The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-27
MAYOR Plans eIH
HOME TO CARE
FOR AGED
Stirred By Failure Of emith. @
Concern, He Asks Poor Cennf1
sion To Work Out Details 81
Municipal Institution.
Inmates of Busted Home "
Haven't Relatives or Means Must
Go To the PoorhousA

Mayor Breitmeyer. after q lonE t. 7
with Cassius J. Fox, Tuesday mornt1G<
decided that he has no authority ~
take any action relative To the clostu9'
of the Smith-Fox Home for OLD Roo-
Pile. He is DESTROYS. however, Of start
Ing a movement to secure action that
will make such deplorable incidents
less likely to happen In future.
The mayors action will take the
form Of recommendation to the poor
commission to investigate the nao6o
OF aged worthy people and to devtDo
plan for Quasi-charitable institu-
ton under city supervision, where Old
people may so and pay for their keep.
I'VE neei greater cooperation
among charitable organizations, do
clares the mayor. AT the present
time, effort Is scattered and the bet
results are not obtained. M
"One very commendable place dor
cooperation would be In q home Tor
the aged. There are several such
homes. now, such as the Thompnon
home and the Zoar homes, but these
are not enough.
The people who wish to 20 to
such an institution are worthy citi-'
zcns who have saved something, bur
not enough to support them independ-
emily until they die. Such q homo.
would be largely self-sustaining Fl:
the supervision OF the poor comma
sion would assure its care and The
keeping Of the inmates respectfully -
a low cost
The Jewish home IL an exampa6
Of what can be done along those lines.
l understand that the people who have
that In charge favor broadening their
work. All the charitable organiSA-
lions should be amalgamated,~ end
then contributions would not be divid-
ed One good home could be founded
as part OF the work.
There are % inmates of this Smith.
Fox home. of whom half have relatives
and the remainder must 70 on the
streets or ~ the poor house. Il u Z
bad condition that Allows this to hap
pen. These old people after lives Of
hard work are now left without their
savings. We must DO something"
Health Oflicer 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 for girls. 1t was discov-
cred then that the city had only limit
ed legal powers.
lt's the Poorhouse. Sure.
II Is the poorhouse for all inmates
OF the Smith-Fox home for Old People
who have no relatives or friends will.
ing TO care for them, or who have no
money to care for themselves. There
Is no other alternative. 'fhe home 10
bankrupt, has ceased to exist In fact,
and while the score Of inmates are
still being cared for by Mrs. Nettie
Fox and her son, Cassius J. Fox In
West Side hospital and the Fox resi-
dence at No. SIS John R.-st. this ar
rargement is only temporary.
There will probably not be more
than $500 or 3408 left out of the
crash said c. j. Fox. secretary-treas-
urer OF the institution, Tuesday morn
Ing. That will just about enable us
to keep the old people until we can
place them, either with relatives or
friends, In homes OF their own or In
the poorhouse. The wreck ID COM
plete. We have nothing left. and when
my mother says the inmates brought
IL on themselves she speaks the truth.
How Trouble Started.
That does not apply to all the IN,
mates, however. some Of them n4d
no part In the knocking that was go
ing on. But this crash has been COM
ing on for some time. Our trouble
really starts from the death Of Mrs.
Howe, who with her husband, Merritt
Howe, was one OF our inmates. That
was four or FIVE years ago. Then we
we're comfortably located on Lincoln
ave. and everything was running along
smoothly. Mr.. Howe sued the home
10 recover the amount OF a $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 year when Mr..
Howe quietly married another inmate
OF the home. That stirred up moro
trouble. rs 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 20 make trouble for US. II 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-
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