The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-09-21
Corvallis Times
CORVALLIS, OREGON,
FRIDAY EVENING SEPT. d, 1906.
ABOUT COUNTY POOR FARMS.
What the Order of the Late Court was
in Benton-Linn County's Exper-
ience with Farm.

uS OlCSOuldA doo SOhi ihAShsN>A
on the poor farm in Linn county.
1t says: "Linn county hired
superintendent to run its poor farm
and tried to get some work out OF
the inmates of the poor house, but
the plan was Improbable, and will.
be abandoned. The county auth
critics figure that it will be cheaper
to pay board for the poor. There
will be few farms, poor or other
wise that will be profitable under
the management OF hired superin-
tendents, especially ifpolitics some
times has an influence in the hiring
of the superintendent A farm
needs farmer more than super
intendent."
AS the Oregonian says, a poor
farm to be conducted by super
intendent hired by the county for
political reasons would undoubted-
ly be failure. Investigation
along that line by the Waters ad.
ministration of the Benton county
court showed the superintendent
plan had failed everywhere it had
been tried. On that account in
buying the farm for Benton, Mr..
Waters and his colleagues express
ly ordered that no superintendent
be hired, but that the farm and the
keeping of the poor be awarded by
bid. That is, it was planned to
rent the farm, just as any other
farm is rented for whatever it
would bring, the sum to be applied
toward the keeping of paupers, the
cost of which would be reduced by
the amount of the rent for the farm.
The April grand jury originated
and recommended the plan in a
report recently printed in the
TIMES. The order made when the
poor farm was bought is as follows:
In the matter of the purchase Of
a county poor farm: This matter
coming on for hearing upon the
recommendation of the grand jury,
and the court after careful consid-
Grafton of the same. finds: That it
would be to the best interests of all
concerned that the county poor be
kept at some convenient place
within few miles of the city of
Corvallis, thereby enabling the
court to at all times be in touch
with the care and treatment of said
poor; that in all probability land
can be purchased at as low figure
today as at any future time; that it
would be to the best interests of
the county as we'll as the said poor
that the county purchase suitable
tract of land SO located as to be con-
venient to Corvallis and suitable
for said purposes, and erect or
cause to be erected suitable build
ings for the proper care of the poor;
THAT IT WOULD NOT BE TO THE
BEST INTERESTS OF SAID COUNTY
TO HIRE A SUPERINTENDENT OF
SAID FARM or to furnish said farm
with any tools or machinery of any
kind, or to furnish said buildings
with furniture of any kind whatso-
ever, but after having provided said
farm with necessary buildings for
the proper care of the inmates
thereof, THAT THE COUNTY COURT
LET BY BID THE RENTAL OF FARM
PER YEAR TOGETHER WITH THE
CARE OF IT'S POOR AT so MUCH
PER WEEK.
Therefore, after having care
fully considered all of said matters,
and believing said findings if car.
ried out to be to the best interests
of the comfy, as we'll as the coun-
ty poor, it is ordered that we pur-
chase, etc, etc.