The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-11-04
county Farm Is Too Awful to
describe, Says DIR. DeViIbiss.
Tells Club Women of DepIor-
able Conditions at Institution.
MISS LACEY DESCRIBES PLACE
commissioners Ought To Be
Forced to Live There, She Says.
Advocates New Hospital and
tuberculosis Camp.

"A severe arrangement of the county
poor farm as it now exists in Shawnee
county was made this noon before
the members of the City Federation
OF clubs at the Y. w. c. A by DR..
Lydia DeVilbiss, head of the child
hygiene department of the state board
of health.
Words Not Adequate.
You cannot find words adequate
to describe the horrible conditions
at the county poor farm declared
institution in a wealthy county like
Shawnee is beyond belief. OLD men
have to sleep in the attic of di-
iapldated building, and there is no
termingle in unsanitary rooms. Bath
ing facilities for the inmates are prac-
tically negligible. The entire sys-
tenn is a crime and should be changed
just as soon as possible
DR.. DeVilbiss spoke on the subject,
What This County Needs" and she
unqualif1edly stated that it was
county farm with q hospital and tu-
berculosis camp such as the welfare
committee of the Commercial club is
advocating in its petition for the vot-
ing of $4,000 bonds by the county.
DR.. DeVilbisS explained to the women
that the tax resulting from this hu-
name improvement of the county
farm would be approximately six
cents year on property of $1,000
valuation.
An Awakened Conscience.
THE building of a county hospital
will be lowering taxes, not raising
Them" she explained. 1T will be
lot cheaper for the county to
communicable disease in a modern
hospital than to fight an epidemic
that threatens an entire community
If we could check the first case of
typhoid fever or diphtheria or any
other communicable disease we could
save money for the county by pre-
venting the spread of this disease.
AN awakened public conscience is
what Shawnee county needs. Sickness
is no longer strictly an individual mat
ter but it is rather a social question.
The mother no longer can build
fence around her child at home for
that child goes to school and there
comes in contact with all manner of
things. The mother of today would
do we'll to build a screen around the
school and protect all the children"
Miss Lacey's Impression.
Miss Edith Lacey. head of the To-
ton, accompanied by DR.. DeVilbisS on
an inspection trip of the county farm
this week and she had some very de- !
cided ideas about the place.
1.-THE county commissioners should
be compelled to spend a week at the
county poor farm. A week of
life as it is lived by the inmates prob
ably would result in better care of the
clared in speaking of her impression.
But before criticizing the poor
farm, let me say that the management
there is not at fault. Just as much is
as can be done with what the county
gives to do with. The food is good. |
Indeed the only decent place on the |
poor farm is the kitchen.
But think of forty aged men and
women part of them imbecileS, kept in
a house with no heating plant, no
system, no running water, just
one bathtub and no inside toilets.
1.-The county poor farm is the most
disgraceful thing 1 have ever seen
like Shawnee county. Why even
many of the barns in Shawnee county |
are better prepared for the housing of !
human beings than is the Shawnee |
county poor farm. In many of them
water, at least, is provided.
Colored Woman 116 Years Old.
ST saw one old, colored women
there, who is said to be 116 years old. |
She sleeps on cot in a room with |
five other women. There is no heat |
the stove at night for fear some of the
half-witted inmates may set fire to
things. For the same reason none of I
the oil lamps which are the only
in the rooms. Some of the feeble, old
half-witted inmates might have to get
up in the night and they might try to
light the lamp and set fire to things
'The same conditions are true in
the mems sleeping quarters. If any
no lights, and the toilets are all out
doors. There is no ventilation sys-
tenn, but the cold air blows into the
rooms through cracks. But
there is a difference between drafts
and ventilation. With winter coming