J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                              1743

It is vital for the continued welfare of the State of Maryland that
our forest resources be studied and evaluated and that the people of
this State take stock of the proper conservation of those resources
and in the possibilities for building them for the future; now, there-
fore, be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Governor
of Maryland be requested to appoint a commission of five able and
outstanding persons to conduct a study of Maryland's forest re-
sources and to make recommendations to the Governor and to the
General Assembly as to the best procedure whereby this State may
realize its great potentials in the production of forest products; and
be it further

Resolved, That this commission, when appointed, be requested
promptly to meet and organize and to submit its report and recom-
mendations to the Governor and to the members of the General
Assembly not later than October 1, 1961.

Approved May 3, 1961.

No. 45
(House Joint Resolution 5)

House Joint Resolution memorializing the Congress of the United
States to amend the old age assistance laws in order to permit
individuals receiving old age assistance to earn extra compensa-
tion without being penalized.

The General Assembly of Maryland believes that it would be a
wise enactment of legislation if the Congress of the United States
would provide that individuals receiving old age assistance payments
might earn at least thirty dollars ($30.00) per month without that
sum being considered a resource in determining the amount of the
old age assistance grant.

It is believed that this would encourage a measure of self-support
on the part of the recipients of old age assistance.

The Federal law now requires that all regular earnings of an old
age assistance recipient must be reported by him and deducted from
his old age assistance grant.

Yet, old age assistance grants are very small and some supple-
mentation by earnings would be extremely helpful.

Many old age assistance recipients may not be able to hold down
permanent employment, but some may be able to earn a little by
odd jobs. The recommended change in the law would encourage
them to do so.

There is a federal precedent for such a change in the law because
the public assistance law for the blind now permits all earnings up to
eighty-five dollars ($85.) a month to be disregarded in determining
need for such assistance.