The New Deal’s (1933-1939) work relief programs during the Great Depression (1929-1939) were not without their critics. They were frequently attacked as useless “made work,” leaf-raking,” or “boondoggles.” They were also criticized as political, providing jobs for those who supported the New Deal and the Democratic Party. Here, the Holyoke Transcript recounts the story of a local farmer who tried to find a “hired hand” among the city’s unemployed. Although he offered $30 per month with room and board, no one wanted the job. The Transcript blamed the New Deal’s work relief program, the WPA, for providing “soft jobs” (easy work) at higher pay. Such programs, it was claimed, led to “the deterioration of the fibre of American Manhood.”
Greenfield Recorder-Gazette. “For the Softies.” May 15, 1936. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l08-027/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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