The Wilmington morning star., 1946-04-20
LETTER BOX
Continued from Page Four)

Il, and had continued to drop all
during the period of unusual work
opportunities and war time auot-
ments and, knowing the case for
this drop, we knew the increase
would start as soo1 as the causes
ceased to exist.
Notwithstanding our pleas, tbs
legislature based their budget on
wartime conditions and made no
allowance for transition from
wartime economy to a peace-time
normalcy. The appropriation, as is
usual, was made for a two year
period beginning July /, 1945 and
ending June 30, 1947, so we are
faced with an already increased
case-load and totally inadequate
budget. 1t doesn't do our client any
good for us to say to the legislature
eve told you so'' but that is just
what we feel like saying. People
are in need in our own county and
throughout North Carolina to day
and we have to face these clients
and tell them we realize their
needs but there isn't any money
It isn't a very pleasant task to re-
fuse people assistance when we
know they are desperately in need,
but this is being done all over our
state to-day. The clients cannot un-
derstand, because they have been
raised to regard our state as one
of the best, if not the very best, but
North Carolina certainly cannot
boast Of its public assistance pro-
gram. We can boast of our good
roads, our schools and many other
advantages, but when it comes to
public assistance, we can only
hang our heads in shame. Taking
our statistics from the Public As
sistance bulletin published by the
Social Security Board, dated July
1945, We fine:
The National average for Old
Age Assistance is $29.32, while the
average for North Carolina is $12.-
SO. There are only two states,
Georgia and Kentucky, paying less
than we do.
For Aid to Dependent Children
the National average is $4703. In
North Carolina the average is $24.-
4e. There are only three states,
Kentucky, South Carolina and
Texas, paying less than we do.
Some may say that we are pay
ing all we can and cannot afford
to pay more but a statement od
that kind certainly could not be
supported by the facts, because in
checking the figures of the Federal
Bureau of Internal Revenue, we
find that there are only ten states
that pay more taxes into the fed
eral Government than we do. In
other words, we are eleventh In
payment of taxes and forty-seventh
in paying Old Age Assistance and
forty-stxth In paying Aid TO De-
pendent Children. 80 - I
Inasmuch as the Federal Gov
eminent pays one halt Of these
grants to the aged and the chill
dren, it does not take an expsrt
accountant to show that North
Carolina is on the sucker list, be-
cause we are helping to pay ade-
quate grants In other states but
are not asking for a sufficient re-
turn Of our federal taxes in order
to pay adequate grants in our own
state. Perhaps we may be wrong,
but as we see it the fault lies with
our state legislature in not appro-
priating enough money to ade-
quately take care of our own. The
federal government will pay half Of
any appropriation that Is made, so
If we fail to make adequate appro-
priations, we do not get an equit-
able amount of federal money in
proportion TO the amount Of feder-
al taxes We pay, and we penalize
our own citizens by giving them in
sufficient food, clothing and
shelter, while we are at the sar
time helping to provide adequate
ly for people in similar circum-
stances living in other states.
If we were receiving federal
allotment and paying assistance
grants In proportion to the federal
taxes We pay, our Old Age assist.
ance clients would be receiving
$34. .13 per month instead Of $1236,
and our dependent children would
be receiving $685. per month in
stead of $24.46.
Vice President Marshall once
said what this country needed was
a good five cent cigar, so perhaps
we in North Carolina need a new
Legislature. If a new legislature is
impossible, then we suggest that the
Legislators while in session try liv.
ing on $1236 per month, which is
the amount they are paying our
needy aged. We are of the opinion
that about two days at this rate OF
pay would be all that would be
necessary to convince our legisla-
tors that $1236 per month is even
too small to starve on comfortably.
j. R. Hollis
| Committee Reor1ests