Evening star., 1952-02-18
Illinois
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eligible for unemployment COM
pensation.
Vast savings-estimated as high
as $40 million a. year-have re-
suited from the decline in the
States relief load.
How much of it can be at
ributed to lifting of the secrecy
is a topic Of furious debate among
taxpayer groups and professional
social workers.
Secrecy on the general assist
ance program was lifted last Au-
gust under State law. This pro-
gram was not covered by the Fed
eral secrecy law.
Secrecy son four State federal
programs was lifted in November
ut has been a factor in helping
us reduce our case load" said
Garrett w. Keaster, acting execu-
tive secretary of the Illinois Pub
lie Aid Commission.
"The primary benefit is the
threat of exposure of undeservina
people who might otherwise be
tempted to get on the rolls" he
said.
However, Alvin E. Rose, COM
missioner of welfare in Chicago
minimized the effect of lifting the
secrecy.
"All it's done is prevent a few
people with pride from coming in
when they're in need" he said.
However, Mr.. Rose said lifting
OF the secrecy has not hampered
his administration in any way, as
social workers have charged.
Some officials point to other
factors that have helped bring
the decline in the rolls.
These include increased en-
ployment opportunities, more Wig
orous policing, extension of Fed
eral Social Security benefits, and
Chicago's work-relief projects.
Says Fear Caused Drop.
Attempts by professional social
workers to attribute the full
decline to these factors recently
drew the fire of George E. Mahin,
executive secretary of the Tax
payers Federation Of Illinois.
The federation led the drive to
lift secrecy in Illinois.
I'VE expected Oscar Ewing
(Federal Security Administrator
to credit full employment for the
drop in the rolls" he said.
But we're certainly convinced
that secrecy has contributed to
getting public assistance for
people who should not be getting
1t.
People have been afraid of re-
peal for the last year.
I'VE think the year-long decline
in the rolls reflects that fear" he
added.
Mr.. Rose cited figures on the
number Of persons who came in
to inspect the Chicago general as
sistance lists to support his argu-
mentS.
Few Examine Lists.
He said that since the rolls were
made public last August, only Is
persons have examined them. Five
Of those wanted to supply infor-
nation on chiSelers.
It was three months before the
first private citizen other than a
newspaper reporter came in, Mr..
Rose said.
"a chiseler is a chiseler," he
said. Secrecy or no secrecy,
they'll still try to wangle."
In the entire State, only 161 per-
sons, including reporters. have
examined the State-Federal relief
lists in the 102 counties of the
State since the rolls were opened
last November 8.
Stephen J. Green, director of
field services for the Public Aid
Commission. said he thought the
effect of opening the lists cannot
be evaluated except by pure
guess work."
''But I'd say it hasn't had any
effect" he said. "Its an intangi-
BILE"
He conceded that it might deter
some undeserving recipients from
attempting to get on the rolls. 4
Eases information Flow.
Lifting secrecy on names oil
recipients has increased the flow
Of general public information on