Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-11-21
AS WE SEE 1T
By MoNTco

THE BUSINESS MANAGER of the
Welfare Board for Montgomery Coun-
ty will receive S175 per month salary
with an additional mileage allowance
of about $50. In addition, his execu-
tive secretary will also receive $175
per month plus $50 allowance for
mileage. Bang goes $410 per month for
expenses. This expense is entirely too
large as we see it. The Welfare Board
could well function with, say, an ex-
ecutive head at $3.50 per month, with
no expenses, plus a field assistant at
$3.50 per month. Hence a saving of
$110 per month, or 1920 per year.
A minority member of the Welfare
Board, Mayor Douglas M. Blandford,
voted against the excessive expendi-
ture. AS he points out, if you spend so
much money for Office expenses,
out all this extra cost? Is it because
beyond reason, in our judgment. They
spend money for work which can well
be accomplished at lesser cost. Why
cannot our welfare board, with the
help of private citizens, function with
out all this extra cost? 1t is because
political promises have to be kept?
Do jobs have to be given out purely
because someone has to have a job
WE DO NOT WISH to cast any
aspersions on the work of the welfare
board. We believe that its functions
are primarily intended to care for
those who really need assistance. But
there should be some emphasis placed
upon the expense of running an Office
as compared with the amount of
money distributed to the families who
are conceded to be in dire shape fnan-
cially.
THE SOCIAL SERVICE LEAGUE
and THE WELFARE BOARD both
can CLEAN a lesson from the Saliva
ton Army. 1t should be the express
purpose of these two former named
groups to take care of the families
needing assistance with minimum of
expenditures for office and other ex-
penses. The matter, in reality, should
be taken care of without any expense,
save office and Incidental obligations.
A committee of responsible citizens
in each district, with the help of one
or two paid persons to take care of
the office in Rockville, should solve
our local welfare problems. The prob
lens are mostly local and local people
should contribute their support toward
an adequate solution. We must not
blame either the Social Service or the
Welfare Board if we do not intend to
pitch in and help our neighbors. We
are better suited to face these ques-
tons than outsiders, whether they be
trained social workers or otherwise.
1t is up to us to work out a suitable
substitute for the proposed remedy.
WE RUN ACROSS THE CUES
TION every day. Both National and
Local officials are criticised for excess
sive expenditures in their efforts to
solve the relief problem. Oftentimes,
the matter is hooked up with politics.
More often, it is a problem of not
exercising commonsense. Why cannot
this strictly social enigma be treated
as such? We have heretofore treated
the matter in such light. We have
had our almshouses and our poor
farms. We have our permanent
agencies which have in the past ad-
equately dealt with the matter. Seem
ingly, we have forgotten ourselves and
permitted the availability of Federal
and local funds to lead US astray. The
more power to our community when it
solves these problems of its own
accord without any outside assistance.
It has been done. It can be done.
WE SHOULD TREAT THIS matter
as a community problem. Each citizen
who is more fortunate than his fell
bowman should volunteer his services.
His advice should guide the distribu-
ton of funds in his particular local
fly. The influx Of immigrants from
neighboring states should be discour-
aged. 1t is commonly stated and gen.
orally believed that many persons who
are newcomers to the rural section Of
Montgomery County are driven out
from neighboring States. At least,
these people, in many instances, are
quoted as saying that the Judge
gave them the choice Of getting out
or serving a stiff sentence in their