per month to the $135 a month, beginning next January 1. In the
budget of the State Department of Health, an item of $321, 621 was
approved for supplemental payments for special services in nursing
homes. These payments, supplemental to the base welfare grants of
$135, should encourage groups to sponsor nursing homes under the con-
struction program because of the assurance they will have that there
will be a reasonably sufficient income to support them.

From all this, it may be seen that the State is taking steps to bring
about a balance of facilities by making funds available to low-income
groups for the purchase of necessary care. This unique partnership of
government and community has served us well in the past, and there is
every reason to believe it will serve for the future.

Like most Marylanders, I place a high value on our oustanding
private hospital system. We in the State government are eager to see it
strengthened and expanded in the best traditions of the voluntary system
and are proud to be partners in such a splendid undertaking.

ADDRESS, TOWSON CIVITAN CLUB

IMPROVING THE LOT OF
MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN

TOWSON
October 19, 1961

I am most grateful to the Civitan Club of Towson, and the other
Civitan Clubs of this district, for this opportunity to come here this
evening and speak to you on the subject of Maryland's efforts to im-
prove the lot of the mentally retarded children of our State. I should
like, first of all, to offer my personal commendations, and to express the
gratitude of all the people of this State to the Civitan Clubs, which
under the motto: "Builders of Good Citizenship, " have done so much
to enhance the lives of our people, and in particular for the generous
and effective service they have rendered in the car of the mentally
retarded and in supporting scientific research to prevent this affliction.

Only a few short years ago, as all of you here know, the mentally
retarded children of our State, and those elsewhere in the country for
that matter, were all but a forgotten segment of our population. The
progress that has been made since that time, largely as a result of the
efforts exerted by Civitan, has been nothing short of remarkable. It was

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