of Governor Herbert R, O'Conor 199

varying types of assistance. Frequently the amount of money allotted to
dependent children is proportionately much less than that for other programs.
General relief is certainly much less adequately provided for than the special
forms of assistance. In Maryland, I am glad to say, we have state funds avail-
able for aid to dependent children equal in amount to that which we provide for
the aged. I do not believe we can allow our sympathies for one special group
to lead us into the error of providing adequately for one at the expense of
another. It is one of the most difficult things for the citizens of this Country
to understand—especially when they see a concrete instance where living side
by side is one aged individual who received $20 per month, whereas in the same
block lives a family with four or five children, where the grant is no more than
that and often times even less.

And this leads me directly to the second part of my discussion today—that
having to do with unmet needs. I regard as one of the outstanding needs today
the inadequate provision made for general relief. For some reason the public
still thinks of the individuals who are receiving general relief as a large body
of able-bodied unemployed who are living on the so-called "dole". In Maryland
we find this is not true. A recent study of the general relief rolls revealed the
fact that by far the greatest proportion of recipients of general relief are
individuals who are incapacitated, or families who have no able-bodied wage-
earner. We found a great preponderance of persons in middle age who were
bed-ridden, or if not actually bed-ridden, at least too handicapped to be
employed. We found that general relief was an essential supplement to a work
program for the unemployed, chiefly to take care of cases of temporary illness,
and periods of waiting for assignment.

Furthermore, it must be emphasized at this point, that in addition to the
unemployables on relief, there are also many able-bodied persons receiving as-
sistance through local and state funds. The Federal Government established
the WPA presumably on the theory that it would take care of all needy
employables. Actually the WPA has never taken care of all the needy able-
bodied unemployed, and the states have been compelled to assume this addi-
tional burden. Due in large measure to this WPA deficiency in many states,
the relief problem both of the needy employables and the unemployables, has
become so great that Federal funds are badly needed to avoid genuine and
wide-spread suffering.

Many feel that until the Federal Government shares in the cost of general
relief we shall continue to have this uncovered area. They argue that there
is no less reason why the Federal Government should share in this type of,
public assistance than in others. As has been pointed out frequently, one
reason for Federal participation in assistance is to make available its greater
taxing powers. Another is that the causes of unemployment are nationwide
in their origin and often the poorest areas are least able to bear the cost.
Moreover, the Federal Government has placed itself on record as taking care
of the needs of the unemployed. This responsibility should extend to the
needs of those awaiting assignment, those too far from projects to be as-
signed, those who lose wages through illness. There is a widespread feel-
ing that the states should assume an active role in urging such Federal grants-
in-rid.

Another aspect of this general situation, the existence of which indicates
that the present program is not adequate and effective, is that peresented by