The labor world., 1922-09-23
STATE WELFARE
CONTROL URGED
BY TAX LEAGUE !
unit|eat|on Of Benet|esnt &c Work n
Held Necessary to Curb :
Mounting Expense.

Seventeen per cent Of tho total
county tax levy is devoted to welfare
work in st. Louis county as compared
with approximately per cent -
years ago, according to the bulletin
issued yesterday by the Taxpayers
league.
The league, in the, bulletin, declares
it might be wiser for several counties
to unite in their welfare work or for
the state to take over proposed new
projects. Keeping the expenditures
at the lowest possible figure until
such time as a centralized control can
be established and unavoidable du-
plfcations reduced to minimum, is
urged by the league.
$13O,OOO Increase.
An expenditure of approximately
$4,000 will be needed to carry on
the welfare work in 1928, an esti-
mated increase, over the expenditure
in 1922 OF $130,000, the bulletin de-
clares. County welfare agencies ex-
elusive Of the juvenile court, proba-
tion office and prisoners educational
work, in 1921 expended $558,9S8.42
while during the first half, Of 1922
the disbursements totaled $2S9,343.01a
1.-TWO boards in the county are the
sole arbiters of the amounts to be.
levied for, their particular institu-
tions," the pamphlet explains. '"These
are the poor board and county sani-
tarium commission and the amounts
they determine necessary are the
amounts spread on the tax roll.
$2S, 5000 for improvements.
$225,000.s of this $4,000 is to be used
for improvements on the poor house
and the balance for ordinary relief.
In 1921 the total expenditures
amounted to $175,180.4a. The first
six months of 1922 cost $1O2,923.39,
although it is probable that the first
half of the year is heavier. The in
creased levy. asked which will amount
to 100000 is questionable to the
league inasmuch as general condi-
tions are recognized as being bet
ter than existed at the same time
last year. In keeping with generally
accepted ideas Of budget procedure
it Is believed that> the poor board
plain the necessity for this increase"
The sanitarium commission has
made levy for the next year of
$1S0,000, which is the same amount
as asked in 1919, 1920 and 1921. The
commission is limited by law to a
one mill levy, which If made would
amount to approximately $365,ooo,
according to the bulletin. The levy
as made amounts to but IS mill.
Work Farm Asks Incikase.
An increase Of $4,000 in its ap-
preparation is asked for by the work
farm board which is asking for
4d0 0nn 1907 oka
THE county board Of commissioners
has the power to review the request
of the board and it may be that it
will not see fit to reduce some of
the proposals." it says.
The amount necessary for the op-
GRAFTON and maintenance of the In
dustrial home school is not yet
known For this years expense"
the bulletin declares, $36,418.55. or
10 mill (the maximum) >Was levied.
In 1921 the total cost was $13,24s.3s."
From General Revenue.
The majority Of welfare branches
receive their money from the general
revenue fund Of the county and their
requests are subject to the will of
the county commissioners. The larg-
est item is the allowance for de-
pendent children or widows pension.
Nlnety-1lVe Thousand dollars has been
requested for next year. In 1921, the
amount distributed was $67,S10.72,
while for the first six months Of 1922
the amount expended was $43,795.S4.
1T is, not unlikely that the requests
Of the remaining boards and insti-
tutions who have not made known
their needs will follow the upward
trend taken by the other agencies"
the bulletin continues. "No attempt
is being made by the league to be-
little the efforts of the several agen-
cies. The league does believe that
every institution and every agency
should do all in it's power to elimi-
curtail new plans calling for new
nate unnecessary expenditures and to
expense" -