The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-19
County Commissioners Favor 1t
for Poor Farm.
Concentration of Charities Into
One Place in Each County.
TO ASK LEGISLATURE
To Abolish Old Systems for Deal
ing With County Poor.
Conditions as They Exist at the
Shawnee Poor Farm.

The establishment of a county in
Urinary for the care of the enfeehled
and destitute to replace the existing
poor farm and numberIess small
charities of the county is the agita-
ton of the Shawnee county commits
sioners.
1t is planned to have the next legis-
lature asked to pass an act abolishing
the present system, and inauguratIng
the new, throughout the state. AS
for Shawnee, by the sale of the pres
ent farm, large sum would be trans
ferred toward the better proposition.
The contention of the commission
ers is that the poor of the county are
not able bodied men and women and
that therefore the holding of farm
for them to work is ridiculous.
Seldom are we asked for aid by
able bodied persons said Ed O'Nen,
member of the board. MANY of the
eastern states have seen the fruitless-
ness of maintaining a farm and have
established infirmaries or homes. Our
farm is worth, with Improvements,
$4,000. With an additional $4,000
we could equip the county for prop
erly taking care of its poor.
Many Places Over County.
"At present we have dozens of
places over the city and county where
we pay the rent for a family or a
widow or an old man. Some places
we pay part of the rent and at 9TH
ers we furnish food and provisions. In
the winter we have scores of places
where we have to furnish coal. There
are many we could not ask to go to
the poor farm and yet should give
aid. No one no matter what his cir
cumstances, will 60 to the poor farm
If anything in the world will prevent.
The odium of a poor farm is so great,
that the purpose is thwarted. The
county must do it's charity work, but
can not continue to be to the expense
Of distributing it to so many and scat
tered points"
The present farm is situated about
four miles north of the city of Topeka.
It comprises 147 acres of good land.
G. w. Belts is superintendent. No
inmates help him do the work. Elk
ira help must be hired. The farm is
well enough improved ard the males
and females have separate buildings,
with two small ward buildings addi-
tional.
Grave Yard Prospect.
In addition is the poor farm grave
yard Those poor old people sit out
there unable to do anything, and look
across at the graves and wonder how
soon they viii be buried there" said
Chairman F. B. Simms of the board.
Truly, that is fateful surrounding
for the unfortunates. To mediate by
day and dream by night, overlooking
the grave yard where day after day
companions are being laid away does
not present a pleasant inspiration for
old age. 81 am here today, but to-
morrow L will be over there" is said
to have been the sOrrowful wall of one
of the patients.
"Barbarous; that IS what it is" add
ed O'Neil.
The new plan is for a well appointed
inffrmary of two buildings, one for
women, the other for men. There
would be no expectation of the inmates
earning anything and the county could
pay the expenses of their charges
much more cheaply than at present
There probably would be no hesitancy
on the part of feeble persons to take
the proffer Of a home in a modern
building in pleasant surroundings, and
the county could make its charity a