The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-16
FOR COUNTY HOME
commissioners Want Poor Farm
Near Town.
suggest Buying Fair Grounds
to Erect Structure.
INVOLVES BOND ISSUE.
Proposal Will Make $4,000 a
Necessary Fund.
Opinions Asked and Call May BE
Made for Meeting.

To sell the Shawnee county poor
farm and build a home for the aged
en- the fair ground property or on some
oSher site adjoining Topeka is the pro-
posal now before the board OF county
Commissioners and upon which that
body is anxious to obtain an express
sion of opinion from people living III
all parts OF the county.
The question involves the advisablllty
of a bond issue of $4,000 such as was
talked of last fall. 1t also embraces
a suggestion for the sale of the 1alg
grounds or a part Of the ground, anu
it throws open the discussion OF tue
establishing of a county WCrkhouse III
connection with the county home
In fact say the commissioners, the
present situation in Whcn Tie OlS
unavoidable issue is the necessity u
furnishing a new shelter for the pres
ent inmates of the county home now
situated on the farm of 154 acres tnIee
miles north of town, involves SO MANY
possibilities that they are unwlillhs ~
tackle it's solution without heip' ~
the nature of the case, the lact ina Ht
few persons are much Interested III the
actual conduct of the institution MAKES
advice much harder to obtain than au-
verse criticism. , 1900.
Commissioner Edwin L. O'Neil faVorS
the calling of an assembly 10 De PAL
slip trustees, and individuals VINO take
an Interest in philanthropic work COM
missioner F. B. Simms is strongly III
favor of dispoSing of the farm now &c
cupied and using the money 1or pullu-
ing a home on the fair grounds. com
missioner ]. c. Sinner participates II.
the belief that some radically ne"
course must oe adopted
When the first discussion of bona
issue for the poor farm came up the
idea was for the expenditure OIL Soo'V0V
On permanent buildings.
Commissioner Simms Talks.
In outlining his ideas on this sub
iect Commissioner Simms said:
THE county owns the fair ground,
now worth SIS, to- $4,000, ana
from it receives not one cent OIL IN
come For the county it is a question
able investment. The poor farm is
valuable piece of property and would
command a good price on the market
Beside the money which the county
spends for the maintenance OF the
poor farm, which is always greater
than the income from the farm, it
laws out annually a considerable sum
of money in allowances made to per-
sons living in the city and country
who are able to provide part of their
own living but need some help.
Il believe the county would do we'll
to sell the poor farm and move its in
mates to town, expending the money
from the sale of the farm upon new
buildings such as are now under dis
cussion. This would obviate the ne
cessity of the bond issue. 1t would
simply be an economic disposal of the
property which we now have.
Now when we send a person to
the poor farm isolate him from
all his accustomed surroundings. He
is so far in the country that he can
not get back and forth without ex-
pense and inconvenience so that it
simply condemns the man or woman
who becomes county charge, to a
cherries isolation for the balance of
life. With the poor house adjoining
the city or inside the city limits where
easy access is had to the street cars
we open to the old people the POSSIBLE
ity of a vastly more enjoyable sur
roundings in which to while away
their declining days. Other places
are doing this"
There is no economic advantage in
having the poor house so far from
town. Shawnee county with it's
growing population is annually facing
q large problem in the care of its
poor and INDECENT and it is time for
us to adopt a different and better
plan than we have ever before pur-
sued. And, to my mind, we should
try, while making the change, to en-
-ploy the resources already in our
hands rather than to incur new liabil-
tiles by bond issue such as has been
under discussion
Might Sell the Fair Grounds
81 am in favor of moving the poor
farm to town." said Commissioner
O'Neil. Perhaps the fair grounds
is too valuable piece of property to
be entirely set aside for such a pur-
pose. but it could be placed on the
market and the money used for a
county home and a work house Or |
the lower part of the fair grounds.
which is intersected by the Shunga-
nunga creek. might be used for the
home, while the upper part, which
would bring the highest price if sold. |
could be disposed of. We need a
workhouse Of some sort and while we
are making the change in the county
home the idea of fixing a place in
which to employ county prisoners,
Migrants and the like might be worked
out.
1.-The law provides that at any time
a commission composed of the trus-
tees of the various townships in the
county may be directed to make an
examination of the county home and
make suggestions as to its manage
ment. The commissioners want out
side suggestions and we probably will
call a meeting for the purpose of get
ting suggestions. 1 am in favor of