The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-02
East Providence Has a Poor
Department.
Councilman McCausIand Has Some
thing to Say About 1t.
The Committee Feels Justified I'm Mak-
ing Public Startling Facts.

A great deal OF talk has been going on
In the town as to how the poor are pro-
vided for, and the following statement
has been received from Councilman Nc
Causland, chairman Of the committee of
the poor department.:
ain view OF criticism that has
been made in regard to the poor de-
partment of East Providence and
how 1t has been conducted the last
few months the committee of the
Council on the poor feels justified in Civ
ing some facts that the people might
know, in order to place themselves right
la the eyes of those who do not fully un-
derstand them. In the first place the
committee was surprised to learn that the
poor Office had been run for years with
out any
System of Bookkeeping.
Yet over $4,000 had been disbursed from
that Office last year. 1t was also learnsd
that aid had been given TO app l-ants
without any investigation, and that the
orders of the overseer of the poor on the
town treasurer were paid to him in cash
as called for, presumably for
the poor. Aid. was given without
any regurd as to whether the
applicant had any legal settlement In the
town or not. The town is supposed to
give immediate relief in case of legal
settlement, when the applicant has no
relatives to care for him. and to
afford temporary relief to all cases
OF destitution. The whole number
on the poor list drawing aid
from the town when the committee was
appointed by the council to investigate
the poor department was 55, and as no
particular record of these cases was kept
at the poor Office the applicants were In
vited to come before the committee and
make their own statements in regard to
their need and inability to care for them
selves. Twenty-Five of the number
did not appear and voluntarily left the
list. Thirty came before the COMMITTEES,
and five OF these had legal settlement in
this town. One of them had rpceived aid
from the town for period
Of II Years,
and has drawn s1716. Another has besn
assisted by the town seven years. The
amount paid by the town to the five per-
sons is s3355. The average amount
TO each is s671 and the average time each
has been assisted is four years. Twenty
five of the cases were entitled to tempo
rary relief from the town. II was found
that one of these had been on the list five
years and in that time had received S675.
The average time that 13 OF them had
been assisted was 13 months and
the total amount paid TO them
by the town was S2450, the average amount
to each being 1888. The remaini - 12
cases had been on the list from ontWo IL
months. Many OF the families have had
their
Rent Paid BY the Town
tor years and three families had their
rent paid the last year who did not
apply for aid from the town. The
landlord presented his bill to the
overseer of the poor and it was
was allowed. Physicians bills have been
paid when the patients have not called
upon the town for assistance. Gases
have come to light whers the patient was
required to make written statement to
the physician that he was not able to
pay the bill and the amount mas been al
lowed by the overseer OF the
poor. Some owning real estate
free from all encumbrances were drawing
aid. Some whose estates where slightly
encumbored and some whose relations
were abundantly able to care for them
were receiving aid from the town. In
short, il is impossible to conceive of Q
poor department in any town in
the State Of Rhode Island be-
ing conducted on such loose and
unsystematic business principles. The
work of the committee has been under the
direction of the Council to arrange the
affairs of this department, and hereafter
20 have everything done in systematic
l. Ill. L.
the town building and the overseer OF the
poor has regular office hours there.
full and complete system OF records
has been established and all cases of des-
titution are expected to receive immediate
relief, followed by Investigation. In re-
gard TO the two cases that were held
before the last Council Mr.. Briggs did not
show that he had a legal settlement when
before the committee, and il was dropped.
1t was shown later that he could cain
legal settlement, but instead of renewing
his petition in regular form petition was
circulated i'm bis interest, this meth.d
serving double purpose, and was pc,
sented to the Council.
The expenditures OF the poor dep.ri
ment the first six months of this yscr wa
believed
AS Heavy as Any Time q
in the history OF the department. For the
past three months the expenditures have
been nominal. 1t IL the Office met hods
which the committee contend against.
Any business man would condemn thcm.
The affairs Of the Office OF the poor have
been systcmatized and the committee has
the approval Of the majority Of the Town
Council"