The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1962-05-10
2,553 Clients
To Be Served
By Facility
BY Hazel Brannon Smith

ing which opens formally
Friday afternoon at 800 will
fill a long felt need for ade-
euate quarters for an agency
that must be regarded as big
business.
Welfare is a big business in
Holmes County = last year
over $1,519,000, in fact.
You may like it or not, say
what you will, but welfare
is here to stay = and we
might as well make the best
of it. It fills a need that must
be met some way for many
people of sub-standard in
comes, or no income at all.
Few informed people would
advocate doing away with the
welfare department.
The attractive new building
which has been built by
Holmes County at a cost of
$4,000, for which Holmes
voters approved a bond issue,
may be criticized by some as
an extravaganza. But the fact
is the new building will prove
an economy in the long run,
paying for itself within a
period of ten years in rent
saved. The department for
merly paid $275.00 per month
rent for cramped, inadequate
quarters and a warehouse.
Overhead operating costs
and maintenance of the new
building will be economical
and best of all it will be
something that can better
serve a large segment of
Holmes County's population,
almost ten per cent as a mat
ter of fact.
More than $500 welfare
clients are on the active rolls
of the county now and each
month payments to them runs
in excess of $4,000 - and
this figure is down from
100000 to $4,000 average
during 1861.
During 1861 a total of
$1,136,636 was paid out in
Holmes County and this does
not include over 1888, 900 in
surplus commodities distribu-
ted to welfare clients during
a years time.
In April there were 1853
active cases on the Holmes
welfare rolls and payments
for the month ran $88,011.
(See table in adjoining col
umn for schedule of payments
made last year, The 1858 ca
ses in April were broken
down in the following cate
gories: 1897 Old Age Assis-
lance clients; 10 cases of aid
to the needy blind; 528 cases
in which aid to dependent
children was given; 1923 cases
of permanently and totally
disabled.
$4,000 is the maximum
grant since July l, 1860, that
can be given monthly in
every classification except de-
pendent children. Prior to
this time it was $4,000. A
maximum for one child in
Ado is now $500 and for a
second child in the same fam
lily, $500. Thereafter $1,000
per child is the maximum
with a ceiling of $4,000 as
the most that could be OBJ
tanned, if available.
Welfare payments are not
handed out Unfortunately.
Every case on the rolls is in
vestigated and handled by
the welfare workers accord
ing to laws enacted by the
Legislature and rules promul-
gated by the State Depart
ment. Cases are subject to
constant review.
Payments are based on alb
solute needs, not wants, and
in Mississippi only "a per cent
of the established need may
be given because of available
funds.
Board Pleased
Members of the Welfare
Board, appointed by the SUI
pervisors, have expressed
themselves as pleased with
th new building and commo-
dity warehouse which they |
feel will be assets to Holmes
County and enable it to do a
better job for our needy peo-
pie.
w. r. Ellis, board chairman, |
has served on the board since
the inception of the welfare
program in Holmes County
back in 1885. In those days
the department was housed
in the Masonic Building -
and the late L. w. Rabb was
welfare agent. Mr.. Rabb re-
signed in March, 1855 and
Mrs. Mcclellan took over. She
had been Child Welfare work
~ r.r.4b tho ooon1xy cipoo Con- /