Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-29
TORRANCE TALKS
ON STATE CHARITY
Takes Issue With Those Who Boom
the Idea of Sole State Con-
troll of Dependents

Francis j. Torrance, president of
the State Board of Charities, has taken
a strong stand in interviews against
the agitation by certain charity work
ers in favor of legislation at the COM
ing session of the General Assembly to
revolutioniZe the present system Tor
the care of the INDECENT insane. Mr.
Torrance, who has devoted years to
charitable work, declares that propa-
ganda has been established to in
fluence members of the Legislature
and that a false impression is being
created as to the facts in the case.
"The old question of county care
or State care has been revived and a
record of many years of practical and
economical handling of this problem
cannot be ignored. Pennsylvania has
made great advances in recent years
I'm the care of her dependents, he de-
clared.
"There are Just at this time many
views expressed by many persons upon
this grave subject. some by people VINO
know what they are talking about and
some by others who speak without
experience or authority. We must,
however. give credit to all for sim
cerity of purpose and commend them
for q laudable interest in our work.
None appreciates more than those who
have these unfortunates in charge the
need for hearty cooperation in this
humanitarian mission.
Should Stand Pat
1.-The policy of requiring each county
in the Commonwealth to care for its
own dependents should not be de-
parted from at this time.
H., in INV afr16 n a
sons why county care should not be
supplanted by so-called State care of
the INDECENT insane. The principle OF
home attention and home concern for
tho individual patient is more effective
under the present system than under
any other that could be devised. Sew
eral of the counties in the State,
notably Beaver Westmoreland, WASH
ington and York, are now engaged in
the construction of hospitals along the
most modern and scientific lines for
the care of home patients.
The blind. the deaf and dumb. the
feeble-minded and epileptic are all
provided for by the State. thereby re-
lieving the various counties of these
charges.
why should the State assume the
care of the insane pauper any more
than the care of the pauper who is not
insane? This. to my mind, is county
and not a State obligation.
"By the way l hold the same views
relative to the case of the INDECENT
children in the counties. ! think the
duty to properly care for the child or
minor is just as much an obligation as
is the responsibility to provide for the
adult. Tt has long been assumed in
the natural order of things that the
care of the pauper is a solemn duty
and that this must be done either by
the county or the State. L contend
that the care of the insane pauper, or
minor dependent, should be a county
obligation.
Proved by Schools
"An analysis of the school taxes,
their collection and distribution, Will
demonstrate at once how much the
State does for the various school dis
tricts represented and comprised in
the several counties. AS the years go
by think that / see a constant trend
toward putting the burden more and
more upon the State, thereby es-
tablishing a tendency to a question
able paternalism.
THE benefit of the present system
to the counties is that 1t relieves them
of the per capita cost of maintaining
in prisons their convict population, for
directly they arc paroled the expense
borne by the county for maintenance
ceases and the expense of parole SUI
pervtSion is assumed automatically by
the State. 1t should be remembered
that under the county care acts the in
digent insane in the county homes are
now largely supported by the State
There are over 5000 in the county in
sane asyiums. for whom the State pays
50 per week per capita, which in some
cases fully covers the cost of main
tenance. and in the others very large
proportion of the cost.
ITO provide State hospital quarters
to care for these county cases 1t would
require at least five more State hos
pitfalls, costing each $4,000, 900 approx
mately: in addition to this large in
vestment the cost of maintenance
would be doubled. Couple all these
facts together with the additional fact