The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-23
COUNTY ASYLUMS
w. L. A. Johnson Says Care Of
Property Takes Precedence.
Comfort of Inmates Is a SecOn-
dairy Consideration.
VALUED AT S55O,OOO.
In Seventy-seven Counties Poor
Farms Owned by County.
Need Of Well Defined Law on
the Subject.
Valued AT s55O,OOO.

w. L. A. johnson, secretary of the
state labor bureau in a paper presented
to the national conference OF correc-
tons and charities gave some lnforma-
ton concerning Kansas which, IN many
particulars, is astounding. There IS no
going behind the returns on this matter,
because the statements made by Mr..
johnson are proven by figures and OIn-
er data which he has accumulated ny
careful investigation. Mr.. johnson dis
cussed poor farms and pauperism in
Kansa He said, in the course OF his
address:
Il desire to call attention to the I'M
fortunate fact that the care and custo-
dy of the property involved in poor
farms in Kansas seems to AXE preced-
ence over the care and custody or the
welfare of the dependent inmates. The
omission of prescribed rules for the
management of these Institutions may
be due to the absence of any ~wel1-defin-
ed laws upon the subject yet it would
seem that the county commissioners
might determine upon some uniform
method of management based upon hu-
name considerations in behalf of the in
mates, prescribing, at least some SIM
pie rules o 7 methods looking toward the
improvement of the inmates, and tend
ing to ultimately lessen if not eliminat-
ing entirely many of the evils of pau
perism. That this is not true is EVIL
denced by the examination of nearly a
hundred copies of the contracts secured
in our investigation existing between
the county commissioners and superIn-
tendents of the poor farms of Kansas,
wherein commercialism overshadows
to the extent that III a
five page contract prescribing regula-
tons regarding the care and custody of
property n products, two lines is
thought sufficient to provide for the
welfare and interest of the inmates and
in many instances no reference what
ever is made to the inmates. The fol-
lowing examples may be of interest
pointing out this fact: In one county
the superintendent agrees to care for
all Inmates in another county agrees
to care for and oversee the poor farm
the only reference to inmates, but he
also kindly agrees to take good care of
all the stock now on the farm In an
other county reference is made to the
contract etween the superintendent in
the following language: The county
gives him $........ per head a week Tor
boarding the paupers.' In still another
county the superintendent advises the
world that he is in charge of an asylum
for the poor by inscribing on his official
county letter lead the following:
Superintendent County Farm. Breed
er of Poland China Hogs, Shorthorn
Cattle and Standard Bred Poultry
This business is carried on with the
official sanction of not only the county
officials but is tolerated by the people of
the county. These few instances are
cited to demonstrate the degree to which
commercialism enters into the operation
and management of some of our asylum
farms. I desire to say, however, that
these few samples are not characteristic
of any considerable majority of our
counties or our people, but are pointed
out to indicate the possibilities of the
admixture of profit and gain with the
disbursement OF public charities, in the
absence Of w~ell-deined laws governing
the care of u delinquent and depen-
dent classes.
of the 105 counties in the state, so
counties conduct or operate county
asylumS or poor FARMS as they
are usually designated in this state. In
II counties the asylum farms are own
ed by the county, 50 of which are OPP
Grated directly by the county and in %
counties they are leased to persons
designated as superintendent, the in
mates being maintained by contract
Three counties operate asylum farms
by contract which are owned by private
parties. The remaining % counties Of
the state neither own, conduct or op-
crate asylum farms. OF the so ~ountie
owning asylum farms, rs report the
total value of lands, buildings, live
stock and implements to be $55S, asa, ar
average value of $7,34S.
The grand total expenditures fol
1899 of operating the so asylum farms
including all the expenses in the main
tenance of the 1905 inmates is $127, 61S
or an average of cost per asylum Of
$1,720 for the so reporting.
Our statistics show an average OF
IL inmates for each 1000 population o.
the tate. The average number of in.
mates maintained during the whole
year was 1927, ar average OF 13.1 PEI
county"