The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-20
PAUPERS Becoming few
DECREASE IN NUMBER OF INMATES
IN POOR AsYLUMs.
Township Trustees Finding 1t Neces-
sary to Afford Less and Less Relief
"A. w. Buffers Report.

In the report of the Board of State
Charities emphasis is placed by the secre-
tary. Amos w Butler. on the decrease of
pauperism in this State. Among other
things the attention Of the Governor is
called particularly to this fact.
The Board of State Charities in its re-
ports for several years past. has called at
tention to the decrease in the number of
inmates Of county poor asylums. While
the decrease is small. it is worthy of note
because Of the increase in the population
of the State. and. which is more remark
able. because of the great decrease in re-
cent years in the amount of relief fur
nished this class of people in their own
homes by township trustees. The fears of
some county and township officials that
the asylums would be over-crowded when
the laws restricting what is known as out
door poor relief became operative, have
not been realized, while, on the other hand,
the predictions of those who had studied
conditions in other States, where outdoor
relief had been practically abolished, that
such action would have effect on the
asylum population, have been fully justi-
fled. In 1898, when 5000 people in the State
of Indiana received aid from the township
trustees, there were 3,l02 persons in the
county poor asylums. In the year ending
Dec. 81 1901, a little over $4,000 persons re-
ceived help from the trustees. and the
population of the poor aSylumS on Aug 81,
1902, numbered 30i6. While general condi-
lions have no doubt played an important
part in the reduction of both township poor
relief and poor asylum population, there
can be no doubt that much of the decrease
is due TO the strict administration of laws
recently enacted.
SMALL PERCENTAGE.
In 1901, there were 1901 inmates in the
poor asylums; in 1900. 1906; in 1899. 3,l3S.
Going still farther back, in 1891 there were
1888 in these institutions. or AS in each
10000 of the States population. This year.
utilizing the figures of the last census, the
poor asylum inmates average III &c each
10000 persons in the State. Had the popu-
lation in these county institutions in
creased in proportion to that OF the State,
there would have been ca more persons
thus supported on Aug. 81, 1902, or total
of 3,723. At average per capita cost
OF about $50, it will be seen that the poor
asylums now costing the counties $4,000
less annually than they would have cost
had the proportion of inmates TO the State
population remained the same.
On Aug 81, 1902, as mentioned above, there
were 3,046 persons in the county poor asy
lum; 1875, or 60 per cent. males and 1,071,
there were thirty infants and twenty-six
between the ages of three and seventeen
years. Between the ages of seventeen and
sixty, when under ordinary circumstances
people able to support themselves
there were 1,53S; 63 per cent men and 81
per cent women. OF the remaining 1,452
all of whom were over sixty years of age
81 per cent. were men and 80 per cent. We're
women. OF both sexes there were Is per
cent. under seventeen years Of age; sos per
cent. from seventeen to sixty, and AT per
cent. over sixty years.
In ten of the ninety-two poor asylums in
| the State the women outnumber the men,
in two the number of each sex is the same
in the remaining eighty the men preoomi-
nate. Marion county, naturally, has the
largest number of inmates; 167 in the poor
asylum and ITO in the Insane Asylum at
Julietta, total "a. Allen county comes next,
with 1l2. Seven other counties, including
Floyd, Montgomery. st. Joseph. Tippecanoe.
Vanderburg, Vigo and Wayne. have a poor
asylum population ranging from fifty-two
in Montgomery county to ninety-nine in
Vanderburg. The other asylums fall below
| fifty in number. The average for the State
| is thirty-three.