Montana labor news., 1938-03-24
County Welfare Board
Faces Difficult Task
Continued from Page y

cations Iof general relleI are also
considered applications for WPA
work, so that wherever possible
work relief may be given rather
than direct relief. Rules and regu-
lations to determine eligibility are
set in most instances by the state
department and in some instances
by the county department and must
in no Ease be in opposition to gen.
eral requirements laid down by the
federal government.
The cost of old age assistance is
at present borne by the federal gov
eminent, the state and the county
in proportions, respectively, of one
half, one-third and one-sixth. When
this phase of relief was begun in
Montana in 1886, the cost was divided
among the three branches of gov
eminent in proportions, respectively
as above, of one-half, one-fourth and
one-fourth. The last Montana legis-
lative assembly reduced the county
portion of this expense and increased
the state portion.
The cost of aid to needy dependent
children is divided in proportions of
one-third each for the federal, state
and county governments. This form
of aid began in April, 1887, and re-
placed the old widows pension, the
cost of which was borne entirely by
the county. In addition to dividing
the cost of this assistance between
the three participating governments,
increased assistance to needy de-
pendent children was provided.
The cost of the aid to needy blind
program is divided exactly the same
as old age assistance. This is an
entirely new branch of assistance.
The cost of general relief is borne
entirely by the county until all of
the poor fund, a six mill levy, has
been exhausted. Then, after an
audit of the county poor fund ac-
counts has been made by the state,
and it has been determined that the
county funds were properly budget
ed and spent, the state will bear the
cost of general relief for the county.
Being strictly a federal relief pro-
gram, the cost of financing WPA is
carried by the federal government,
except for stated contributions made
by agents or agencies sponsoring
work projects. AS a general rule,
the county is the most frequent
sponsor of projects and is thus the
heaviest contributor outside of the
federal government.
From the foregoing, it will be seen
that a quite fair and equitable dis
tribution of relief costs is made,
placing the burden of expense most
heavily on the federal government,
next most on the state and least on
the county. However, a great
change in distribution of cost has
been made since the days of FERA,
when nearly all expense was car
ried by the federal government. At
that time, while the county bore
little of the cost of work and direct
relief, it had heavy obligations in
the matter of widows pensions and
certain other poor fund charges. The
cost Of general relief was carried
entirely by the county from July l,
1887, to January 81, 1888, at which
time the county poor fund became
exhausted. Were it not for the gen
eral decline in business conditions
and the curtailment of mining
operations in Butte, Silver Bow
County might well have carried
general relief obligations nearly
through the fiscal year, which ends
June 80, an admittedly fine accom-
plishment.
The determining factor in giving
assistance to any applicant is the
need in the case. 1t has been the
practice of the County Welfare De-
partment to give assistance to all
who are in need, in a manner allow
ing the greatest possible considera-
ton for the applicant and at the
same time giving full consideration
to the fact that money for general
relief is the money of Silver Bow