Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-01-26

same parties have been largely aided by
the citizens committee, by the charity
organizations of the various churches
and by private charity. Is there not
woeful want in this? How can it be
avoided? BY thorough organization and
the systematic provision for work,
We have, it is true, county house
in addition to the above named charities,
but that is often over-crowded by the
sick alone, and is totally inadequate for
general use.
What then needs to be done? First
and most important of all, NOW. before
the spring opens, county house should
be built upon the county farm. One
hundred and sixty acres of land are now
owned by the county, and it is an i'm
perative need to take immediate steps
towards utilizing it. Every considera-
tion of public policy and economy de-
mands it. In view of past extravaganza
the present board will not dare to take
such steps unless the people will wake
up and call for it, The money spent
on the Chinese Wall alone, with the
proceeds from the sale of the Paladora
street house, would have given us a
county house on that farm that would
have been abundant for our needs for
for many years. With such house
one-half the expense to the county for
the past quarter would have been saved.
With such house under the direction
of conscientious overseer, like Mr..
Marcus, these same paupers could have
done work which would have gone far
towards paying their expense, besides
furnishing the really needy with bet
ter home. Other counties have prof
liable poor farms, why do not we?
But there is another class of deserv-
inc poor who merely need occasional
lifts over hard places. To meet such
cases we must do what all other cities
have done; organize ALL the charities
into one central body, to whom all ap-
plicants must be referred. Then let
the members of that central committee
certify to the trustee such cases as they
find to be in absolute need of the neces-
sites of life-not merely short of tea,
coffee, sugar, butter, eggs and canned
fruit-and let the trustee issue an or
der for specified amount of specified
articles to such merchant as shall have
been awarded contract to furnish
specified supplies at specified prices.
1t would be an easy matter to adver-
tise for bids for county supplies of sta
pie articles, and then the county would
not be obliged to pay more than any
other person.
AS for anything else than absolute
necessities, let that be matter Of pri-
vate or church charity, through that
same committee. Then cast off cloth
ing would reach thankful recipients
and special luxuries for rhe weak could
easily be furnished. And by all means,
if possible, let the recipient of public
or private charity be required to rem
der some service where possible, be it
ever so little, so that self-respect be
not entirely destroyed. Besides this
let the committee keep record of APP
t plicants for work. and the kind of work
they can do, for those needing help to
apply. In this way the county can
honestly discharge its duties to the
poor; private charity will be encouraged;
honorable want will always be relieved;
and yet begging will be discouraged,
and we will not, as at present, put a
premium on shiftlessness, and waste
hundreds of dollars of money, and the
fostering sore upon the body polite,
which is now draining its life, would
be healed.
This is no fancy sketch, but the ac-
tual working plan of every city and
county in the whole world where the
people are alive to the times, to their
own interests aud t, the public welfare.
Shall! Dodge City and Ford county alone
be content with a primitive, hap-haz-
zard method, that wastes alike the mon
ely and time of its most philanthropic
men and women?. 1t rests with the
public spirited people of this city
alone, to say. NJ