The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-24

more rapid assimilation of WPA workers.
 Looking back at the efforts of the Mutual Aid, in connection with this very problem, we remember that they organize a Job Committee, which worked closely with the em- ployment managers of the city and was an important factor in the re- duction of the Mutual Aid rolls from 2,600 families in 1883 to 1,40O fam flies in 1885. In-as-much as it will reduce the tax rate of the city to return to private employment all employable relief cases as soon as possible, VIZ recommend that a study be made preferably by exist ing agencies, to determine how many relief cases are eligible for employ ment and the best method of bring ing them to the attention of those who do the employing.
 Everyone is interested in the ex- penditures of the welfare depart ment in that 1t is the second high est item in the city budget. In 1888 W spent $526,31086 for the opera tion of the department of public welfare and $36,260.39 for Brookside Home. We were reimbursed by the state and other towns for services rendered aliens and out of town settlement cases $114,229.06. That left the net cost of our welfare work for the year at $421 ,081.80. That is approximately two and one half mills on the tax rate.
 During the first eight months of this year, we have spent $316,715.79. If we continue to spend at this rate for the remaining four months, we will exceed last years expenditures by $20,000. However, recent trans fers to the w. P. A. together with unemployment of relief cases will reduce an pderhaps eliminate the need of spending beyond last yar's figure. A careful study of the personnel of the welfare department leads us to believe that no saving can be made in salaries at this time, but we would recommend a readjust- ment in organization. The social service division is inadequately staffed and an increase in the num- Der of social service workers with out increasing. the total amount of salaries of the department would add greatly to the efficiency. It is poor policy to overload social work CTS with too many cases. It results in inability to watch the cases carefully and to drop them from the list promptly when assistance is no longer needed.
 While we have not made a study of Brookside Home, except through its relationship to the case load of the welfare department, we believe that greater economy could be ex- rcised in the conduct of the affairs of the department of public welfare is Brookside Home was directly un- der the superintendent of welfare. This is no reflection upon the pres- ent organization at Brookside, which is conducting an excellent institu- tion. It is merely question of the form of organization which will function to the best advantage in the conduct of welfare activities in the city. Under an arrangement by which the Supt. of welfare is also supt. of Brookside Home the intake of the institution would be deter mined by the needs of the welfare dept. Under these needs would be considered adult board and conva- lescent care in private homes for which the city paid $44,000 in 1938 Inasmuch as 1t is customary in oth- CT cities of the state to place the city institution under the supt. of welfare and 1, view of the success full operation of Brookside Home l.under. the late Matthew Smith dur ing the time that he was supt. of public welfare, we can see no req son for continuing the present practice.
 In rendering this report we have approached every question with one thought in view, namely that ade- quate relief should be given to those in need at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers, who pay the bill. We have had the finest cooper ation from the supt. of public well w. P. A. authorities. We have found fare, Miss Grace L. White, and the them ready to adjust any situation which needed correction. We were
 studying this organization imme- diately following the vacation period and naturally found few minor changes which would not have eS- capped the observation of workers in the ordinary routine of their duties. Generally speaking we found that people arc not certified by the de- pertinent of public welfare to the w. F. A. authorities in New Haven un- less they are genuinely in need of relief. We also found that this certi- fication is withdrawn as soon as the assistance to the family is no longer needed. Tn the full relief cases of the partial relief. and the w. P. A. sup elementary relief we found every welfare department as we'll as the thing excellently organized and managed.
 We examined, every case individ- ually, found them carefully budget ed and the relief plan in keeping with the budget requirements of the family. Our only observation in con- nection wit hthe case work was the size of the cas, loads and the neces- sity of mere workers in order to kAen a r30ear cl,acl os. tlao ixaslixyi.