The citizen., 1913-12-19
Federated Charities Propose New
Plan For Handling County
Pensions.

system OF dispensing out door pensions
/ is antiquated and obsolete, and that it il
a relic of the old English system OF ou
! door pensions of centuries ago. the off
GERS and directors Of the Federated Char.
4 tiles on Monday afternoon, December
18th, appeared before the Board o
/ County Commissioners and asked that
! Frederick county turn over to the asso-
/ citation the money that it now eXpends
in out door pensions, and even 81 ooc
/ less. and promised if this be done that
/ more good would he accomplished with
the money, and that strict and accurate
| accounting would be made.
The move is not a new one, bV any
| means, as nearly year ago the matter
was brought up by the Federated Char
tiles, but the taking OF anv positive action
has been delayed until this time.
That the Federated Charities did not
move until it was fully prepared, was
shown by the reports which Rev. DR..
Thomas Freeman Dixon head of the
Charity Society of Frederick. presented.
He showed that Frederick county now
pays the sum of So, 524 in pensions and in
special reliet during the past year from
the county statement, the sum of S4Io
- al
other charitable causes for which Fred.
erick county pays money. but DR.. Dixon
stated that it was the money for special
relleS for which the Charity Organiza-
ton asked. He pointed out that in
Portland, Maine, the pension system, as
now in vogue here, was abolished and
the money given to an organization and
IN p months time the number of de-
pendent families was reduced from I,5oo
to goo.
The points made by Rev. DR.. Dixon,
in his address to the board follows:
The out door pension system, as in
use here, is pernicIous and obsolete.
Dead persons are carried on the rolls
as pensioners.
People are on the rolls for whom
no help is needed.
Pensions are paid to persons other
than the pensioners, in some cases.
In Frederick District. one-half Of the
county pensioners are on the books OF
the Federated Charities
The money now being paid in pen.
sionS. ought to be dispensed by some su-
pervSing agency.
Many of the people who now receive
pensions, do not know the value OF
money and do not know how to iudic.
iously spend it.
There is no implication that the money
now being paid in pensions is being used
by any one, or any organization for its
benefit, or that there is any wrong dong
or crookedneSs. The custom is simply
one that has existed for generations.
1t was pointed out that with the FEEDER
ated Charities a careful study has been
made of the needs and necessities of poor
families. and each case is investigated.
1t was shown that woman, who was
left widow and with small children
years ago, drew county pension Her
children are now grown, and she has re-
married, and her husband makes about
S2.25 per day and this woman is still
drawing a county pension under her name
as widow.
In speaking OF the work of the FEEDER
ated Charities, DIR. Dixon stated that it
was the work Of the careful expenditure
OF money, which makes it possible to do
the work that it does, and he stated that
too often the families that are needing
help do not have this knowledge of
spending money. He stated that one
woman, a colored woman, who is mem-
Der OF his church, has it.
This woman is aged about 65 years,
and is a widow and rheumatic and
is unable to work She receives a
United States pension of SG2 per month
With this she manages to rent a house at
81 per month which she occupies alone
and she maintains herself on the remain.
der, and since she has received a govern
! ment pension, some years ago, she has
! never asked for support from the Fed
Grated Charities Rev. DR.. Dixon stated
that this was one of the most remarkable
| cases OF which he knew, and stated that
| it only shows what can be done towards
supporting family on a small amount
OF money, if the money is only spent ju-
diciously
Rev DR.. Dixon states that no families
are supported entirely by the Federated
Charities. He stated that the calls for
| coal are nearly twice the number OF ap-
| peals for food Where the society learns
! that members of the family can work,
they are made to work. and the society
| even helps to secure employment main
tanning what may be SAID to be an en-
ployment agency, which has been very
, successful.
Rev. DR.. Dixon submitted lor the
Charity Society, IN a report submitted to
the County Commissioners showed the
following analysis of the pensions of the
| county. based upon the reports made to
the association from two and three well
known and reputable citizens, in each
district, 20 of the 26 districts reporting:
Number of persons in 20 districts
drawing pensions. "............ 49,. 32o
Amount of pension money receiv-
ed by these persons. q, ,o26
| Number of above, not needy. 26
Not worthy. Observation-Disclosures. Io
Out OF county. ....."................. S
Gut OF State..... ...........
| Should be in Montevue............ a
1t is estimated that should the above
be stricken from the rolls of the county,
| that saving of $3.50 could be made In
addition to the number of those given
above, is persons were unknown to those
from whom the society secured its fig
ures. lts stated that the saving on
these would be $224. so and that the
total would be $So4. so.
Coming down to Frederick, which is
included in the above figures. the society
sets out in its analysis of the conditions
here. The figures follow:
| Pensioners in the city.................... I2o
Money paid to pensioners ........."$I,3 1886
| MOI needy.,.. .................... IS
| Not worthy ........................... a
| Dead..............- ."............
| Should be in Montevue................
II these were eliminated, the saving
would be about $275. There are in ad.
dition. 80 doubtful cases. which are moi
included in the IS given in the county