872 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

(State Revenue)
Q. Governor, have you had a report yet from the Slicher committee?

A. Only a very tentative interim report indicating that meetings are
progressing and that we hope to have some better and more definite
information within the next couple of weeks.

(Use of Chemical Mace)

Q. Governor, at the same AMA convention there were a number
of reports delivered by doctors indicating that the chemical mace is
doing permanent damage to some people. In view of that would you
consider perhaps ordering a cessation of the use of mare here until
there is a final medical judgment of some kind?

A. No, I haven't, because I haven't any real knowledge that the con-
tentions made against chemical mace have any validity. And secondly,
when you're dealing with lawlessness and the means of combating it
other than the use of extreme force — in other words actually shooting
down the people involved — you've got to expect that there are some
risks attendant. I am certainly not going to order the abandonment
of the use of one of the few tools that helps us control riot situations
with nothing to replace it with.

(Welfare and Poor People's March)

Q. Governor, your comments on welfare rights. Are they in reference
to the Poor People's March in Washington?

A. Well, in reference to anything concerning welfare: I believe that
there is a need for welfare that we're never going to get rid of. For
example, I'm not one of those who say that a negative income tax
will do away with the need for welfare, because in the first place how
can you possibly find the people to pay the negative income tax who
are going to take care of the dependent children and we are going to
take care of the invalid people many of whom are on welfare? I think
sometimes we get over-emotional in our reaction to the welfare prob-
lem. There are unquestionably people on welfare who have to be
on welfare and they are our responsibility, as citizens more fortunate
than they, to care for. On the other hand, when you talk about the
Poor People's March, I would doubt very strongly whether there are
a great number of people involved in that who would have to be on
welfare. I know that there's a ruling made by the Department —HEW
— Health, Education and Welfare to send their welfare checks to
Resurrection City. Well, this is incongruous to me that they would
have their checks forwarded there. It seems to me if they are mobile