The Washington herald., 1913-07-20
VEPR0bLEMS IN SOCIAL Welfare
WHAT EXPERTS ARE DOING IN CITY AND
COUNTRY TO LESSEN SOCIAL ILLS

equal number that are or will become in
sane.
For the fiscal year ending June 30.
1912, IL we include the salaries and COM
mutations Of officers Of the Public Health
Service and the wages Of attendants. We
find that at the port OF New York. where
nine-tenths of the Immigrants arrived.
the sum OF eight and fraction cents per
head was expended for the examination
Of each alien.
THE question is. Are We putting forth
energy enough and money to keep from
our country criminals. such as CZolgosz,
Shrank. and Gallagher?
If the scheme advocated by DIR.
Davenport were put into full operation,
the cost would be only about 50 cents
for each of the arriving aliens. He sug-
gests that 400 field workers should be
located in the various countries furnish
ing immigrants. Their duties would be a
service abroad similar to that which such
workers performs in this country-vis-
iting the relatives Of persons in question
to learn their personal and family his
tory When II is considered that de-
fectives are costing this nation over Sloo.-
10000 annually. such expense might be
considered a good Investment. because Of
the saving which would result to our
institutions.
The cost Il putting into effect the
scheme urged ny New York State offi-
cials Of increasing the force at Ellis Is
land to at least 100 officers. would come
to about the same sum. Even with the
head tax as at present fixed. 1t does not
seem disproportionate to spend half q
dollar, or one-eighth Of the tax, in this
way"
Describing the wonderful work of COM
munity reconstruction following the Ohio
floods, Winthrop ID. Lane and Lewis Z.
Stein in an article in The Survey tell of
the efforts to rebuild homes on higher
ground. They say:
"As We go down the valley We see
everywhere the age-old struggle between
faith in the future and the teaching Of
experience. 1t will never happen again.
Is uttered simultaneously with the hill
side for me this time. One man whose
house was only slightly damaged wouldn't
think Of building anew until he can get
a lot 100 feet higher than the old one:
another. who lose everything. is cong
tent to start again in the same place, or
only ten feet higher.
THE general tendency. Of course, Is to
build on higher ground. woman of
Gaysport who owns the greater part Of
one hill has divided her ground up into
lots 20 by 10 feet and in spite Of the de-
mand for them is selling them for $50
each on long payments.
Such Is the demand for lots away from
the river that 1t would be easy for prop
erty-owners to boost prices, But one
doesn't try to get the better of ones
own family in business DEAL and the
people Of this valley have been welded
into one great family. a curious kind of
competition has asserted itself, however.
At Roxbury, a tiny center o.. 100 peop;e
which was completely wiped of the map,
When the sign-board of the railroad
station was finally found. there was no
place to put il. So it was propped up on
large boulder, which the waters had
placed conveniently near. There IL stands
today, inviting some grim humorist I'd
inscribe across the top Here lies,' thus
completing the suggestion of a single
sepulchre for y whole village But the
people o. Eoxbury. all Of whom ecaped.
showed a disposition to scatter to safer
regions. The storekeepsr Who, though
owning most Of the higher ground near
Roxbury. was practically land Door.
saw all his customers about to drift
away. In order to keep them and their
trade. he promptly opened sale on ali
his land. dispSsing Of II at small prices
on long payments