Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-01-27
The Mercer County Poor House

The following letter from DR.. A. l.
Hoou, of Mercer, to his father, Anthony
Hoon, of Oakland township, explains
itself and is published by request
Mercer, Pa, Jany. 13, 1898.
| DEAR FATHER:-lt is very gratifying
to receive a letter written in your own
hand.
In reply to your inquiries concerning
! the cost of maintaining the poor in our
] county | will say that the new building
! cost S120. 10000 1t is a very good sub
| stantial building and makes very fine
! and imposing appearance. 1t Is worth
$50, 900. co. | would be willing to du-
plicate it for that money. But you
must understand that great corruption
enters into the management in the erect
| ion of public buildings. The barns,
| improvements, changes and first cost of
the two farms will aggregate probably
| $45. 600. 90 more. So you see that we
have $3.50, QQ0 90 tied up in the farm
and buildings.
The interest on this as you see at 6
per cent approximate S10,000.O0 per
year and by the last Auditors report
| the expense of maintenance of the poor
was $26, 352 81 or adding the interest on
money invested would be $50, 10000.
| Our poor cost us sac, 100000 per year.
enclose Auditors Report so you can
see how extravagant the management
| is.
When the poor of township or
borough are looked after you can de
| tect if any stealing is going on at once,
But when you pay three men $500 per
l. l,A1n ,tr-
seems to be no persons business how
much money they squander on put up
| Jobs for political services rendered.
You have greater population In
Butler county than we have and you
can count the cost.
Our property is assessed at its full
selling value and our county tax IS
never less than 81 mills and Is frequent
" A. You will see that the poor ac-
count was the largest of all and the
total of the other county expenses aside
| from the bonds was $40, 10000.
We are very generous with our poor
and think they do not suffer but you
will see that in spite of our large build
| ings and farms IS. $500 was paid out
| to relieve people who were cared for
outside the house at their own homes
or at places where they preferred to
STAY rather than come to the house.
Also over S220000 to doctors fol
| treating poor at places other than at
| the county house.
| We find poor house a most expen-
sive luxury Your dutiful son,
A l. HOoN.
The above is a pretty strong argu-
ment against poor house, but it
| should be remembered that the Mercer
| conntv poor-house was built AMI is run
| under a special law which provides for
the election Of three Poor Directors;
while the proposition here is to build
and maintain one under the general
Act of 1879, which places all respons-
ibility upon the County Commissioners
and their appointees.
We quote sections and of the Act:
6. The County Commissioners, and
their successors in Office shall have
control. management and direction OF
the property purchased as aforesaid,
and shall provide all things necessary
for the maintenance and employment
Of the poor of their said district, make
necessary repairs and improvements OF
buildings. cultivate the real estate, and
use the proceeds of labor of the poor
under their charge in their support and
maintenance.
Z. The County Commissioners shall
elect. on the first Monday of January IL
each year, the following officers, t.
serve for one year, and fix their com
pensation, that is, one person to serve
in each of the following positions
namely; one as superintendent of poor
house and grounds, one as physician
and surgeon. They shall also elect and
fl4 compensation Of all other necessary
employees and assistants, all OF whom
shall be subject to removal by said
Commissioners at any time.
Another thing to remember is tha
Mercer county is and always has beer
within our recollection, cursed with /;
gang of as INSCRIPTIONS and graspinl
politicians as there is in the State; and
that because their poor farm has beer
made an extravagant luxury" is NJ
reason why ours should be.
We are informed that the poor house
and farm of Washington county is /;
very creditable affair and that it i:
more than seif-sustaining.
Given farm of good land, and com
Portable mot fancy buildings, poor
farm" ought to be and is with prope
! management the cheapest and best
manner of providing for the unfortu
mates of any community.