The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-30
COST OF OUTDOOR RELIEF
STATISTICS COMPILED BY STATE
BOARD OF CHARITIES.
Township Trustees Reports Show
that There Was Expended $780,
$1,000 I'm the Year 1902.


piled figures showing in interesting
way the cost of outdoor relief In Indiana
for year. showing what the different
townships have done for their poor. The
boards report along this line has been pre-
pared for the Indiana Bulletin of Charities
and Correction and is as follows:
According to the reports of the township
trustees, who are overseers of the. poor,
the cost OF outdoor poor relief in Indiana
for the year ending Dec. 81, 1902, was $685.
S76.96. The whole number of persons who
shared in this relief was reported as As, s49
This is an increase of $50, 1928 over the
amount of aid given in 1901. and a decrease
of 1852 in the number of persons who par
ticipated In the relief. The principal cause
of the increased amount of relief given was
smallpox and other epidemics. Leaving out
this feature the report, on the whole, is
an encouraging one. There has been a
continual lessening In the number of per-
sons helped, until now less than per cent.
of the population share in the relief given.
While here and there trustees seem TO neg
lect their duty, most of them appear to be
conscientiously following the law, and are
interested in carrying out not only its let
reduce pauperism and to prevent the es-
adjustment Of pauper families, condition
which has too often obtained in the past
as result OF the lax methods pursued.
THE theory of the law is that the trus-
tees. overseers of the poor, shall admin
lister such temporary relief as is necessary
those who require permanent relief shall
be cared for in the county poor asylum
Notwithstanding this fact, of the sum ex-
pended last year for outdoor poor relief
greater or less extent permanent aid.
THE number of females aided by the
township trustee is greater than the num-
Der of males. Last year there were of the
former 25.6l1 and of the latter 1925. This
is in contrast with the figures on the popu-
lation of our poor asylums, in which there
Is an average OF two males to one female.
THE EXPENSE.
1.-THE law enacted by the Legislature of
1903 provides that the expenses incident
to disease prevention shall be paid by the
cities and towns in which the work may
become necessary, and when without the
corporation of cities and towns, said ex-
penses shall be born by the county Fam
lilies with means who are affected by quar-
antine should pay their own expenses.
Notable among the townships in which
smallpox caused an increase in the amount
of relief necessary are Wayne, in Henry
county; Vincennes and Vigo townships in
Knox county, and Noble township, in Wa
bash county. In other townships it is
claimed that the increase is due to the
greater cost of fuel and articles OF SUBJ
sistence. This Is illustrated in Center
township, Boone county; Eel township in
Cass county, and Wayne township, in Kos
ciusko county. There are still other town.
ships which seem to be similarly situated,
but which have not increased the amount
of expense for poor purposes. On the con-
trary there are some notable decreases.
This is illustrated in Adams and Washing
ton townships, in Allen county; Fairfield
township, in Tippecanoe county, and
Franklin and White River townships, in
Johnson county.
THE reports of the overseers of the poor
show a lessening of the number of persons
received
census of 1900 10 per cent. or one in every
| fifty-one of the States population shared
in the relief given by the township trus-
| tees. This does not represent the total num-
| Der of persons who partook of this relief.
| Often the trustees omit to give definite
| information as to the number of persons
who share in the aid given. Children aided
under the compulsory education law are
| often reported without a statement of the
exact number so helped. In addition to
| this, the large number of persons given
medical aid by the township physicians are
| not reported.
The proportionate number of persons
| aided varies greatly in the different coun-
| ties Of the State. To one who compares
| the figures and studies them on the map for
| the first time, they are startling. The rec
| ord for having the lowest proportion of the
| population aided by the township trustees
| in 1902 goes to Washington and Dubois
counties. In each of these one in every
12S of the population were recipients of
help. Other counties which have good rec
ord are Ohio, one in 12l; Hamilton, one in
] lis: Crawford, one in lO4; Pulaski, one in
! 10S; White, one in IS; Ripley, one in 80.
| The highest proportion of the popula-
| ton receiving aid from the poor fund-one
| in fourteen-is to be found in Knox county.
| This is largely accounted for by the cpl
| demic of smallpox to which reference has
| been made The next highest proportion is
| in Bartholomew county, one ir twenty-five.
| This county has held the highest record
| for pauperism for several years Among
others which could be mentioned as having
| large proportion of the population receiv-
| ing aid are Posey, one In q; Clinton and
| Monroe. each one in IS; Wayne and Dear
| note the proportion by townships In some
| of those which show the highest proper
tons, the great amount or relief given was
| due TO smallpox. This is particularly true
| in Knox county, in which Vincennes town.
| ship aided one in eight of the population;
| Vigo township, one in nine; Decker town
| shnp, one in eleven; Steen township, one in
| fifteen; Busseron. one in twenty. Other
| townships showing high proportion are
Blue River township, in Johnson county.
| one in thirteen; Davis township. in Foun-
| tain county, one in twelve One person in
every fourteen of the population was aided
in the following Townships Columbus town
ship, Clinton county; Jackson township,
Kosciusko county; Wabash township,
! Parke county.
LEVYING A TAX.
Each township is required to levy tax
against all the property therein to reim-
burse the county for money advanced for
poor relief the preceding year. In some
townships there has been an increasing
indebtedness to the county treasury, until
finally there has been an effort made to
repay what is due. This, in part cx-
plains the high levy of thirty cents in
Polk township. Monroe county. In other
townships high levy is necessary in order
| to pay for the current relief because SC
| many people are aided. If IL is necessary
to raise a certain amount of money, |. is
| clear that IL will require higher levy from
| a township with a low valuation than from
one which is more wealthy. But il is TO be
| observed there is a striking difference in
| townships in which the valuation is sub
| stantially the same, and that this cannot
| explain the reason satisfactorily. In some
| townships there has been an encouragement
| to pauperism in past years. People have
been brought 10 look for relief and TO ex-
pect help from the township trustee
| Northumberland residents of the townships
| have thoughtlessly encouraged them TO this
and they have come To look upon the poor