The Cairo bulletin., 1913-01-01
WHERE GOES ALL
MONEY Spent ON
COUNTY farm
Correspondent Alleges Inadequate
Returns From the
Expenditure.
WOULD RATHER BE A TRAMP
Than Live in Such Filth and Squalor,
Said a Former Ward Of
the County.
WOULD RATHER BE A TRAMI


Considerable agitation has beer
aroused by the publication of several
articles in The Bulletin relative to
the deplorable conditions existing at
the Alexander. County Poor Farm.
The letter of Tuesday morning
from the pen of well-known Cairo
woman has done much to open the
eyes Of the public to many of the
lamentable acts of neglect upon the
part Of the management,
No longer than Tuesday, The Bull
letin enJeavored. for the second time
recently, to secure an interview with
county commissioner relative to
the, Poor Farm, but he gave out
statements that bore the same an
tiquatcd brand of long-ago-promises
of contemplated improvements which
will be made when I'VE get the
money" One statement was in eff
feet that the present wards Of the
county are getting better than they
were accustomed to in the past.
We went on to state that the coun-
ty had been to considerable expense
Hast year In buying $1,000 worth oi
mules, and Notwithstanding there
are good many cows on the farm
the Wards 10 not get any CT the uSlk
and butter from them. He said there
had been produced 400 bushels o.
corn this year. plenty Of good vcge-
tables, but no wheat. t was evi'
dent that the commissioner did no
admire or relish the attacks made or
the Poor Farm and was very relue'
tant to talk on the subject.
| This agitation will bear fruit and
| the time is near at hand when vas
Improvements will be made. Wit
nesseth another protest this morning
in the shape of communication.
How Much Longer VIII Inns In
position Continues
Since reading The Bulletins fear.
less and truthful statements con.
Icerning Alexander county's so-called
Poor Farm, and having visited the
Poor Farm during the past month
the question naturally arises, "How
much longer are the taxpayers OF
Alexander county going to allow this
| imposition? The description of the
County Poor Farm given in yester'
| days Bulletin is true in every de-
tail, but even then lacks in adjetives
to really convey to the public jus,
| what sort of poor excuse for poor
farm, the money of the taxpayers in
Alexander county Is keeping up. The
| following comment was heard oil
every side yesterday after the article
in The Bulletin was published
| I"Whoever is going after that graft
is after an old proposition which, as
yet, no one has succeeded in better
Ing" If the word graft is too force
full Cor truthful) then we ask what
has been accomplished with the
money which is supposed to give
Alexander county decent, sanitary
home for its unfortunates instead Of
this bare, poyerty-stricken looking
place which it has now?
Here are few facts; Alexander
county spends $1,000 yearly on its
paupers and a commissioner of the
County Poor Farm, who was recently
asked how much of this sum went
towards keeping up the County Poor
Farm, answered that he did not
know! II these fifteen inmates were
brought to town and boarded where
they would have heat, water and a
few comforts which they most GER
tainly have not now at a cost of S.
week each, which would be s75 a
week, grand total of $S,S00 year.
These figures show what is being
done with $1,000 or part of It, and
what could be done with about one
half of that amount.
whenever an agitation concern
ing the Poor Farm has been started
-. A.
In the past, the public has always
been appeased with promises which
never matured and which were eyi.
IDENTIFY only given to keep matters
quiet and deceive the public concern
the bare truth of the matter.