The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-08-08
TO BUILD BRICK POORHOUSE.

sioners have practically decided 20
build a brick poor house on the county
moor farm. The estimated cost at the
outset is about twelve thousand dol
lars for the building unfurnishej, but
unless this proves an exceptional case
the cost will be much greater unless
tho work should be done under a hard
and fast contract. The principal ar
gument now being used in favor of the
outlay for this building and the aoan-
donment of the contract SYSTEM for
keeping the paupers of the county is
that the new plan will reduce the cost
of caring for smallpox cases. This
argument. would have more weight If
the smallpox contagion was a chronic
and permanent affection of this coun-
ty But in fact it is not. There is
not now a single case IN the pest
house and there is good reason for be-
lieving that the epidemic has run its
course. The contagiOn was brought
to this country by returning soldiers
from Cuba and the Philippines and
scattered throughout the Union. 1t
has been of very mild form and dur
ing the four years that it has pre-
vailed in this county there has not
been a single death from the disease.
The city and the county have paid
out thousands of dollars in an effort
to stamp out the contagion, but it is
now plain that the work was most eX-
travagantly mismanaged. For ex-
ample. the city paid carriage hire ev-
cry time a can of oysters was taken
to the pest house and water was haul
ed there from the city at high price
per load. Under the changed methods
of the present county health officer the
cost of conducting the pest house was
greatly reduced. A we'll and a cellar
were dug at the place and this did
away with the necessity Of hauling
every gallon of water used and of TAX
ing perishable goods in small pack
ages with trip for nearly every
package. But smallpox has run its
course and it may be ten years Or
more before the county will again
have to go to any great expense on
this account
The members of the board recently
visited the poor farms at Elberton,
Whitman county, Latah, Spokane
county. and one near Portland, Ore
gon. The poorhouses at these places
are all wooden buildings, which will
not compare for elegance, convenience
and comfort with the handsome struc-
ture that it is proposed to build On
the Walla Walla county farm.
One of the members of the board
reports that it was ascertained that
the entire cost Of maintaining the poor
Of Whitman county last year AMI Of
caring for cases Of cOntagiOn did not
exceed $4,000. It is just possible that
the gentleman was misinfOrmed, for
Mr.. Messy, the ColfaX correspondent
of the spokesman Review, in speaking
Of the visit of one of our commission
ers to ElbertOn, says that the WHIT
man county institution employs two
physicians at a salary of SIS a month
| each and a nurse at a salary of S45 a
month for the year. The salaries of
these two physicians and of the nurse
make a total Of S2340 and that leaves
| only $3.50 for the maintenance of the
| inmates of the home, the salary Of the
superintendent and the pay Of the as
sistants and attendants: At the Wal
la Walla home. which is to be furnace
| heated, a fireman at a good salary
would be needed in addition to the
superintendent, assistant superintend-
ent, nurse, physician, cook, chamber
maids, farmer, and supernumeraries
galore that political pulls would soon
fOist upon the bounty Of the county.
Under the contract system the coun-
| ~ pay > Y-1OV l4IlS ItcI lOI Iut Hail
tenance Of the INDECENT poor. 1t is
safe to say that under the new system
proposed the cost would be at least
twice as great and probably three
times as great. aside from the pest
house cases, which are likely to be a
minus quantity for years to come.
The Statesman does not believe
that the building of a costly poor
house in this county at this time with
only a half dozen paupers to be main
tanned is a good business proposition
1t is open to conviction, however, and
it would be pleased to have the com
| Gold and Gold Filled