The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-05
US. to Spur
New Social
Service Plan
Federal L e 81 S | a ii o n
Aimed to Speed Up
Projects Explained.

New Federal legislation is to give
definite acceleration to social service
work. Stressing this point in his
lecture last night at Caleb Mills
Hall, David c. Adie, New York
State Social Welfare Commissioner,
outlined Community Service work
as it is to exist in the future.
MIR. Adie was brought here by the
Junior League of Indianapolis and
the Committee for Volunteers of
the Council of Social Agencies. His
talk was one of a series in a course
designed for volunteer social work
erS.
Bring Back u. S. Tradition
welfare workers must have
board of experienced workers." he
said. I'm this way they will bring
back the American tradition of To-
cal interest to welfare work, and
prevent the public official from be-
coming sterile in his concept of
what the American people want
QOne.
He expressed fear that if this
were not done, social welfare admin
istration will become just another
government department.
I'VE never can pay the cost of well
fare as embodied in the Federal plan
of social security on the basis Of
local taxation" Mr. Adie said. Il
look forward to a continuation of
Federal, state and local financial
relationship"
Need Enlarged Powers
Welfare boards must have en-
larged powers, he. declared.
They must be clothed with adj
ministrative powers, and be taken
out of the inspirational field into the
functional field" he said. They
must be allowed to plan institution
programs.
eff we do the smart thing, we
will incorporate into every local
unit county boards of social welfare
which will have definite place in
functioning."
The work of private agencies is
not to end with organization of
public welfare units, and federal
aid, Mr.. Adie believes.
Public Agencies Limited
Private agencies function where
public ones can not in some in
stances" he pointed out. Public
agencies can deal only in terms of
Interpretation of law. Few public
agencies have the ability to hire the
type of personnel which can do the
finer type of welfare work,
"It would be a bad thing to hand
over to the government all things
that belong to us as individuals. If
the government were willing to as
sumo all social welfare work, I
should resist handing it over.
1--WE must merge the three groups
public officials, the council of
social agencies-of which you have
a fine example in indianapolis -
and other interested groups such as
Rotary, Kiwanis and other service
clubs.
I'VE must base our program on
the experiences of the last 10 years
Public agencies will have to come
up~to the level of private agencies
in their conception of what social
work means"
Community Problems
Individual community problems
must be considered, Mr.. Adie be-
lieves.
1--WE must use a rifle rather than
a shotgun in attacking social prob
lems," he said. 1--WE can not afford
to waste our resources. Besides
planning, we must develop person.
mel and organization"
Welfare work is not a panacea
for all social ills, Mr.. Adie said, but
has a definite limit.
Social workers have no right to
probe into cupboards and criticize
the housekeeping of the poor" he
said. THE poor have the same
right to imperfection that their
more fortunate brothers have.
Workers must remember that they
are guests in the homes of the peo-
pie whom they serve, and not vio-
late the privileges of guests"
He praised the work of the local
Junior League in preparing books
for the blind, and in the occupa-
tional therapy work at the James
Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Chill
dren.
These projects represent more
imagination in worthwhile things
than I have seen in long time"
Mr.. Adie said.