Evening star., 1959-12-04


A National Mental Healt
bold, extensive and large seal
and demonstration is needed
first, with financing help by
Federal funds.
But Maurice o. Hunt told a
round-table session of the
American Public Welfare AS
sociation conference at the
Statler-Hilton Hotel:
II don't see why the Fed
eral Government needs to learn
more before it moves into a
definite program Of action and
expands community services. ."
Mr.. Hunt declared that
grants Of Substantial Federal
money" would provide incentive
to States and localities to i'm
prove all Of their services, from
child welfare programs to de-
tention facilities.
Also, Mr.. Hunt said, this kind
Of support from the Federal
Government will help fill the
vacuum Of leadership in the
area Of juvenile delinquency
that now exists in the States.
Cites Requirements
He noted that every State
has a public welfare depart
ment. This is not an accident,
he said. These departments
exist because the Federal Gov
ernment sets certain require
ments for the receipt of funds.
DR.. Raymond F. Gould, a
social science analyst of the
Professional Services branch
of the National Institute of
Mental Health, said he felt we
still have a little time" before
the problem of delinquency be-
comes critical, although he
conceded "the United States
may son be faced with. a crisis
situation-a threat to the
public welfare"
He said he personally be-
lieves enough is known at this
time about fighting delinquency
to develop effective programs.
But he said there must be
demonstrations in cities to pro-
vide evidence that would con-
vince Congress that Federal
money will be well spent for
action programs.
Also, DR.. Gould stressed, pub
lie opinion in the field must be
modified.
Juvenile delinquents don't
have a lobby" he said. Their
parents don't organize as, for
example, the parents of re-
tarded children did" He sug-
geSted that a national lay
organization is needed to stim-
ulate interest in the fight
against delinquency, compar-
able to the national organ
izations in the health field.
Rate Doubles
DR.. Gould said the delin-
quency rate has doubled in the
past 10 years. He added that
urbanization can only compli-
cate the problem further in the
future.
He said delinquency is the
most prevalent problem amcng
the Nations boys. Already. he
said, one boy in five is delin-
quent by the time he is 18.
Medical care as a free pub
lie service was envisioned last
night by Social Security ex-
perts addressing the conven-
ton.
"It is not being overly bold
to prophesy that 25 years from
now we shall find Government
deeply involved in the organ
izing and financing of medical
care" said Columbia University
Prof. Evaline Burns.
She said that although it
may be doubtful that medical
care will be a free public serv-
ice at that time, "I'm convinced
that we shall come to this in
the end"
Mrs. Burns said that the next
25 years, will see many efforts
to ward of the inevitable COM
ing of a national health serv-
ice by schemes for public sub
sides to private insurance
plans. But we shall surely see
medical care for the aged added
before too long to the benefits
available to benef1ciaries," she
said.
Gap in Protection
Another speaker, Nelson H.
Cruikshank, of the AFL-CIO
Department of Social Security,
referred } to the medical care
problems of the aged as, "the
greatest gap in our social in
surance protection"
There is a vast range in the
quality of medical services" he
said. There are medical slums
as well as real estate slums."
Dean Charles I. Schottland
of Brandeis University said that
UflaA