The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-19
IS TIRED OF CRITICISM
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TELLS
ITS SIDE OF THE STORY.
1t IL Unable to Carry Out the Recon-
mendatfons of the County
Charities Board.

The County Commissioners are not much
pleased at the criticism of the County
Board of Charities. appointed under the
new law to visit the various charitable in
stitutons Of the county and make such
recommendations for Improvements or
changes as is deemed necessary. Recently
the board visited the county poor farm and
severely criticised the Board of Commits
sioners for not making the improvements
II had recommended some time ago. The
report said the buildings are improperly
ventilated, the inmates are not In proper
keeping, that the comforters should be
burned and replaced by blankets, and nu-
merous other things.
The commissioners assert that this crit
icism is unjust in the extreme. At the last
session of the County Council the board
presented the report of the Board OF Chart
ties and asked for an appropriation to make
the changes recommended. The Council
| refused to make the appropriation and un-
der the county reform law the commission
ers are powerless TO spend money unless
1t is appropriated for specific purpose by
| the Council. Other efforts TO have the
Council appropriate money for needed i'm
provements and changes In county institu-
lions as recommended by the Board of
Charities. have also been refused. Since
| the commissioners are helpless without the
| cooperation of the County Council, they
say it is not right to lay the blame of not
| lettering the conditions of the charitable
| institutions in the manner recommended.
VISITED POOR FARM.
After the last report of the Board Of
Charities was made. which specially dealt
with the county poor farm, the Board of
| Commissioners made a visit to the poor
| farm to investigate the charges. They
| found some of them true. while others
were unfounded. 1t is admitted there is
no ventilation, and the commissioners say
it is impossible to make this Improvement
| in the old building because of it's peculiar
construction. The Charities Board stated
/ that two men slept in rooms without win
| dows. This was found TO be true, but the
! commissioners were informed the men pre-
| ferred these rooms 10 any others in the
building. The Charities Board stated that
there were two insane persons at the poor
| farm who should be removed TO the JUL
| eta Insane Hospital. and another
becoming insane. 1t was learned from the
physicians that these two persons were
suffering from age dementia, one being
| ninety-two years old and the other eighty
six 1t was simply failing of the mind
with age. The other person designated
| was found to be in the same condition.
| The Charities Board said there were
| many inmates in the poor asylum who have
nc. claim upon the county. The commits
sioners do not deny this. but say they were
| put there by the township trustees, and
there is no way of finding out where they
| do belong The commissioners say they
cannot turn them out The board also rec
| commended TO the commissioners that the
| building and farm be sold and another
place purchased and new buildings erected.
i The commissioners have been trying to
| sell the building for several years, but
they cannot do IL without permission from
| the County Council. as the board can
neither buy nor sell property without au-
| thority from that body
NO APPROPRIATION
| The commissioners have made estimates
as to the, cost Of the improvements the
| Charities Board has recommended. but the
| Council has not even made appropriations
for incidental expenses. The cost of blank
| cts alone would amount to more than 81. 900,
and this proposition the Council refused to
entertain The Charities Board also said
the inmates should have better clothing.
| The commissioners side OF the story is to
the effect that some OF the inmates are
| not provided with the best of clothes for
the reason tnat III they were tney WOULD
run away come TO the city, pawn them.
buy old clothes and spend the surplus for
| liquor. Then when they become helpless
| they are again on the hands of the county.
On the whole the commissioners say
they have their hands tied that they
| cannot carry out in any particular the rec
concentrations of the Board of Charities
unless the County Council makes the ap-
preparation The commissioners say they
have invited the members of the Board
| OF Charities to meet and consult with them
and to be present at the meeting of the
County Council 10 urge the necessity of
the improvements they recommend, thus
assisting the Board OF Commissioners to
secure the appropriations for carrying out
the plans. but the board has refused to
comply with these requests. The commits
sioners say the Board of Charities has not
met with them since il has been in opera
ton, which is nearly two years