The Nome nugget., 1924-04-26
COMMUNICATION


 Dear Sir:
 Several weeks ago you published an official statement issued by the Board of Trustees of the Pioneers Home pertaining to the present. sta tus of the appropriation made by the last Legislature covering allow ances for certain aged residents of 1 Alaska.
 1 The phraseology used in this par ticular circular was misle ading and evidently designed to prevent any possible criticism of the Board in its method of disbursmg the funds Ito those persons eligible under the law.
 ! Later. in your issue of March 29th q reprint of an editorial from Stroll lcr's Weekly on the same subject appeared. This editorial was de | liberate perversim of facts, and was an injustice to those members of the Legislature who were whole-heart- eddy Ill favor of d liberal allowance appropriation.
 To quote from Stroller's Weekly: "A popular bill was enacted increas- | ing pensions aud no money was ap- propriat.,d to meet the increase. More than that. not sufficient money was appropriated to meet the pen sttn demands under former sched- [ Gle.
 i The facts are as follows: To pro- vide adequately for those persons in need of assistance. q total of s215,- 450 was appropriated. as follows: Maintenance of Pioneers Home, S9S.450; Allowances for aged resi- dents. s60,000; For relief of Desti- ] tuition. Sl2 900; For care of depen- ldcnt children and Mothers Pension, S35 900; For Ghs resuce and reiief of lost parsons, S10.000. /, The Legislature in 1921 appropri- ated s35.oO0 for allowances for aged residents. which amount proved to be Sl5.50 less than the actual ex- ,.p ,.ptnditurtes. The maximum allow ance4s under that appropriation was S1250 per month for men and S25 fer women
 The Legislature in 1923 increased itke maximum allowance to $25.O0 per month for men and $45.O0 per month for women. To meet this increase the Legislature raised the appropriation from $35.00O to s6O,- 1000. The Ways and Means Com mittee set the amount at s60.000, ard after considera b1e discussion i by the members of the House, the 1 increase of s25.0O over the former a?propriation q of 35.000 was held to be sufficient under the new schedule. When the Ways and Means Commit tee is deliberating on the matter of appro priations. it is guided to large extent by the members of the various Territorial Boards. In no ot her way can the Committee deter mine the amounts necessary to carry on the functions of tine terri torial government. There seems to have been lack of cooperation in this instance on the part of the Board of Trustees of the Pioneers Home. However. We believe that had the appropriation been judici- ously expended, no great deficit would occur It does not seem req soma bIe that the rate of dependency should increase so rapidly under the new schedule. granting that under the old schedule $35,00O was suff1e- tent.
 1 Each Legislature is called upon to | make appropriations for tle pay ment of deficits in various appropri- ations made by former legislature. and there is little doubt but that the next Legislature would make an ap- pr opriation covering the present sit uation.
 The law is not generally under stood. Most people believe it to be an Old Age Pension Act. but it is rather an act to provide allowances fer such persons who are in need .of financial aid. Certain require trlenxs are necessary beside age and residence to become eligible for an allowance.
 The law of 1923 provides for a
 maximum allowance of $25.00 per
 morth for men and $45.O0 per
 month for women, leaving it to the discretion of the Board of Trustees to decide what beneiciaries should
 receive the maximum. taking into
 consideration the actual needs. place
 0; residence and earning capacity If any, of each beneficiary. The