The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-02-09
THE PROBLEM
Of CARING FOR
COUNTY POOR
DR.. Gillette Presented Inter.
esting Paper Before County
Commissioners
SCIENTIFIC TAXATION WAS
DISCUSSED BY Or. BOYLE

DISCUSSED BY Or. BOYLE
Interesting Discussions by the Mem.
bers Of the Association Indicated
That They We're Original Inyesti.
gators on the Subject.
Thorough discussion of the question
OF how to care for the poor was in
dulged In at this -.orning's session
of the County Commissioners asso-
citation of North Dakota. The subject
was brought up by paper presented
by DR.. J. NJ. Gillette of the university,
who took President F. L. McVey's
place on the program by reason of
the fact that the latter was unable to
get away from his official duties dur
ing the time fixed.
North Dakota's problem of caring
for the poor Is one of great import
tance and the discussion of the sub
Ject by the commissioners today prov
ed very interesting resulting in the
bringing out Of great many new
ideas on the best methods of caring
for paupers.
In addition to the discussion of the
county poor question, there was also
an address by Prof. ]. E. Boyle on the
subject of scientific taxation, in which
the commissioners, as the men by
whom the work of taxation is handled,
showed their undivided interest.
One committee was announced this
morning, that on amendments to the
bylaws, and it is composed of Ralph
Abbott of Ward, H. Heath of Cass, e.
w. Blackwell of Griggs, G. F. Mud
gett of Barnes and James Murphy OF
Grand Forks.
The County Poor
The address by DR.. Gillette on the
question of the care of the county
poor was one in which the speaker
showed various methods that were ad-
visable in handling the question. His
remarks were as follows:
"This is one. of the important sub
jects which citizens Of North Dakota
must give more and more attention to
in future. In considering any phase
Of charity work it is well to take into
account what should be called scien-
tific charity. Scientific charity has
arisen because of the increase of pau
perism and poverty along with the
increase Of other diseases of society;
as we'll as because of a better appre-
hension of the significance of the ex-
istence of social diseases in society;
together with more intelligent in
sight into the nature of society, and
of its management and control. Hence
we are moving on toward the applica-
tion of the doctrine of prevention as
the only effective method of cure.
"Any effective and permanent cure
must be based on the idea that in
society, as in other parts of the natur-
al world, the effects we see proceed
from causes and that in order to re-
move the bad effects we dislike we
must get back to the conditions which
produced them. We do not question
this method when we want to improve
our water supply. If the water we
use is polluted we go to the fountain
source and make the conditions sur
rounding the source claen, or secure
a new source.
Probably one way to help remove
poverty will be by making a better
society for everyone to be born into
and to be reared in. Many of our best
minds are thinking of how to do this
They perceive that the mere individual
is not responsible for what he is and
becomes. They know that certain in
equalities exist and that these press
on some persons with special sever
ity.
Method of Prevention.
Zone method of prevention takes the
form of keeping unworthy members
of society from reproducing their
kind. Both physical and social hered-
ity are involved in this. especially the
former The defective classes should
be prevented from propagating those
who are like themselves by laws
which are both sympathetic and stern
"The charity worker and superin-
tendent is interested in both of these
methods, as all good citizens ought
to be and are. But there is one method
of helping reduce pauperism and
poverty which is of more direct in
terest to him. refer to that which
may be described as reformation and
restoration. This method recognizes
that whatever may be the delinquen-
cies of society in the way of prodc-
ing the dependent person the person
has become defective, probably, and
needs reformatory treatment, or II not
defective he is at least, to use Lin
coins phrase relative to the seceeded
states. out of his proper aud practi-
cal relation to society and needs to
be restored to that proper and practi-
| cal relationship as soon as possible.
of their dependency and to place them
ner
The State Good.
In North Dakota we congratulate