Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-26
CARE Of IOWA POOR.
Remarkable Paper Read by DR..
W. R. Patterson at State
Institution Conference.
Nearly a Million Dollars Annu.
ally Paid by the Counties
For Their Poor.
Some Interesting Statistics and
Comment on Cost and
Care Of Poor.


Care of Poor.
Special to Times Republican,.
Des Moines, Sept. 26.-More money
is spent by the people of Iowa every
year for the support of the poor in the
several counties and townships than is
spent directly by the state for the sup
port of all the dozen state charitable,
penal and corrective institutions and
hospitals This startling fact was
brought out in a remarkable paper read
before the state conference of heads of
institutions in the office of the state
board of control. The statistics gath
cred, together with the other informa-
ton ELECTED. probably means the be-
ginning of movement to effect gen.
eral reform in the method of admins
tering the poor laws and caring for de-
.pendents.
The paper referred to was prepared
by DR.. w. B. Patterson, of the chair of
economics at the Iowa State university,
who has for several years tabulated the
statistics for the board of control and
has made special study of related
questions. He set on foot the inquiry
which developed the facts regarding
the inefficiency and immense cost of the
pauper system in Iowa. His invesu-
cations had better results than expect
ed. for he secured more information and
more accurate Statistics than it had
been supposed anyone could secure.
In a few cases it was found impossible
to get the data from county officials,
but generally the response was such as
to lead to the belief that county officials
would be willing to help In any reform
movement. In ninety-three county
almshouses there were confined July
last total of 2,761 persons, insane and
ipaupers and the total cost of the sys-
TEN in all the counties. estimates being
made in some counties, is $I46,39l.I5.
The figures when presented to the con-
ference created mild sensation. Few
had any adequate conception of the
enormous cost of the pauper system.
The opinion was freely expressed that
the statistics presented by DR.. Patter-
son are among the most valuable tnat
have ever been collected in Iowa, and
that his paper is deserving of the most
respectable consideration in all parts OF
the state.
b DR.. Patterson's paper showed that
"indoor relief" or the poor house sys-
fem. is in use in all counties of Iowa
except Dickinson, Emmett, Ida, Osceoia,
Pottawattamie and Winnebago. An
exception night be made in regard to
where the county puts
out the poorsby boarding out" system,
or contracts with hospital or Chris
tian association. In the ninety-three
counties having almshouses, from
which reports were received, there was
July / last a total OF 2.761 paupers, OF
which 1860 were males and 1.l0l te-i
males. OF this number 1872, or GAS
per cent were sane and the remainder
listed as insane. Seventy persons were
reported by the overseers to be insane
and yet were never so adjudged. The
state makes 1t misderneanor to retain
such persons in almshouses, and unless
1t can be shown they are either idiots
or feeble minded there are twenty
nine counties that stand convicted of
violation of the laws. In these aims
houses there were twenty-five children
under years OF age, twelve between .
and 10 years OF age and nine others un-
der is. OF the detectives there are
isixty.three blind. twenty-five deaf. 343
feeble minded and eighty-five epilep-
tics. All counties except Pocahontas
and LYON report outdoor relief" but
Palo Alto and Franklin expend less
than $500 each. In Polk county the
q. CT
by contract.
AS to the cost to the taxpayers of the
state of the present system of caring
for the poor DR.. Paterson made start
ling revelation. The ninety-two coun-
ties supporting indoor relief paid out
last year total of 245.393.47 for sup
port of the almshouses. There was
paid out for groceries, light, 1uei,
clothing or indirect. support in eighty
eight counties last year a total OF 1881
23S.74. In ninety-five counties the
total cost of relief was $714.396, or
about ss.4 cents for each inhabitantr Of
the several counties. Estimating the
cost In the other counties of the state
the total comes up to $746.167.75. This
is equal to 5S per cent of the entire
amount expended by the state board OF
control on the state institutions directly
for support. The amount expended for
poor relief exceeds by s49.90I.0S, the
total amount expended annually by the
state for direct support of all the state
institutions under the board of control.
The cost of poor relief is not uniform
in the state, some counties spending
much more proportionately than 9th
ers. The highest per capita expense is
in Adams county, being 65.9 cents; the
lowest in Pocahontas county, 1912 cents.
Three counties-Adams. Dubuque and
Franklin-expend over 60 cents per
inhabitant in poor relief; six others
Bremen, Davis. Des Moines, Poweshiek,
Scott, Tama-expended between SO and
60 cents; in thirty counties the expense
does not exceed 25 cents per capita.
The reason for this variation is not
easy to discern. There is complaint
from Adams county that too many able
bodied persons get relief. Plymouth
county is aided in securing its low per
capita of expense Of 1873 cents by pub
fishing regularly the names of those
aided and the amounts given. Dr. Pat
terson added: 1T must be patent to
all that any system requiring a per
capita tax of 1874 cents, and that dis
burses almost s750.0Oo per year in a
time of exceptional prosperity. and
arouses comment not as to efficiency
"a o;a,,ov 10 mt in oil tS