The Detroit times., 1909-04-28
IV0Rs CITY HOME
|F0H AGED PEOPLE

nyor Asks Poor Communion To
Work Out Details For Establish
ment Of Municipal Institution.
Mayor Brsitmeyer. after lone talk
With Csssius J. Fox, Tuesday morning.
4ecIded that he has no authority 10
take any action relative TO the closing
~ the Smith-Fox Home for Old Peo-
4 Dlc- He Is dcsirous. however. OF start
'<ng movement To secure action that
Will make such deplorable incidents
less likely 10 happen In future.
IA The mayors action will take the
1orm OF recommendation TO the poor
commission to Investigate the needs
10 aged worthy people and 10 devise
= plan for quasi charitable institu-
ton under city supervision. where old
people may 40 and pay for their keep.
I'VE neei greater cooperation
among charitable organizations" de-
clares the mayor. AT the present
time. EFFORT IS scattered and the best
results are not obtained.
One very commemorate place for
Evaporation would he In a home for
the aged. There are several such
homes. now. such as the Thompson
home and the Zoar homes. but these
are not enough.
the people who wish TO 30 to
such an Institution are worthy citi-
Gems who have saved something. bur
not enough to- support them independ-
emily until they die. Such a home
would be largely self-sustaining and
the supervision OF the poor commits
sion would assure its care and the
keeping OF the inmates respectfully at
low cost.
The Jewish home is an example
or what can be done along those lines
understand that the people who have
that in charge favor broadening their
work. All me charitable organiza-
tions should be amalgamated, and
then contributions would not be divid-
I'd One good home could be founded
as part or the work.
There are % inmates OF this Smith
Fox home, OF whom haif have relatives
and the remainder must go on the
streets or .. the poor house. II Is a
bad condition that allows this TO hap
pen. These old people after lives OF
hard work aye now left without their
savings. We must do something"
Health Officer Kiefer appeared be-
fore the council some time ago to urge
the strictest inspection and regulation
Of such homes and hospitals for old
people and fer girls. IL was discov-
erred teen that the city had only limit
,et legal powers.
It's the Poorkouss, Sure.
the poorhouse for all inmates
Smith-Fox home for Did People
-s,t ne relatives or friends with
are for them. or who have no
o care for themselves. There
staer alternative. The home IN
a. has ceased to exist In fact,
l-ie the score OF inmates are
ing cared for by Mrs. Nettie
al her son. Cassius J. Fox IN
side hospital and the Fox resi-
a. No. SIS John R--st, this ar
snt Is only temporary.
= will probably not be more
20 or $500 left out of the
said c. j. Fox. secretary-treas.
the institution. Tuesday morn
hat will just about enable US
~ the old people until We can
lem. either with relatives or
in homes of their own or IN
icrhouse. The wreck Is COM
2se have nothing left. and whea
..o-her says the inmates brought
va themselves she speaks the truth.
How Trouble Started.
toes not apply 10 I'll the In
oweyer. Some of them hal
IA the knocking that was GO
But this crash has been COM
for some time. Our trouble
fs. starts from the death OF Mrs
.s5As, who with her husband, Merritt
r0we. was one of our inmates. That
was four or five years ago. Then we
were comfortably located on Lincoln
ave. and everything was running along
smoothly. Mr.. Howe sued the home
% recover the amount of $500 check
his wife had Endorsed, ali of which
was expended for funeral and other
expenses. My recollection is that We
settled that SUIT. but Mrs. Howe had not
been dead more than a year when Mr..
Howe quietly married another inmate
Of the home. That stirred up more
trouble. as the second Mrs Howe, al
though sharing her husbands apart
ments, insisted on returning to her old
room which we wanted for another
inmate.
Then the Howes, together with
Mrs. Jane Baker. another inmate, be-
gar to make trouble for US. If anyone
came to the home with view to Sc
curing quarters there these people
would knock US and we would lose
the business. On account Of these
stories people who had placed rela-
tives In the home took them out. Our
credit was injured and ever since then
the home has been steadily going
downward.
Reach End CT Rope.
I'VE knew what the end would be
and tried TO avert the crash TO no pur-
pose. Only few months ago, sub
M