The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-01-14

communicate to you as soon as !
receive them.
But we cannot escape our res
possibility to our unfortunates and
deny adequate care to those In
need. Such a denial is unthinkable.
particularly in the face Of the
economical forces over which the
individual has no control.
Public Welfare Administrator
The state Is lacking in admins
trative machinery to properly han
die the work of public welfare. All
public welfare services, with the
exception of supervision Of public
institutions now under the state
Board of Control, should be center
ed in a new Department Of Public
Welfare. This would include admin
istration of federal aids under the
Social Security Act, such as old age
assistance, assistance to dependent
children, aid to the blind, as well
as general home relief It would
call for the cooperation of the var
ious counties through establish
ment of county welfare boards
which would administer social as
sistance and treatment under the
supervision of the state depart
ment.
The various forms of veterans re-
lief now are scattered in number
Of agencies. Though 1t may be said
fbot ~ ic II, tho haSt tx,faro.te ~ 81, .,
veterans that they should avail
themselves of needed services as set
up in the state agencies, neverth-
less as a group they themselves
have felt the need Of a special pro-
gram to meet their special circum-
stances.
recommend, therefore, that you
establish a veterans bureau which
would have the function Of super
vising the Soldiers Home and or
ganizating general home relief and
assistance to veterans and their
families. This would mean consol-
idation of several state activities
now separately organized or within
other departments, such as: War
veterans relief agency; Soldiers
Home Board; division Of soldiers
welfare; and veterans claims hand
led in the Adjutant Generals Of
flee.
Compliance With Federal Social
Security Act
Passage by Congress Of the fed
eral Social Security Act meant that
government recognized it's obliga-
ton as guarantor of the social and
economic security of the people.
The standards which the law sets
are still far from desirable, but at
least 1t Is a beginning. Ultimately,
security must be on the basis Of a
high American standard of living.
Towards that goal we must strive,
as well as towards an economy of
abundance rather than Of scarcity.
We must fight not only against a
lowering living standard for our
masses, but for a constantly high
er Standard standard, I should
say, limited only by Americas cap
acity to produce wealth.
The special session called by the
late Governor Olson passed an old
age assistance act to enable this
state to qualify for federal old age
assistance. recommend more lib
eral allowance so that our old folk
can enjoy at least a measure of
comfort, and liberalization of the
law in other respects.
The administration of old age as
sistance is in the hands of the
Board of County Commissioners,
with the exception of two counties,
where it is administered by the
Board of Poor Commissioners. The
county contributes one-sixth of the
share. The weakness of the law is
that if one county should fail to
pay old age assistance, the law is
suspended for the entire state.
This is not a remote possibility.
On two occasions, a certain north
err county passed resolution
stating that no funds were avail
able to meet the countys share, but
in each case the state agency sue
is no assurance that this can al
ways be done. There are perhaps
fifteen other counties in similar
financial straits, and the danger of
suspension of old age assistance
for the state is always present.
Another feature is that it does
not permit the state agency to ex-
ercise sufficient supervision. This
results in continuous compromise