The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-22
IT EMPTIES JA|LS
Reduces Insanity and Closes
Up the Poor Farms.
This Is the Record of PrOhibi-
ton i'm Kansas.

Kansas under the operation of the
prohibitory liquor law, has reduced
the percentage of insanity, emptied
her jails and prisons and sold her poor
farms, according to a report by j. w.
Howe secretary of the state board of
control. Howe's figures. based on of
fetal reports, show that insanity due
to intemperance has been reduced
from eight to three per cent under
the state law.
Returns from the county farms also
show that there are 80 counties in
Kansas with no pauper population,
while the total number of dependents
in county homes is but sos. OF the
men and women in state prison, 81 per
cent are listed as ''floaters" or non
residents. Many of them are addicted
to the use of liquor. In the boys in
dustrial school at Topeka, much of the
trouble is traced to homes where Ii
uuor is used by one or both parents.
1t is probable that the Howe report
will be used as an official document
in the various state fights for prohib-
itary liquor laws. Kansas conditions
have frequently been referred to both
by advocates of prohibition and open
saloons. The Howe figures, however,
are based on official reports and for
that reason probably will be generally
adopted.
Percentage Is Reduced.
At the Osawatomie state hospital,
temperance was eight prior to the
adoption of the prohibitory liquor law.
AT present it is three per cent. Howe
explains this showing by the asser-
ton that in many states where the
open saloon is permitted, insane pa
tients are cared for in aims houses
and the number is not included in the
official state reports. In Kansas, how
ever. the patients are treated at state
institutions. AT present there are but Al
insane patients and las feeble minded
in county homes.
Records from insane hospitals show
1,557 patients at Topeka hospital. l.
1922 at Osawatomie and 40 at Larned.
In addition to this number are sos pa
tientS in the hospital for epileptics at
Parsons, 535 feeble minded at Winfield
and 191 at Atchison. or total of A.
1873.
Howe's report shows that 80 coun-
ties have abandoned their public
farms and that there are but SOS
stitutions. OF these Al are insane pa
tients, 145 feeble minded. IA children.
and 695 other classifications.
The Penal Records.
The penal record shows 1913 inmates
Holiday on London Change.
of the state penitentiary at Lansing,
246 at Hutchinson state reformatory,
253 at Topeka boys industrial school
and 1873 at Beloit school for girls. OF
the number of state convicts, Howe
non-residents.
THE majority of these cases came
by the liquor and dope routes" Howe
states. Then, again, many of the
other confirmed criminals can trace
their crime to alcohol, but this is a
still stronger argument for the bene-
fetal effects of the prohibitory law.
These men acquired the habit years
ago, they cannot quit now. Many of
them acquired their drinking habit
on other states or in Kansas during
the days when the law was not en-
forced. If liquor could have been
kept from these men at the right time
in life, our penitentiary would prob
ably have 500 fewer prisoners
OF the 396 men admitted to the
Hutchinson reformatory last year, 202
admitted they had used liquor in
some form. At the same time, the
reformatory record shows that 265
came from broken homes, due either
to death or divorce.
At the Topeka Industrial school,
a close record shows that 103 of SIS
boys received, came from homes where
one or both parents were intemper-
ate. OF the boys admitted, 81 had
drank liquor in their own homes or
elsewhere
No record as to the effect of alco-
school, Beloit. OF las cases investi-
gated last year, 81 of the girls came
from homes where the parents had
separated, Is girls were orphans.
while in 81 cases, one or both parents
were dead
Oil cook stoves at Forbes ADV