NT-5018

Slate: WNDT At Issue. Program "What Price Poverty?" Episode # (blank). Recorded Jan.30. Air Date Feb. 3 Take #2

Montage of B&W stills - impoverished rural families, children, older folk, etc.
Narration about poor people and aiding impoverished areas in our own country.

More B&W photo stills of impoverished rural folk.

Author, Michael Harrington talking about the history of poverty dating back to the 1830's when there were no extremes. Photo of the book "Democracy of America". Harrington discusses that by the turn of the century that America had vanished. With immigration, the vast masses pouring in, the growth of the cities, and the growth of industrial system changed everything,

B&W footage Franklin Roosevelt at podium speaking about poverty in famous speech where he states: "I see one third of a nation ill housed, ill clad, ill nourished".

Pan down on B&W photo NYC skyline circa 1940's to brick tenements with fire escapes and clothes lines. B&W photos of minority poor including cute little Black girl forlorn and looking through an iron fence.
Narration by Harrington

Photo still sign along rural road, "Whitesburg Pop. 1390"

Mrs. Elkins unseen but for old photographs, she speaks to unseen interviewer about hoping her children can find a happier way of life, as B&W photos of their life is shown, she speaks of how hard it is to feed them ...they don't go hungry but, their "bodies are starved for vitamins".

Footage of a poverty stricken neighborhood of Washington, D.C. - run down row houses and homes, garbage strewn alley with chained link fence, kids running around in front of high rise tenement, other run down dwellings. With Narration from unseen Social Worker, Harold Dansk talking about the people living in these impoverished neighborhoods.

Wilbur J. Cohen, Assistant Secretary of Health Education and Welfare in an interview states the primary factor behind poverty in the United States is lack of educational attainment. He has found that two thirds of poor people had only an eight grade education or less, as well as their parents having lack of education.

B&W photo of entire Milestone School class - Meade guesses only 10% of the kids will finish high school due to financial needs of the child. Even though high school is free it requires lunches, clothes etc.

Interview with Robert Lekachman, Economist from Barnard College, speaking about the importance in providing education opportunity "practically from the cradle to the grave". He believes that everyone should have the opportunity to learn new skills. He comments on President Johnson's poverty programs and states that if the President continues to attack poverty through economy and thrift, the situation will not change but get worse.

Montage B&W photos, young boy standing outside row of huts in the snow. Other photos with commentary by a man, Frank Wellon, unseen except in photos, who tells his story to unseen interview about being disabled in 1948 and never being able to work again. Additionally, his son George unseen, speak about why he quit school in 7th grade, he's now 20 and unemployed.

B&W photo, Harry M. Caudill, author of Night Comes to the Cumberlands about poverty in Appalachia.

Interview with John Sweeney, Assistant to Franklin Roosevelt, Jr. - he states to create a TVA type Authority in Kentucky, a large Federal subsidy would be needed. He states the question is whether an Authority such as this would provide a better benefit than putting in roads, dams and schools. TVA's have been resisted in Washington, without a great understanding of why.

Cutaway to photo still of Lonso Elkins (from earlier) and a montage of coal mining photos as he tells a story about his last job, being laid off because of unreasonable demands.
B&W photos - pick up truck at coal mine, man working in coal mine, a mine cart filled with coal, men loading coal.

Show ends. Show graphics and credits overlay photo of homes across from railroad tracks in Appalachia.