Show Better Beffer Relief but Not More Taxes INDICATIONS that there will be an intensive ive A I effort made by the new state administration and the new legislature to straighten out Utah's costly public welfare system perhaps with a complete overhauling of the system are multiplying multiplying multiplying multi multi- plying as the result of the approval by the state tate welfare board of a greatly increased 1941 welfare budget totaling State Senator Wendell Grover of Salt Lake county who is a member of the county welfare welfare wel wel- fare lare board has announced that he will introduce introduce intro intro- duce a bill to revamp the system by abolishing state and county boards eliminating the present 15 per cent county contribution to welfare expenditures expenditures expenditures ex ex- ex- ex and establishing a three-man three commission commission commission com com- mission in full lull charge of administration of all relief in the state Governor-elect Governor Herbert B. B Maw has already Indicated that he thinks there Is a good deal of waste of tax money in Utah relief adminis adminis- He agrees that state relief budgets ought to be increased if necessary but says There is no need however to increase taxes to do this It is believed the governor-elect governor feels that greater efficiency in administration and the elimination of politics and chiseling will provide ample finances for adequate assistance assistance as as- to all those in need It is obvious the state board of public welfare welfare wel wel- fare itself is not satisfied with the relief outlook outlook outlook out out- look for 1941 When the 1941 budget amountIng amounting amounting amount amount- ing to more than in excess of 1940 expenditures was first presented to it the state board ordered that the budget had to be cut down to the 1940 level A few days later the board changed its mind mind or or at least it rescinded the earlier action and passed the buck to the legislature by approving the huge 1941 budget with the reservation that the legislature would have to provide more money if it was to become eff effective Just what will finally happen in Utah's tangled relief situation is anybody's guess The legislature may go go hog wild and pass new taxes to support the budget budget- or it may even increase that budget On the other hand the legislature may decide its it's time to call a halt to this uncontrolled relief spending spending spendIng spend spend- ing and take drastic action to curb expenditures even to the point of overhauling the whole system One point we think should be emphasized A demand for strict control of welfare spending spending spending spend spend- ing is not net a demand for drastic reductions in aid given the states state's deserving needy For instance Governor-elect Governor Maw says he 1 favors vors raising the maximum old age pension paid in Utah to the lull full 30 a m month provided by the statute But he says newS new taxes will not be be- required to accomplish this That is not too much to give a totally totally to to- tally dependent aged person It doesn't mean of course that every recipient of old age assistance would get 30 because many are not totally dependent on this aid But that would be the maximum paid to every aged person who needed it And it could be done easily if the chiselers were cut off the rolls politics in relief were eliminated and all available funds were distributed distributed dis dis- dis- dis carefully and efficiently |