The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-06-16
RELIEF SYSTEM OF STATE
ASSAILED BY EXECUTIVE
Uniform Plan For Welfare Pro-
posed; Lack Of Cooperation Is
For Confused Program
A "BAFFLING" PICTURE


Maryland's efforts to furnish direct
aid to its unemployables make up a
Confusing" and battling" picture,
complicated by lack of uniform ac-
ton by the counties, state relief
executive told the annual Maryland
Conference of Social Welfare on last
Friday.
The speaker, ]. Milton Patterson,
executive secretary OF the Board of
State Aid and Charities, said the
board had found the variations and
discrepancies in the county programs
sufficiently serious to merit state
wide comprehensive study of the en-
tire problem.
This study, he said, was recently
launched and had not progressed suffi-
GENTLY to justify a preliminary re-
port.
Administration of general public as
sistance or direct relief, has been ham
pered by confusion, caused, he said,
by different dates for county tax lev
les and failure of all counties to act
together in handling the direct relief
burden.
Three Counties Levy Funds
Since state funds for such aid were
halted in April, only nine counties
have had an opportunity to levy. Of
this number, only three included funds
for direct relief. Three others refused
to earmark such funds, two have not
vet reported, and one handles it's prob
lem alone.
He pointed out that four counties
Garrett, Montgomery, St. Mary's and
Observation-Disclosures direct relief
through their county commissioners
instead of through the county well
fare boards.
applicants to the county welfare
boards in this category are referred
to the county commissioners who dis
pose of them as they see fit" Patter-
son commented. evidence would seem
to show that these decisions are made
with little or no investigation, and
with no consideration of the actual
needs of the client in terms of budget
airy decisions"
Refused To Make Levies
Prince Georges and Washington
counties, two of three which refused
to levy for direct relief, left their
county welfare boards Sin the precar-
ious position of being dependent upon
the continued goodwill of the county
commissioners" he asserted.
Carroll county, the third which re-
fused to levy, apparently still has suf-
fcient funds on hand to meet direct re-
lief needs, he said Four other coun-
ties-Baltimore, Hartford, Howard and
Talbot-also have some remaining re-
lief funds, Patterson continued.
However, he said, the problem was
becoming increasingly serious" in
Anne Arundel, Caroline, Cecil, Kent,
Frederick and Queen Anne's counties,
where case loads already have been
restricted, funds are inadequate and
there is no assurance for the future
program.
S4,OOO,OOO Deficit Forecast
Baltimore City, with $50 direct re-
lief applications daily and case load
of 1850, has no specific funds ear
marked for direct relief and is run
ming a deficit to meet present needs.
The deficit, Patterson said, will total
100000 by December, 1888.
The charities official added point
ed criticism of the method Of distrlb-
uting funds for the needy on popula-
ton basis, asserting that 1888, 149 was
given to the counties and S1,257,724 to
Baltimore City between April, 1886,
and April, 1888.
In that period, the counties spent
$569,218 and Baltimore, 1891 Alb, he
said, (which shows conclusively that,
had this fund been distributed to the
local units on the basis of need, there
would be no shortage at the present
time except in the City of Baltimore"
Nearly 5000 persons were receiving
direct relief last month, Patterson
said.