The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-08
The Cloak Bargains at
Kno|lenberg's Store are great.
See them!
CARING FOR THE OLD.
The Humane Why Vienna Treats Ii,
Aged Poor People

The Humane Why Vienna Treats It's
Aged Poor People.
In most towns there is a tendency in
this our day to deal more generously
with destitute children than with deS
titute men and women. In Berlin and
New York. for instance. both money
and thought are lavished on the young
whom the community supports. while
as for the aged. what IS given them
is given only of necessity. In Vienna
it is otherwise. There the arrange
ments for the relief of the old people
are better-both more carefully consid
cred and more liberal-than those for
the relief Of children, fact that says
more perhaps for the hearts than for
the heads of the authorities.
If a man or woman above sixty is
without money wherewith to provide
for himself or the strength to earn the
money, he applies to the guardian OF
his ward for help. Then. if he has n
home to live in and some one to take
care of him or is able TO take care of
himself, he is granted out relief. a
money allowance If he can be trusted
to spend it wisely; otherwise relief in
kind. Surprising, however, he is home
less. feeble and "alOne standing" he
is sent to n Versorgungshaus, or old
age home. if there Is a vacant place
there, and, if not, to a small poorhouse
until there is.
Versorgungsnause are the distinc
tive feature of the Austrian poor relief
cerned. Already in the days of Jo-
seph II. Vienna had two, if not more,
Of these homes. and at the present time
it has six One of them is reserved
exclusively for citizens; another, that
at Mauerbach, is reserved for persons
who, owing to their perverted notions
as to what is seemly, cannot be ac-
corded the full liberty the old people
in the other homes enjoy. In all the
six together there is space for more
than 5000 inmates. AS the versorg
ungshauser are looked upon by classes
and masses alike as the homes of the
aged poor, the place where they have a
right to be. no disgrace Is attached to
going there 1t would no more occur
of living in a versorgungshaus than 1t
would to an English veteran to be
ashamed Of being at the Chelsea hos
pital. There is not a touch among the
inmates of that pariah feeling which
is so painfully evident among the in
mates of our work houses. On the con
trary. they all seem to be extremely
glad to be where they are and to be
rather proud than otherwise of being
there And as it is with them. SO it is
with their relatives. There is no in
clinatiOn on their part 10 look aSkance
on these old people or 70 shun them.
On Sundays and holidays indeed the
homes are turouC"j with visitors como
10 have a chat with old friends and
relatives and tell them the family
news. They bring tLcm little rreSent>
more often than uUc--caps with bright
ribbons for the OLD women. neckties.
perhaps. for the old mentor great
importance is attached to personal ap-
pctrunre in the homes. and. although
The inmates are provided with COOL
clothes ami "rc given voice In de-
ciGjng their color and form. they are
not provided with iuery.-EdirA Sci
Iers in Contemporary Review.