The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-06-16

4 needy individuals" including but nc
limited to the aged, the blind, depend
ent children, and other needy indivit
uals'.
II The bill would put the federal go'
eminent back into direct relief an
) would substitute for the existing fec
eral-state assistance programs a ne,
federal-state direct relief system.
would abolish the categorical relic
systems provided by the existing fed
eral-state public assistance program
limited to the aged, the blind, and de
pendent children and would, instead
minister to all relief needs through
one unified public assistance system
1t would do so on a federal-state basis
through federal grants-in-aid to the
: states.
The grants-in-aid would match the
states contributions where the states
per capita income is equal to or
greater than the average per capita
income of the United States. Where
however the per capita income of the
state is less than the average per
capita income of the United States
the federal government would contri-
butte in the same ratio that the aver
age per capita income bears to the
per capita income of the particular
| CfafQ b,f tho + 20
contribution would be limited to a
maximum of 1879 of the total amount
expended In addition, the federal
government would pay, by way of
grants-in-aid proportion of the total
sums expended by the states for adj
ministration upon the same percent
age basis. There is no maximum
limit on the benefit rate to any in
dividual
While the administration of relief
to needy individuals would still be left
to the states, major reforms in local
administration would follow from the
requirement that the state plans must
meet the standards set forth in the
bill. Perhaps the most important of
these standards is that state may
not impose citizenship or term-of-
residence requirement. This reform
would end the discrimination common
to the administration of relief through
out the United States against aliens
and persons who have not resided in
the state or locality for a prescribed
period of time. State plans would
have to provide for the employment
OF personnel on merit basis and for
fair hearings to relief applicants with
grievances. An important provision
is that state plans may provide relief
for persons with income or resources
of $40 month or less.
Comments on Public Assistance
Proposals
l. The Federal Governments Re-
assumption of Responsibility for Di-
rect Relief. The re-entry of the fed
eral government into the field of di- |
rect relief is obviously necessary if |
the destitute of the nation are to be |
provided for. The bills proposal in |
this regard is thoroughly sound.
2. The Unificaton of Public Assist
ance Systems. There is no justifica-
ton in principle for providing federal |
state assistance for the aged, the /
blind, the dependent children and de-
nying federal-state assistance to other
persons whose need may be as great
or greater. The public is as much
by the restitution and NAL
nutrition of young or middle aged
person as it is by that of an aged
person. A unified public assistance
program is thus appropriate and nee
essary.
g. Increased Grants in Relation to
Financial Condition of States. The
program proposed by the bill would
be marked improvement over the
existing grants-in-aid programs. The
present Social Security Act merely re-
Iuires the federal government to
match the contributions of the states,
wholly without regard to their varying
financial resources. The bill, on the
)ther hand, provides grants-in-aid
BASED upon the variations in the per
,apita income of the states and au-
horizes federal contributions up to
so of the total assistance paid. In
his way, the poorest states would
lave 1870 of their relief bill paid by
he federal government
4. Standards. We approve the
tandards provided by the bill: for
bidding citizenship or residential quail
fications, requiring state wide uni
ormity in application, providing for
of personnel on merit I
'asis, and requiring fair hearings to I
ny relief applicant with a grievance. '
s. Means Test. We approve the
PROVISIONS of the bill that state plans
nay provide that the state agency
shall not take into consideration in
assistance payments any c
Their income or resources up to but 7
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