The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-30
tomorrow,

Mr.. Hale has been poor commissioner
So long that ne has come to be regard
ed as a permanent institution in Shaw
nee county and it is a safe prediction
that it will be many months until the
people who have come to look to him
as a stay in time of trouble cease to
inquire for him in the office or to
knock at the door of his home in
North Topeka as they have done for
half a generation with utter disregard
of office hours or the demands of
WEAKNESS.
At 70 the hoary old custodian of the
county's charitable work is a pretty
energetic man, but he has not been in
perfect health since the flood of 1903
when he was worked nearly to death.
He was the first poor commissioner, or
the first to regularly discharge the
duties of the office which in earlier
days had been attended to only in the
winter months. When he took the Of
flee the county was spending annually
nearly $4,000 for the sort of relief work
he was commissioned for, and much 81
| it was being wasted. Under his adj
ministration the annual outlay has
been cut down until it annually ap-
proximates $8,000 although there is no
| question that many cases which form
| erly looked to the county are being
taken care of by the Provident assocla-
ton and similar institutions.
ADpOHltCu 1000.
| In 1888 when A. c. Hale was appoint
ed the position was what he describes
| as "a street-walking job" The court
house was then situated at Fourth and
| Kansas avenue and it was overcrowd-
| ed Mr.. Hale was given headquarters
| in a dingy building on lower Kansas
avenue, in Smoky Row." For several
years he remained there, moving only
when the present court house was COM
pleted and an office assigned to him i'll
| the basement.
one detail, originated by Mr.. Hale,
| has saved the county thousands of dol
! lars. He started the plan of buying
groceries in wholesale lots and distr1-
buting them himself from his office In
stead Of issuing an order on a grocer
or clothier for such articles as an ap-
| ,iMcant for relief might need. the or
| ders were not infrequently traded off,
or the beneficiary persuaded the grocer
| to give him some article other than
| that ordered, as for instance did one
man who got cake of honey in place
| of a sack of hOminy.
During February this year more than
$50 names were entered by Mr.. Hale
Upon his books is receiving help dur
| ing the 2S days of that month, some
| of them being helped on more than one
| occasion. He literally knew everybody
who was likely to require his help. This
knowledge resulted from his continu-
| olis work of investigation which took
| him out over the town and country
| daily for years. He kept track of the
/ condition of families of the class which
/ looked to him oftenest and was able to
give with a good deal of discretion in
| nearly every instance. For three years
after he started work he had an assist
ant and together they compiled their
record of their regulars Since then
he has done all the work alone.
Has Done His Best.
| ct have done the best L could said
Mr.. Hale this morning as he talked
about his long term of office during
/ the intervals between waiting upon
! customers" 1t hasn't been a very
| good job in the ordinary sense, for the
salary isn't anything to brag of.
could probably have made lots more
| money at something else and l tried to
resign a good many times. But the
| commissioners always persuaded me to
| keep ahead until this time. 1 would
have to quit sometime, anyhow, and
| had just as well do it now. But my
successor will have a lot of things to
| learn when he takes hold of the job
and he will find there IS lot of study
| ing to do if he wants to save money on
| his work"
Mr.. Hale continued his work
through the day, turning over the Of
| flee kew to the janitor at quitting time.
Just what he will do. he has not made
I'D his mind, but his wife who is glad
| to see him leave the job, says that she
! intends to see that he gets a needed
rest at home.
"They call him out of bed at all
|