Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-04-22
Investigating Conditions.

| q w Nloii TIC DOOI al
Elberton,. investigate conditions and
report as to the ACCESSIBILITY of re-
moving the farm. They visited the
farm and their findings are en-
bodied in the following protest
which was filed with the county com
missioners by Y. c. Mansfield:
To the Commissioner of Whitman
County, Washington.
Gentlemen-We, the undersigned
committee, appointed by the county
Farmers Union, March 26, 1910, to
visit the county poor farm, examine
into the question of moving the same
to Colfax, and report to your hon
orable body the result of our investi-
cations, beg leave to say that one of
our number who was opposed to
such action by the county union
wrote to Commissioner Ellis inform
ing him of the time our committee
would visit Elberton, and requested
that he meet us there. This action
afterwards met the hearty approba-
| ton of the two other members, we
all desiring to get the view point of
the commissioners directly from one
of their members. Mr.. Ellis, for some
cause, did not meet us, which we
all regretted. We, therefore, base our
conclusions on the information gath
cred on the farm and from other
sources; and also from ommuni-
cation published in the Commoner,
June II, 1909, by j. r. Ripley, your
chairman, setting forth, as we as
sumo, the attitude of the board. We
desire, reluctantly, to state that we
believe your honorable body is max
ing a mistake in taking the steps
you have, leading up to the change of
location of the Poor Farm" This
opinion we are encouraged to ex-
press by the statement of one of our
committee, Mr. Mansfield, that Mr..
Ellis said to him that the commits
sioners would be pleased to have a
committee of the Farmers Union in
vestigate the matter and report to
your honorable body, as the contem-
plated change had not gone too far
| to be dropped.
We find that there is even more
tillable land on the Elberton farm
| than is necessary for the require
ments of the infirmary, that there is
abundance of fruit, a pretty good
water system, abundance of room in
the building, some slight changes,
the building, some slight changes
the drainage Is first-class, and that
the sanitary conditions are very good
and are capable of being made per-
feet at little cost
We find that the average number
| of inmates for 1909 was a small frac-
ton over twelve, and that the aver
age age of these now in the infirm-
airy is 70 years, not counting a pa
ralytic and one of feeble mind. We
submit that from people of that age
and condition very little labor could
reasonably be expected. Therefore,
we believe it wi be inexpedient and
expensive to the county to raise more
on the poor farm than is necessary
to supply the table with meat, vege-
tables, fruit and dairy products. The
building will undoubtedly meet the
requiem of Whitman county for
many years to come.
AS to the hospital, one can be built
on the Elberton farm as cheap as at
any other place In the county, and
inasmuch as the Intimacy Is quite
close to the depot 1t Is believed by
those who have given very close at
tention to the problem, that patients
can be transferred from any point in
the county, not excepting Colfax, to
the Elberton poor farm cheaper than
they can be to the contemplated farm
near Colfax.
Now In view of the constantly in
creasing burden of taxation, and in
view of the fact that recent disasters
from floods will add to the burden
and also In view of the fact that we
believe each and every member of
iyour honorable body Is governed by
ldisinterested and patriotic motives in
your action in this matter, we, the
undersigned committee, would most
respectfully and deferentiaIly request
that you do not make the contem-
plated change; or at least that you
defer action in the matter so as to
give those we represent and who pay