Smyrna times., 1923-02-14
STATE WELFARE BOARDS TO
MERGE INTO ONE DEPARTMENT
IF THE BILL OF REPRESENTA-
TIVE PETTYJOHN PASSES
Bill AbOIishes Several Bodies, the
tuberculosis Commission, Mothers
Pension and Child Welfare

ganizatiOns Of the State into one body
the proposal of which has aroused
such a storm of protest throughout
Delaware, especially among the wom-
en- residents, was introduced in the
House. Monday afternoon by Repre-
sentative Roy E. Pettyjohn of Milford
it was identified as House Bill No. 1853
and referrer to the committee on pub
lie health of which Representative |
Reynolds is chairman. The bill pro-
vides that on and after July /, 1928, |
the present State Board of Health, |
Delaware State Tuberculosis Commits
sion, Child Welfare Commission and |
Mothers Pension Commission will be
abolished and each of them is directed
to turn over to the State Board of
Health and Public Welfare, the new
agency created to take their place,
all their books, documents and cores
pendence. This new board is to con-
sist of nine members appointed by the
I governor, three from each Countrywide
will assume their duties July of this
year. There are to be at least three
members on the board, three members
of the medical profession, and at least
j one member shall be chosen from each
of the four commissions or boards
abolished by this new law The MEM
] bers will serve without pay but each
! shall be allowed not more than 5000
year FOR expenses. Three of the
members will be appointed to serve
for one year; three for two years and
! three for three years and their sue
cessors will be named to serve for
three years. The governor is an ex-
officiO member of the board The
board is empowered to employ an ex-
ecutive official whose salary the men,
bers shall fix. The sum of $150,000
year for two years is provided for in
the bill for the use of the board but it
is further provided as follows: Not
more than $4,000 shall be used an
nually for the work now performed by
the present State Board of Health;
not over 100000 shall be used an
nually for the work now performed
by the present Delaware State Tu-
berculosis Commission; not over S45,-
600 annually shall be used for the
work now performed by the present
Child Welfare Commission and not
over $4,000 shall be used annually
for the work now performed by the
present Mothers Pension Commission
and $4,000 may be used annually for
| SO. H.
augmented if necessary, in the discre-
ton of the board by drawing proper
tionately from the other four funds.
Of the $4,000 for mothers pensions
not more than $4,000 shall be used
annually in Sussex county; not more
than $4,000 in Kent county; not more
than $1,000 in New Castle county;
$4,000 annually may be used for
travel and administration and $1,000
, in the discretion of the board may be
used in any or all of the counties OF
the State for pensions or for such
items of travel and administration as
the said $4,000 shall not cover. The
! Levy Courts of each of the countie.
/ are authorized to appropriate fol
} mothers pensions the same amount
+ which the State eXpends in their re
spective counties.
The personnel of the present Moth
ers Pension Commission is to be re
tanned by the new combined board a!
an advisory committee whose actua
e expenses shall be paid by the boart
and through whom all application
for pensions must come and be passed
upon before the board takes final ac
! tion on them. The board may appOin
new members of the mothers pension
h commission when the terms of tn,
present members expire. The boarC
$ will also appoint a woman as a fielt
supervisor of mothers pension Worl
/ but the mothers pension committee
e will submit their recommendation fo
e a person for this position.
In submitting this bill to the Leg
islature J. Hall Anderson, executive
secretary of the present State Boar
= of Charities sent a letter to Represen
tative Pettyjohn in which he says j
was compiled after a careful study o
;. the problem throughout the state
e While it may not meet with the eXac
% wishes of anysof the commissions in
4. volved, he wrote, the Board of Char
g tiles has survived the whole matte
el from the point of view of the welfar
D. of the State as a whole and not alon
Ie from the point of view of any one o
If the commissions involved in the merg
N er.
J. The Board of Charities, he wrote
"has the highest admiration for tn
unselfsh men and women who ar
enlAincr wit hnnt cnlnnnnsatinn n