Department of Public Welfare
SALT LAKE COUNTY March 10, 1937
Mr. Glen D. Reese, Director of Selection Dear Mr. Reese: In reply to your letter of March 6, regarding the Civilian Conservation Corps, may I state that in my opinion the adverse criticism of the Civilian Conservation Corps is noticeably less. There are fewer complaints regarding the military aspects of these camps; also almost no criticism of food in the camps, and the appreciation of this opportunity offered to young boys is marked. Regarding the accomplishments of the work done by the enrollee. In my travels as well as the travels by other members of our staff during last summer and fall, we all appreciated the cleared roadsides where underbrush had previously grown. Also the clear vision of roads and turns made possible by this clearing away of underbrush. Several of us had the opportunity of watching the boys work as emergency crews in cases of forest fire. We also appreciated the road repair and road building in the wooded districts of the entire west and northwest. Especially did we appreciate the beautification and road improvement in the national forests. We also think any work which tends toward the conservation of natural resources is a very beneficial part of any program. With regard to the benefits to the young man, we feel that it is apparent that the morals of these young men has been maintained by work done in these camps when no other work was available for them. We feel that the habit "to work" maintained by constant employment with reasonable hours has been a very important factor in the lives of these young men. We notice with a feeling of satisfaction that these boys look bronzed, well nourished, and heartily happy. We realize that when these camps were first opened many young men especially from metropolitan areas brought with them to the west manners and habits of the gangster. We find at the present time no such criticism of our camps. We find in place of this that many of our western boys have lost many of the provincialisms all of which means a pleasant and more normal outlook on life. Parents to many of our boys have expressed their appreciation of the training given to these boys in camp. Probably a more practical training could be given them in the future, but the method seems to us to be to the beneficial advantage of every enrollee. Regarding the benefits which have accrued to the allottee, we feel that since the boys in now are all taken from relief homes, and that with very few exceptions every allottee benefits from the cash and regular income in the home. Though the amount especially in the cases of large families seems to be small it can be depended upon, and being in the form of cash solves many of the problems which neither the family nor the relief agency can solve. Frequently also the family receives gratification in the development of the son who formerly had not been amenable to discipline, and this can not be computable in dollars and cents. Realizing that this report is very informal and may be of little value as a report, I remain Sincerely yours,
/s/ Mae H. Stevens, Acting Manager MHS:gd
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