Evening star., 1939-12-31
Capital SideIights
By viii P. Kennedy

The advent of the new year empha-
sizes the spirit of good will toward men"
now in evidence in this country in the
care of the needy and INDECENT aged.
Starting tomorrow, more liberal welfare
provisions by the Federal Government
become effective, with the promise of
further and early legislative action along
this line in the session of Congress which
opens Wednesday. The liberalized Fed
pensations by the States and local COM
munities After tomorrow the Federal
Government increases its contribution
toward State aid to dependent children,
matching dollar for dollar with limits Of
Sl8 for the first child and $12 for other
children. For aid to the needy blind the
Federal Treasury now may also pay half
the States total administrative expenses,
in addition to sharing on $3.50 basis,
up to $40 a month, in the support of this
class of dependents More liberal grants
to the aged by the States can now be
made, since the Social Security Board is
authorized to assume half Of any allow
ance up to $40 month per individual.
This increases the maximum Federal
contribution from SIS to $40.
The States are following the Federal
lead in providing better care for the
needy. Eight States are to meet in regu-
lar session and several others are to have
special sessions to deal with old-age as
sistance and other social security prob
lens Exclusive of unemployment COM
pensation, 653 laws were enacted in the
field of public welfare by the A State
Legislatures that met during the year
just closing. OF these acts, 1T per-
tanned to financing. The second larg-
est group, totaling $50, covered public as
sistance, including old-age pensions,
general relief and aid to the blind and
dependent children. New State laws
also provide for low-cost disqualification
through non-profit hospital service
plans and additional medical grants.
Two-thirds of the States retain a def
ton of general relief by local govern
ment units.
With the Federal budget. due to be
sent this week to the Capitol, calling for
deficit financing for the 11th successive
year, discussion grows regarding sug-
gested changes in the budget system
which has been in operation now for 18
years, since the appropriating authority
was taken from about a dozen legislative
committees and concentrated in one en-
larged Appropriations Committee. The
United States Chamber of Commerce is
behind a drive to have Congress "dras-
tically overhaul its taxing and spending
procedure so as to tighten up its control
Of the Governments pursestrings" Sem
ators Tydings Of Maryland and Adams
of Colorado, both members of the Ap-
preparations Committee, are sponsoring
proposed new budget plans. The former
advocates an automatic budget balanc-
ing law prohibiting appropriations in
excess Of expected revenues; the latter
would create Joint Budget Committee,
with technical staff, to serve as a
budget review agency for Congress. Sen
ator Taft Of Ohio, who is a candidate for
the Republican nomination for Presi-
dent, recently declared in a public
speech that "a Budget Committee should
be created to rewrite the so-called budget
presented by the President" It is also
proposed that Congress change the pres
ent Budget and Accounting Act so as to
permit the President to submit his
budget to Congress about March /, in
stead Of early in January. It is empha-
sized that now the budget is compiled
more than six months in advance of the
fiscal year to which 1t applies-and,
therefore, especially regarding antici-
pated revenues, cannot be very accurate.