Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-21
THE "You TICKLE NE AND
I'll TICKLE YOU" POLICY
Those Who Wish Il TO Continue Are op-
pooling the BilI to Put the support
, OF State Charities on a
Scientific Basls

T,HE real objections of the opponents OF
i Governor Sprouts plan to create a De-
partment Of Public Welfare, embodied In
Senator Woodwsri's BILL have not been
confessed.
1t is charged that the bill Is part Of a
plan TO strengthen the Sproul political ma
chine through the control over patronage
and through the supervision Of appropria.
tions.
Every member Of the Legislature. how
ever, knows that this charge Is merely q
pretsIt to excuse hostility to the measure
and that the bill Is objected 70 not because
IL will strengthen the Governor. but be-
cause II will take from the legislators them
selves one OF the sources Of their own po-
litcal power.
A large proportion of the members of the
General Assembly exert themselves every
session TO secure as much money as possible
for the charitable institutions In their dis
tricts They engage in log rolling and vote
for appropriations in one district for which
they know there Is not sufficient justiaca-
ton In order to secure votes for an sppro.
pristion for the institutions in their own
district. The most expert log roller gets
the most money.
The purpose at the bottom OF the Gov
ernor's plan Is to put the appropriation of
purposes upon a scientific basis and thus to
conserve the money of the state.
This end has not been and could not be
accomplished under the spresont system,
where supervision Of such institutions is
divided among the Board Of Public Chari-
ties, the Committee on Lunacy and the
Prison Labor Commission. These three
bodies are abolished by the bill and their
functions are taken over by an unsalaried
Commission Of Public Welfare. with a
salaried commissioner as it's executive officer.
This commission is TO have supervision
over all penal. reformatory and correctional
institutions and all hospitals for the insane
or for any other purpose, and all institu-
tions for the feeble minded. idiotic or epi-
leptic persons and all institutions for the
care of the deaf. inebriates or Juvenile de-
linquents when these institutions receive
state aid. And II is also to supervise all
echaritablc institutions and oil places where
the insane are detained. whether these n.
stirutons receive state aid or not. II is
to look after all the county prisons. hos
pitfalls and almshouses and all institutions
to which dependent or neglected children
may be committed and all baby farms. Fur
ther. II is to administer the mothers assist
ance system and to manage the labor system
Of the penitentiaries and rcformatories and
caused by mine caves. BY fire. by food or
other casualty which constitutes a menace
to public welfare and safety.
The concentration Of supervisory au-
thority over these matters in one body Is
in line with the beat modern practice. II
tends to economy and TO the application Of
the most advanced methods Of relief for the
persons confined in the institutions brought
under uniform control. But the practical
business justification for the plan lies In
Its reform OF the system OF appropriating
state money.
Every institution seeking state aid is re.
quired to set forth its needs 10 the depart
ment created by the bill. The commissioner
Is then to examine carefully into ench re-
quest and 10 discover so far as possible it's
merits. Then he is to report TO the General
Assembly the result OF his inquiry and to
make his recommendations.
The intent of the bill is that these
recommendations should constitute the off.
cial charitable and correctional budget for
the two succeeding years, 1t Ia assumed
that this budget would he prepared and the
money apportioned on the basis Of the work
done BY the different institutions and not
in the haphaIard manner now prevailing.
The pei charities Of a few influential poll
ticians would then have TO justify their
portion Of the appropriation as the work
they did entitled them to.
The measure oughr to be welcomed by
the politicians who think thsir political life
Is dependent on the amount Of money they
can get out Of the state treasury for their
districts II will relieve them OF the pres
sure now brought to bear on them because
they can refer solicitors for funds directly
20 the Public Welfare Commission created
expressly to guide the Legislature in the
distribution Of state money. And they can
assure their constituents that every worthy
institution Will get as much money as the
state can afford.
Only those who wish to play favorites
can oppose the measure. II ought 10 be sup
port,d by every one who welcomes the be-
ginning Of the work Of nbolishing the nu.
merous commissions now managing various
phases OF the public business and the con-
centration Of authority in as few hands as
is consistent with efficiency,