Evening star., 1952-02-23
by Herman Y. Sehoden
slar siaH Correspondent

caused something less than q sen.
sation IN Illinois.
II the welfare organisations
own figures are correct. only 100
people examined the lists the first
three filonths-lIttis more than
~ persons for saeh Of the 100
eeunties.
Considering fliineis' population
OF e,fia,i70, that figure becomes
shfinlteslmal 10 The peint OF abu
beth hides Of the ene.time red.
hot controversy use the figures In
post EaeFteEa, eay the advocates
OF Widesepeh Fell6I I'VE told yeu|
there wouldn't be any uRneeesu
BaPy humiliation OF eiients,0 Gay
the 0pp0nentsl w shows the pFeu
gram hos no real Feli.tFiEhmiha
value"
Cheek Kept ON Reasons,
~ hasn't been difAeuit 10 learn
what this handful OF nance
hunters was up 70, Unlike theI
Indiana Welfare Department,
which has o similar 0pensbeek
pr0graIa, Illinois has kept "A care
tul check on reasons for scanning
the rolls,
Illinois Public AID Commission
oftlclalA have instructed county
employees not 10 Aek' for reasons,
for they bNlieve this TO be Inn
proper under the law.
However, they found In most
eases that self.C0neciouB citizens
volunteered their motives. These
were carefully compiled monthly
for study BY commission experts
ana Tor FAleAse 10 ~ interested
press.
OF tbe 100 inquiries over q D.
month stretch, i0T were In Cook
County tehieAao) where about
oheShAif OF ths States 400 900
relief clients reside.
Only 30 Requests In Month.
Last month, when there were
only 30 Statewide requests 10 zee
The rolls, there were no lFaulfies
90 all In 90 OF The counties
Inquiries fell of. sharply In
GhleaGe after the hFst Flaenth
when % dropped In 10 Gee the
Fellsr Only ID asked 10 Gee the
Feils In beth December and JaRs
uRFy,
A breakdown Of the November
list'ef callers "a revealing, 6eVens
teen said they were relatives OF
clients 10 were friends, 10 neighs
beFs, 9 reporters, 3 atteFneys, q
landlords, ] q physician, another
undermined and Q miscellaneous,
DIX were recipients, three OF
whom said they resented having
their names listed publicly,
Reasons Volunteered,
Among the reasons volunteered
for inspecting the rolls were these
Eighteen, TO determine the
amount OF assistance being given;
II wished to know II certain per-
sons were getting help; four be-
lieved certain clients 10 be ineli-
gible for relief; seven wanted ad-
dresses; two were Just curious;
one wished TO SETTLE an estate;
another was arranging q funeral;
one wanted TO know the source OF
assistance; two were rellefers who
wanted 10 see their own names;
six we're reporters ard six gave no
reason.
The RELATIVES" category was
numerically largest the iirst two
months and friends" headed the
list last month. or course, there IL
no way OF determining how closely
related or how friendly the call
efs really were.
Newspaper reporters showed On
interest all ever the State, and
some dropped In ffefia ether States
where similar pehsFee6Fd rolls
are planned,
F00k 60py Of Wh0le hist.
Although no names have been
published fPem the Fells, Q res
peFteF for the BH @ueln HVeRing
Call In deWnstate Perry County
copied the entire list, apparently
a. 0 test OF his right 70 do 90, !
I'm mere than ene instance,
names have been taken from the
rolls by eivie examinations wlshs
ING W entertain gFeups OF blind
or old people,
The Credit Bureau Of Pentiae
requested q CORY Of the rolls and
was turned down with the expla-
nation that the rolls were open
10 inspection,
One county treasurer said he
wished 10 check tho names against
0 liat Of persons who had not paid
taxes, explaining that in the iu-
ture those on public assistance
would not be assessed this tan,
Penalty feF Abuses Stated.
In Cook County the records are
placed IN seven thick volumes
bound In plywood, and are In
BtAntly available, IN q test Of the
procedure, this reporter ilrst was
handed 0 ttilIne0Hfaphgd state
Ifneht In use Throughout the state.
This plainly states the penalty for
abusing the proper use o. the rolls,
The applicant ID required 10