University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1908-12-07

Of the county.
MIR. Cross report further says:
The poor are the end for which any
poor relief system should exist. 1t is
the proper function of all poor relief
to bring the dependent portion of the
population back to the normal of self.
support, and no method can be defend
ed that does not conform to this princi.
pie. Ours is not narrow problem of f.
nancial economy, but it is problem of
maintaining wholesome social condi-
tiOns, of intoxicating ideas of frugality
where they may have been forgotten
a matter of the healthy element of So
ciety nursing back to strength those
who are sick. but who have right to
normal economic existence"
Sentimental Ideas Pernicious.
The first question asked by the
county courts in deciding what shall
be done with the pauper who asks for
help is What is the cheapest way!"
but
The immediate economy to the
county treasury should never be made
ideas about supporting certain persons
in their homes. who could better be
kept at the county infrmary. are like
wise perniciOus tC good system of
relief
The present system of outdoor relief
by the counties of Missouri is grossly
defective so far as the good of the
paupers is concerned. 1t fosters pau
perism through ill-advised and ILL.,
adapted relief, and is so inelastic as
to let many needed eases suffer until
the very acuteness of their trouble
makes further neglect inhuman. The
report says:
There is no law to regulate outdoor
relief by cities and towns. as there is
none for governing the county courts,
and in the shadowy overlapping be-
tween the two units cases are both
by indulgent attention and
wrongful neglect"
The size of the poor warrants fOs-
ters imprOvidence and dependence, and
their form discOurages thrift. The great
value of relief given in the form of
groceries, clothing, fuel, etc, given in
small quantities, is that it teaches the
pauper the real purpose OF the giving of i
aid. One had as well take sick per-
son into drugstore and tell him to help
himself to what he finds there, as to
give the ignorant poor large sums of
money to be spent according to their
own fancy; and vet twO-fifths of the
poor warrants issued by the counties of !
Missouri in the last five years were in
the form of money given directly to /
The pauper without any guardian"
Regulation is Lax.
"On other important branches of
county expenditures there are strict
Jules with penalties attached for their /
Those expenditures are more
n less perfunctOry and concern trans
lctions rather than persons; yet in the
irving of poor relief. where there is in 4
'olved the payment of money directly
o persons for their own benefit. us
tally upon their own representations
'efOre the court. there are no regl,la-
ions for the county court and no PEN &
Ilty."
The county court is not well adapted
or the administration of outdoor relief. &
has many other judicial and admin
strative duties of a nature foreign to (
OOr relief. 1t has no time for individ- i
ai treatment of each application for
nd. Yet personal care is the first requi-
lte of relief that really helps. The
epOrt continues:
1T is grim impOssiblity that the
Dunty courts of Missouri should re-
eem their degenerate citizens to lives Of
hrift and economic independence at so
'any dollars per case"
The practices of poor relief in the
IA counties of Missouri are like ia
regularly shaped wheels in a big
ock. no one of them operating in har-
Iony with the other. and the worst
'ature of this clock is that it has no
ands to indicate its workings No
he can tell what time it is. and the
Ost that we can do is to make the
-etty safe guess that it is running be-
md time. The plea of everyone who
quires into the present condition of
faIrs Is for organized publicity-for
'nds on the face of the clock-and we
e altogether willing to entrust to the
tlZenS of our commonwealth. thus en-
shtened the responsibility of winding
g clock and to filing into shape its
regular wheels" +. J. RILEY.
Western Girl Smith "Show Boss"