The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-05-22
Present Legislative Trends

AS the present session of the Ohio Legisla-
ture rolls into its Goth week, certain trends
and strains can be seen in its deliberations.
In the area of welfare. for instance, we think
that it can be said fairly that the trend is to
solve all problems and to correct all abuse by
being harsh on all the recipients of aid
There is the bill to make possible the public
scrutiny of relief roles The intent in this bill is to
do away with "chiseers" who are receiving public
assistance. These are supposed 10 be people who
ceive relief without being entitled TO it. Now, every
welfare department has Investigators welfare
workers, whose duty ii is 10 determine the need of
an individual. and either award or deny assistance
accordingly. If welfare program IS administered
rightly and if the workers do their Job properly,
there will be no chiselers or at least only in
finitisemal number. In other words, If there are
people who are improperly receiving rehef, IT IS
the lob of the administration and the workers to
correct this The Legislature chooses 10 make ii dill
cult for the thousands of innocent people who must
accept relief rather than take the necessary meas
ures to strengthen the administration.
Recently the Ohio House OF Representatives
passed and sent TO the Senate bin which enables
adaptive couples to turn over to State custody
any adaptive child which developed insanity Vener-
cal disease, feeblemndedness before It's l4ih
wear if il could be proven that these diseases we're
present at least ncipently, before adoption Again,
in this bill the Legislature Is Furnishing the adopVe
child for the laxity deception Of the person who
placed the child for adoption. If good adopuye
practices are insisted upon such bill would not DC
necessary But the Legislature chooses to take action
against the thousands of innocent adaptive children
in the State rather than take the necessary meas
ures to strengthen adoption practices.
The same policy is followed in the bill which
psssed the State Senate and which would require
REGIMENTS of relief to have residence of three years
in the state rather than the present one year 10
receive relief a person must prove need. An IN
vestipator or worker checks the mans circumstan-
res to sec f he really is IN need This should ne
adequate insurance against the destestable "chls-
elers Not for the present Legislature however II
person hasn't resided in the State for at least
three wears he is excluded no matter how great
his need. Again. many nnocents suffer in order TO
punish few
The real solution for the difficulties which these
hills are intended 10 solve is not for the Legislature
to strike AT the unfortunate recipients of aid the
vast majority of whom would rather not have to
he receiving IT, but rather TO strengthen the ad-
ninistraion of the programs and to make sure mat
the investigators and workers do qualified Job.
There is ono way 10 do this-hlre competent
administrators and skilled workers, people who
know how to do the Job which is expected OF them,
This of course costs money Yet this is the most eco
nomcaI way to run program. Until this is realized
many innocent people will have 10 suffer, while the
few "chiselers" are being hunted down with buck
shot legislation.