Evening star., 1949-12-19
Maryland Fight
.0n 'Emp|oyab|e'
|Job|essAid'Seen
Special Session Law
Expected to Stir Bottle
At Regular Meeting :
By the Assoeiofsd Press

ANNAPOLIS, Dec. ia radif
cal departure from Marylandss
traditional policy of welfare ELL.
gibility came about when the legisY
lature approved a 100000 approb
priation for emergency relief fT
the needy unemployed.
Legislators predicted freely that
the action taken at Saturdays
special session of the General As
sembly would lead to long and
heated floor battles during next
February's legislative session.
Up to this time. the State De-
partment of Welfare had never
granted assistance to those classi-
fed as "employables." 1t was up
to them to find and keep a job.
However. by last week some 23,-
600 jobless Marylanders had ex-
hausted their unemployment COM
pensation benefits for the year
ending next March 81. Some OF
them drew maximum checks for
as long as rs weeks.
When the unemployment checks
stopped coming, they could not
look to public assistance from
the Department Of Welfare.
Steps Against "Chiselers."
Private charity could not cope
with tho situation.
So, the administration sent
down it's 100000 emergency ap-
preparation bill at Saturdays spe-
cial session. Under it the various
subdivisions must match the
money they get from the appro-
priation, dollar for dollar.
The Welfare Department re-
laxed it's regulations so that the
money may be distributed to
needy persons who want to work
and are able to take a job but
cannot find one.
To set up safeguards against
"chiselers," the department set
up five new eligibility require
ments. One will make each appli-
cant present a certificate each
month from the State Employ
ment Service setting forth that
there are no available jobs for
him.
There was much grumbling
among the legislators as the bill
was under consideration.
Some said it would open the
door to q welfare state" Sew
eral said they voted for the bill
Saturday because of the emer-
gency but would oppose similar
one if 1t came up during the
February session.
State Welfare Director j. Milton
Patterson told a House committee
that this thing will come before
you in a big way at the regular
session."
Would Extend Eligibility.
Senate Minority Leader Kimble
has indicated he will introduce a
bill at that session to increase
the maximum number of eligibil-
ity weeks a year from 26 to 80
for unemployment compensation
benefits.
This, if enacted, would ease the
pressure for a higher Welfare De-
partment budget, but would be
sure to run into strong opposition
itself.
The welfare bill caused more
discussion than any other matter
brought up at the seven-and-one-
half hour special session. In the
decisive test in the House of Del
egates it squeaked through with
just three votes to spare.
The session was called primar-
lily to re-enact a $50, 100000 school
construction credit" pool author
ization of the 1949 regular session.
That act was thrown out by the
Court of Appeals because of a
technical error which accom-
panied its passage.
The court action had threat
ened to tie up school construction
programs in many counties.
The new bill sailed through the
special session with q minimum
of trouble.
The new bill allows the Board
Of Public Works to loan the coun-
ties $4,000, 900 from State funds
Immediately for emergency school
building. The money advanced
will be repaid when the first bonds
are f1oated.