The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-05-23

UliiCial Uufpui ui fOor kSi'ci ib inuidud
The Board OF Stale Charities pre-
sents in its current bulletin com
prehensive aud detailed study OF
poor relief in every township in In
diana. This is accompanied by
maps, which show by shadings the
condition of pauperism in each
county. This report will be OF in
terest both to stuC en,s and to all tax.
payers.
In 1895 the amount OF relief given
by the oyerseers Of the poor, and
the medical aid in Indiana, amount
ed to $500, lCS.79. The expendl'
ture for these purposes last year wa:
$236, ,723 9S.
The reduction in the amount oi
aid given in seven years is 1898,
444.S1. The number Of persons re-
celving such aid in 1897 was 81,
l235; in 1901, 81 ,SO1. 1t is strik
ing fact, however. that the number
of persons helped by the township
trustees, and the amount OF aid Civ
en- in the aggregate, is greater the
past year than the year before. The
increase is g 6,432 in the number ol
PERSONS aided, ard $40, 1916 ir
the amount Of relief given. In
number OF townships there has beer
decrease, but in many the increase
is notable. 1t should be remem
berei that the trustees are new OF
ticials, who were inexperienced IN
the duties of the office and uDac
quainted with the law.
Among the counties showing
decided increase is Daviess. Its re-
liefincreased from ~ ,030. IS in 1906
to Si,171 "a in 1901. The numDel
Of persons aided increased from 36t
to 500. The principal gain Is il
Washington township, which alone
gave more relief during 1901 thar
was given by the whole county th'
year before. In Pike county thu
number Of persons helped and th'
amount Of aid given was almos
doubled last year. Reports from
Knox county show that the amour
of assistance given was almost twice
that of the preceding year. Will
one exception every township in th'
county showed an increase. Th
township containing Vincennes in
creased from 81 ,66S. 35 to 81 ,04O.1l
Thirty counties show a les
amount of relief given last year
Allen shows the greatest decrease
S1,0S3 s5. Montgomery, Lake
Elkhart, Laporte and Bartholomew
show considerable reductions. Elk
hart is an illustration of continued
vet striking reduction in the amour
of official poor relief each year. Ii
1897 the overseers Of the poor il
that county paid out x15,9iO.01
Each year since this has been re
lduced. In 1901 ii was So 1900. 30
reduction of 10 per cent. in fou
years in the amount of relief given
The reports received from tn
trustees show that ia Indiana on
person in As, or about p per cent
according to the census Of 1900
was given help by the township
trustees last year. This does not in
clude all who were helped BY tha
official directly, and but few OF thos
given medical assistance. The pro
portion Of persons helped varie
widely in the different counties
The lowest number is represented
lin Washington county, where on
person in every l13 is reported I,
have received aid. Scott count,
shows one in l22; Dubois, one il
l103; Harrison. one in l01; Hamil
ton, one in 81; Ripley, one in ~
Ohio, one in 50; White, one in So
Crawford and franklin each, one il
lS5; St. Joseph, one in 81; Adams
one in 81; Cass and Wells each, on
in 81. Dubois county increased il
the number aided by Trustees fron
one to every lSJ population in 1900
to one for every l03 people in 1901
And this is prosperity"
The average OF the State Is ex
) ceedei in 80 counties, notably i
Knox, where TIE number OF person
reported a aided j. one in every L
of its population, ard in Bartholo
NEW, whe e one person in Il wa
helped.
The townships show more stTik
ling features. We have before ha
townships where one person in 81
received official relief. Last yea
, in Blue River township, Jvhnso
county, one person in nine OF il
F. er,lre population was helped by tn
| township trustee. In Vincenne
township. Knox, containing th
/ city Of NIncennss, and Prairie town
/ ship, Vigo county, one in I'D wa