tions. A substantial minority of the states with blind assistance
laws provided financial aid to the localities and exerted some
supervision over them. With reference to poor relief and old-
age assistance, however, the states assumed practically no
responsibility for financing and administration.

The inadequate care provided under the poor laws, and the
general failure of state legislatures to revise them in the light
of changing economic and social conditions, have already been
commented upon. The development of categorical relief came as
a reaction to these laws and was a forward step. It is easy,
however, to overestimate the social progress which had been
achieved under categorical relief by 1929. Although the number
of states which had passed legislation for the various categories
was fairly large, it should be noted that even in those states
which had legislation on the subject, the number of persons
aided was relatively small and the benefits extended were usually
inadequate, often requiring supplementation under the poor
laws or by private charities.

State legislation for assistance to the aged furnishes an
excellent example of the restricted application of most state
provisions for categorical relief. Seven of the ten state laws
on the subject in 1929 left the adoption of the system to the
discretion of each county. Many of the counties operating under
such "county optional systems" provided no old-age assist-
ance. In addition, sixty-five was the lowest pensionable age,
and half of the ten states required that applicants be at least
seventy years of age. Residence requirements were likewise
highly restrictive, residence of from ten to fifteen years within
the state being required. Applicants satisfying these and other
requirements could look forward to maximum pensions ranging
from $250 a year in Kentucky to $30 a month in a number of
states. Actual average pensions, however, were considerably
below these figures. ¹⁴

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