The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-23
ToWnship Trustees Are I'm
posed Upon by Persons De-
string Financial Help or
Supplies Of Food.
ANORK SUBTERFUGES
TO GET ASSISTANCE
Clay Official Discovered on
Taking Office That There
Were Seven Families Who
Sponge All the Time.

Township trustees are imposed upon
by persons desiring aid either finan-
cially or by supplies of provisions.
fuels or other necessities. Just to
what extent they are imposed upon Is
being learned by the new trustees.
They have been In office less than
five months, but already they are tell
4ng tales Of their experiences. At the
recent council of federated charities
the trustees took prominent parts In
revealing the subterfuges to which
persons are put in order to obtain help
when they are not needy.
Experience In Clay.
The trustee Of Clay township said
that when he took office there were
seven families that were chronic ex-
amples OF sponging on the township"
Some had been "spongers" for
as many as fifteen years The trustee
said they raised all kinds of protest
when told he couldn't do them any
good any more. They demanded to
know the reason, and claimed they had
the right - taxpayers to be protected
and given assistance as worthy
poor.
To help the poor Of Clay township
zach year. Clay is q small township.
comparatively. but has ranked third in
the size Of its poor account for several
years. Upon Investigation the trus-
tee found that one OF the families that
had been receiving help had managed
10 acquire property valued At $500
The township had been paying weekly
sums to help these people along. The
aged mother, who owned the house
was in pood health recently. She had
several children. but they did not help
her, but kept appealing to the trustee.
she died after Z lingering illness and
lmmediately the children entered into
. wrangle about the possession Of the
property.
uss County Farm.
That the county farm should be used
more extensively Is the opinion Of sew
eral of the trustees. They say the
Farm IL the proper place for the indi-
gents, inasmuch as the Wayne county
institution II one of the best In the
state It ought to be taken advantage
Of more generally. It Is believed thst
BY sIch practice the townships would
be (aved the costs Of providing for the
chronic cases.
One trustee has reduced the number
pf chronic cases to two. He does not
know how to solve the problem involv-
I'd In their case. One OF these fami-
hes consists OF an aged man and his
mife. They have been cared for by
the township for so long they believe
It IL their right to receive financial
help. Besides occasional loads of
wood or other fuel. Z former trustee
allowed IS cents per week for their
pustenance. They have been receiv-
ing this stipend for eight years. It
ls reduced now to "a cents per week
and In . short time will be stricken
pff the books. The old folks had
bsen using the money as they saw fit.
and moreover they had been obtain
ing tobacco. groceries and help In 9TH
er lines at different times from the
township.
Greene Has Workers.
In direct contrast to townships of
this kind Is Greene. The present trus-
tee says everybody works in that
township and even includes father In
khe lineup. Last year the township
was called upon to supply the i'm
mense quantity OF clothing consisting
of one pair OF shoes. There were no
calls for help Of other kinds. It is 8
Rarming community and one Of the
most prosperous In the county. The
trustee claims all are law abiding and
peaceful citizens. The township IS
Without justice Of the peace.
Wayne and jackson township lead
nj others In the amount Of help pro-
! 1ided for the poor Wayne's budget
ls made large because of Richmond
ana Cambridge City boosts the allow
snces in Jackson, Dublin and Mount
Auburn are IN Jackson township also
and with the exception Of Williams
ha,rr wherever there are towns there