Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-11-10
Stories Of Curbstone and
Corridor

| AOL0 III LAC w dSuAu6COu uA6-
patches that Secretary of the Treas.
ury McVeagh, is in favor of pension
ing all superannuated government
clerks" said Landlord Patterson, talk
ing to a bunch of guests at the Nc
Kenzie last night. II can see no
reason why all worn out clerks should
not be pensioned along with the aged.
There is no difference so far as I am
able to see between government clerks
and other clerks, except the boys in
the government service draw little
more pay than the grocery clerk in a
country store. Both are equally help
less at the age of seventy. l am not in
favor of discrimination in these mat
ters. The old age pension system
may be all right but the government
should play no favorites. All men pay
taxes for the support of the govern
ment in the way of tariff duties, and
it is no more than right to give all
an equal benefit of every law en-
acted by Congress. They tell us the
government clerk is helpless when he
gets too old to be of service. So is
the dry goods clerk, the barber, the
blacksmith, and the politicians. 1t
might be we'll enough to enact an old
age pension law for the benefit of all
the people. The reason the govern
ment clerks get the better of such
things is because of the great bulk
of them are in Washington and their
needs or apparent wants are constant
ly in sight of the cabinet officers and
congress. Pretty good lobbyists, these |
government employees, and they are
not looking out for anyone but them
selves. 1t will not be long until all
soldiers who served in the rebellion
will all get pension. The ranks are
thinning very fast and it will soon be
up to the government to give them
all a pension and cut off the pension
agencies in the different states which
are a useless expense when that is
done. l am not in favor of penslonlng
government clerks, unless all clerks
are included in the list
William Flake, state humane officer,
of Jamestown, was in the city last
night with his family. Mr.. Blake is
always accompanied by bunch of
children, waits, human driftwood,
tossed on the sea of poverty. Il have
placed 258 children in good homes :
since the first day of January" said
Mr.. Blake last night, "and now
have thirteen more to find homes for.
The three I have here are provided
for The little boy and girl are going
to good homes in different towns and
the big girl will have to 60 to the re-
form school. Not because she is a
bad girl but because she needs medical
treatment and I have no place else
to take her. She is fifteen and has
been unfortunate enough to contract
a loathsome disease. The state has
no hospital to care for such cases and
makes no provision to pay medical
hence the only way I know
of is to take the poor child to the re- y
form school. You will understand that 7
258 children placed in good homes is s
a. great work and the number will G
reach 300 by the time the year closes. r
I cannot do this work unless given
financial as we'll as the moral support :
of the public.
l have not the private means to accom-
plish what my heart tells me to do
and feel sure when the people under
stand the situation they will come
to the rescue. Mine is work that
does not call for kid gloves and fine
raiment. Common sense and hu-
are the requisites. Mine is
a work which cannot be done in an
office. These pitiful cases ar in OBJ
security and have to be hunted out.
Good people throughout the state con-
fer with me and point them out. Here
are three letters l received on reach
ing Bismarck today. Here is one
from Hettinger telling of child there
two in Taylor and seven in Lostwood.
Think of seven waits in one family
and all under twelve years of age.
Of the 258 children have found homes
for, only one of them goes to the re-
form school, I like to place the un-
fortunate in homes. The average
child is not criminal, only neglected
and ignorant So much depends on
it's surroundings and teaching. It is
\ great work and love it and feel
hat when the public comes to know
about what l am doing will be sup
ported"
Mr.. Blake placed his children today
and went to Lostwood to get the un
fortunate seven there.