New York, Jan. 17—Four governors of big states have issued the ritual call to federalize welfare. The published text of their manifesto makes no reference, as one would expect, to the shell game they are as usual involved in. That is to say, beyond a little talk here and there about the economies that would be effected by consolidating under a single unit functions now performed by several units, the talk is only of benefits conferred: not of costs stayed.
The motivation of the governors of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin is obvious. The costs of welfare are continuing to rise. They assume that that increase is irreversible. Everyone more or less assumes that, with the exception of Ronald Reagan, who, quietly and without pronounced pain to anyone, reversed the trend in California a few years ago. But Democratic governors have a difficult time saying no.
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