a comfortable living on which a man can meet his just obligations, will probably make very little difference. The attraction of social work in any field lies not in the salary, but in the opportunity to do immensely interesting work that calls for the worker's every power of thought and imagination and practical resourcefulness, and applies it to a great purpose. Social work under public auspices has one great additional attraction in a democracy. Of course it is true, as has been well pointed out, that it is no more democratic to serve the public good through an organization supported by taxation than to serve the public good through an organization voluntarily created and supported by public-spirited citizens. Indeed, it is only the democratic spirit of such voluntary efforts that makes a real democracy possible. Nevertheless there is a tremendous challenge to the social worker in the opportunity to help to make democratic government work. Democratic government is still on trial. It is by no means as yet universally or uniformly successful. But we do believe in it. It is a magnificent adventure of human society to manage by joint effort its common affairs for the good of all. And it should sound a clarion call, particularly to social workers.

But the cost of salary is by no means the only cost the worker must pay. A far heavier one lies in the harassing uncertainty and instability of the work— uncertainty as to budget, as to staff, as to policies, even uncertainty as to continuance of the work itself.

There is yet another cost that may be required from the worker. It has been said that employment in public office carries with it a certain honor and dignity that helps to make up for the lack of salary. I am wondering whether that is really true. Perhaps on the whole it is. But certainly it is by no means always so. We have a way of respecting the office which we have created, but not the officeholder. There seems to be a common feeling that people in appointive offices are not really competent to make good elsewhere. Common phraseology expresses this thought. Have you noted the expression that workers are "taken care of" in the public employ? Politicians "take care of" their constituents. Civil Service "takes care of" its appointees. And the sad fact that this is really true of so many public officials brings the stigma on those of whom it is not true.

But if I have painted a black picture of the cost to the social worker it is only to point out the responsibility that lies again in the hands of that guardian company of good citizens of whom I spoke before. They, and I believe they only, can bring the influence needed to secure proper salaries, to insure the stability and favorable conditions that will make the efforts of good workers worth while, and bring the courage and joy of honor and fellowship.

In truth, I believe this is being done to a greater and greater degree, and that more and more fine workers are going into the public service. Always there have been some giants among them, especially in state departments and, since the creation of the children's bureau, in the federal departments.

To conclude, the cost of holding good social work in the public welfare de

partments must be paid, and heavily, first by the taxpayers, secondly by a selfconstituted devoted group of specially interested and tireless citizens mainly connected with the private social agencies, and thirdly by the social workers concerned. The middle group is in the key position. Success depends mainly upon them. But it is the social workers who will take the brunt-and also the big satisfactions.

The last two groups, working well together, can accomplish almost anything. And nothing in life is more worth working for. The magnificent possibilities of social work under public administration, in spite of its difficulties, the tremendous reach of its influence upon the whole realm of social service and upon the working out of governmental problems for the welfare of the people, should make a call irresistible to public-spirited citizens, and especially to social workers.

But when, with the best efforts of such interested groups, it is yet not possible to hold good work in a public department, and adverse forces of political or personal influence or misunderstanding strike it down, why then, that is only an incident in the long, long struggle for democratic government, and everybody concerned will need to acquire that characteristic of the old giant Antaeus in Greek mythology who gained new strength whenever he was thrown to earth. Patience and faith is the final price that must be paid to hold good social work in public departments.

THE COST OF MAINTAINING GOOD CASE WORK
IN A PUBLIC AGENCY

Rose Porter, Executive Secretary, Mothers' Assistance Fund,
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

To arrive at the cost of keeping up good case work is difficult. The human element in this complex field plays too great a part to make an actual accounting possible. Before discussing the basic cost of administration, therefore, let us consider briefly the essentials of good case work.

The musician, before he achieves his art, must master a technique; the case worker, before she becomes a skilled case worker, must master hers, but of more importance than the technique is the attitude of mind with which the social worker approaches the problem, an attitude of mind which develops understanding between herself and the client, a vision of social work as a whole, unhampered by prejudices, which places the individual problem in its right relation to all of life.

Nor can case work develop far beyond the understanding of the community to which it looks for support. The agency necessarily depends upon the community, both for financial support for constructive work and for a staff which is adequate to give to each individual the skilled service required. But unless the community produces a board which is motivated by a social consciousness,

good case work cannot be maintained. To what extent, then, can we determine the cost of keeping up good case work in a public agency? First, how far is it possible for a public agency to maintain standards unhampered by outgoing or incoming administrations, or to maintain an adequate trained personnel, unhampered by political pressure? Second, how far is it possible to maintain good standards with a fixed fund and to limit the intake to a number which makes good case work possible, rather than scatter the funds in an effort to care for the larger group? Third, to what extent is it possible to develop volunteer service in a public department? Fourth, to what extent can a public agency participate in the development of good case work?

In the state of Pennsylvania the administration of the Mothers' Assistance Fund, as it is called, within the several counties is in the hands of the boards of trustees, seven women in each county appointed by the governor, subject, however, to the rules adopted and issued by the state supervisor. The law provides that the governor shall appoint a woman as state supervisor who must be qualified by training and experience.

The state appropriation (in Pennsylvania) is apportioned to the various counties according to a fixed classification. Unless a county accepts the provisions in the law and places at the disposal of the board of trustees a sum equal to the amount available from the state appropriation for such a year, the county will not receive its allotment from the state. The act also provides that the board of trustees appoint competent social workers and clerical assistants as may be necessary, but at no time, however, shall the annual expenses for administration exceed 10 per cent of the entire appropriation for the county.

An analysis of the budget for Allegheny County for the past year, which was $313,616.00, shows that $285,170.24 was spent for grants and $28.446.26 for administration. There is a real saving in office expenses, as the county has granted free office rent. There is a comparatively small cost in bookkeeping and other office details in the county office in administering so large a fund, for upon petition from the county, the grant allowed is sent by check direct to the recipient from the state and county treasuries, but not until there is a complete summary of the investigation, a plan and a budget for the family in the office of the state supervisor.

The appropriation is sufficient to provide for a case working staff of twelve, a stenographic force of four, a case supervisor, and an executive. Eight of the twelve workers are college graduates, and ten of the number have had some case work training in private case working agencies. Two of the stenographic force have had more than one year of college work. The case supervisor, who has recently been added to the staff, is a college graduate with post-graduate work in a recognized school of social work, and with five years' experience in good private family case working agencies. The staff is composed of Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant workers. This does not mean, however, that the workers do not work with families of all faiths. The salaries for the stenographic staff range

from $100 to $125 a month, and for the case working staff, not including the case supervisor, from $100 to $140 a month. All members of the staff who have been with the Mothers' Assistance Fund for a year are entitled to a month's vacation with salary. It is of interest to know that the turnover is low. The standards of the personnel in Allegheny County correspond very closely with those in good private agencies. It is recognized that if we are to maintain the best standards the staff must be stimulated to keep in touch with the progress in the case work field. Members of the staff are encouraged to take further training in schools for social work during the summer, and in addition to this a regular course of study is outlined for the weekly staff meetings.

The responsibility for the caliber of the staff rests with the board of trustees, which appoints the executive secretary. Civil Service does not apply in Pennsylvania. Civil Service does not necessarily secure able workers, nor the lack of it, incompetent workers. In the appointment of an executive in Allegheny County, the board is invariably in touch with the state supervisor, and her counsel is sought. Occasionally political or other pressure is brought to bear, but invariably the board holds its ground in demanding training. This they are able to do partly because of the support of the state supervisor. The Mothers' Assistance Fund throughout the state of Pennsylvania has for the most part been recognized as nonpartisan, and politics has practically interfered not at all. Incoming and outgoing administrations have in no way influenced appointments on the paid staffs, and every governor has recognized the importance of appointing able women to the boards. Undoubtedly the interest and concern of the women of the state in the development of the best possible standards in mothers' assistance have had very great influence in the preservation of the high personnel of the boards.

In the mothers' aid field it is possible, though often difficult, to limit the assistance to a number for whom adequate aid can be provided, rather than to spread it by giving a little to all who are eligible. This policy has been consistently advocated by the state supervisor and increasingly adopted by the boards. There are now 4,018 mothers and 13,940 children cared for by the Mothers' Assistance Fund in the state of Pennsylvania. There are 1,800 families on the waiting list. In the Allegheny County office during the past year there have been from 560 to 600 families active each month. This gives to each worker an average case load of 50 families. In addition to this there is a waiting list of 452 families. The applicants are given a full first interview on the day on which the application is made, or within a very short time afterward, and are considered in their order as soon as funds are available. As a rule, one-third of the waiting list can be eliminated after investigation as ineligible. An attempt to care for the entire number would destroy constructive work, as the aid, already inadequate in many instances, would be greatly reduced. Assistance from other agencies would be encouraged and consequent division of responsibility might easily lead to poor case work. It would overburden each case worker to such an

extent that she would be unable to give intelligent service to each family. Through constructive work a large number of families become self-supporting each year.

In the study made by the United States Children's Bureau about a year ago it was found that the Pennsylvania plan, providing for an administrative budget of 10 per cent of the total county appropriation, made for considerably more adequate administrative allowances than were provided in the other states coming within the scope of the study. Furthermore, the unpaid boards of trustees in Pennsylvania supplement the service of the paid workers at many points; invaluable contributions have been made in publicity, legislative, and educational work, and the service of these trustees not only reduces the cost of overhead, but is of inestimable value in providing an intelligent, sensitive medium of communication and "radioactivity" between the professional paid staff and the public at large.

It is necessary to remember, in discussing the cost of keeping up good case work in a public agency, that we are in a changing world and that we must evaluate trends and tendencies and compare them with facts as they existed a few years ago. We have, no doubt, become more scientific in the case work field in recent years, and have learned to give more intensive treatment. This has made it both possible and necessary to define more accurately the function of the case working agency, and has led to a more definite division of responsibility. This trend has placed increasing responsibility upon the public agency.

The contributions to the development of case work standards by the Mothers' Aid have thus far been largely in the fields of education, health, and nutritional supervision. At the present time, in Allegheny, there are 123 children in families under care who have finished the grade school and are profiting by further training. Two of this number have finished high school and are taking courses in college at night, making progress. It is the practice of almost all of the boards in the state to encourage and aid children in securing every possible educational advantage and to allow the assistance to the age of sixteen if the child will profit by remaining in school. Routine physical examinations have been made of large numbers of children in Allegheny County, and in twenty counties of the state all children are given such examinations when the grant is made. More than one-third of the mothers in Allegheny County are carefully keeping an account of their household expenses, and an effort is made to assist them in apportioning properly their expenditures and in giving to their children a wellbalanced diet. Two counties in the state employ full-time dietitians; another county shares the services of a dietitian with other agencies of the county, and three additional counties have had nutritional surveys.

As many of the Mothers' Aid families are under care over a period of five or six years, there is a real opportunity to study the personality of both the mother and child, to discover the aptitudes and capacities of each child, and steer children away from dead-end trades, to understand the customs and tradi