Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-20

The Revision Of the Poor Laws.

tue iast INSisiatuie uuthoiiNS" 'H~
governor to appoint commission OF not
more than seven persons to revise and
codify the laws relating TO the relief,
care and maintenance of the poor of the
commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This
Is a greatly needed reform. The laws
relating to the care and maintenance OF
the poor In the various poor districts in
the state are as numerous as the flies in
summer and as irreconcilable as the two
factions of the Brickerville church. The
matter Of revision has long been dis
cussed among those interested in the
welfare of the poor. The several annual
conventions of the poor directors of the
state have passed resolution after resolu-
tion praying the Legislature to take
some action. Finally Governor Beaver
was induced TO cali the attention Of the
Legislature TO the necessity of such
revision. This the governor did and
the result is the passage Of the act of the
9th Of May, 1889.
Our system of caring for the poor IL,
like many other things, copied from the
English law and our counties in the
early days were all divided into poor
districts, there often being as many such
as there were townships. In some coun-
ties of the state these continue 10 exist.
In Lancaster county however the evil
of this diversity of poor districts was
early seen, and as early as l7sS Lancas-
ter county was made single poor dis
trict, and the office of director of the
poor was established. From that time
down to the adoption of the new con-
stitution the statute books are filed with
special and local laws intended TO meet
the exigencies Of Lancaster county. In
1886 there was something of general
poor law enacted but II was SO incom-
plete that as far as Lancaster county
was concerned il repealed but few of the
local laws under which the poor author
tiles had been acting. Consequently it
was of very little service in unifying the
laws. Indeed the evils of special legis-
lation are nowhere more apparent than
in the laws relating to the care aud
maintenance Of the poor.
There is an opportunity now for Gov
ernor Beaver to do great and pressing
good by appointing honest men and wise
lawyers to fill the commission which the
Legislature has created. We suggest
lawyers because laymen would hardly
have the special knowledge and technical
training requisite to a proper codifying
OF the laws. There ought to be on the
commission also experienced directors of
the poor who know something of the
working of the laws already in force.
Many OF these laws are Anticipated and
burdehed with the useless lumber Of the
English laws these ought to be wholly
abolished. Some of them ought to be
retained having proved useful and
effective. There is room too for the
creation of new provisions which will
better carry into effect the proper dis
pensing of the charitable funds of the
state The separate poor districts in the
several counties ought TO be abolished as
being productive of too much conflict
of authority, and each county made an
entire district.
The right organization Of the charities
of the state is II matter of public concern.
The right distribution of the poor funds
which are poured out with generous
hand by our people is absolutely neces-
sary for the public welfare. This in
wolves questions of great difficulty, aud
comprehends many intricate social
problems. The proper treatment of the
large class of tramps and beggars which
during the summer season infest our
highways and cities must be considered
The care and treatment of the INDECENT
insane has already received attention,
and the state committee on lunacy has
done valuable service. The proper en-
ployment of paupers has as yet received
little attention, and in most counties a
work-house is known only in name. Let
Governor Beaver appoint good men on
the commission created by the Legisla
ture, and he will be helping along a
much needed and long delayed reform.
And if the commission proceed at once
upon their work of revising and oodi-
flying the laws relating to the care and
treatment of the poor in the state il will
be "a public benefaction.