The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-31
ASKS Money to
KeepD
Joan Together

oid-age pensions, the FIRST to be
introduced, In the United States. are
being granted by the poor commits
sion. and no anti-socialist his raised
his voice in protest.
The poor commission Is asking,
In the new budget. for 5000 for the
purpose of maintaining old couples
In their homes Last year $4,000
was granted. and the experiment has
been a complete success. according
to supt Dolan. both socioiogically
and financially.
1T costs s24 a month TO keep two
people in the county institution in
E1oise.- says Sapt. Dolan- c-By
means OF this fund we are able 70
keep them in their own homes In
Detroit for considerably less than
that sum.
-In former years, when man and
his wife could no longer support
themselves, even with the help OF
their friends and relatives. they
were sent to Eloise. where the man
was put In one part Of the institu
ton and the woman In another
They saw each other perhaps once
a day. Thus old people who had
lived together for years were forced
apart during the closing days OF
iife's journey.
by the new plan, we are able "a
let these old couples live together
during the last years OF their life
and we save them from the stigma
OF becoming paupers, Moreover
we save money. as we are able &c
keep them in their homes for less
than we would pay II they were
sent to Eloise.
The idea FIRST came 10 me wher
! read newspaper account OF Z
couple In Ohio who were sent TO th'
poorhouse and were placed In sepa
rate quarters. They saw each 9th
er only once a day. One day the,
decided they couldn't stand Il ar,
longer. They had cheered ard en-
couragec each other through mar,
years OF married life. ana wI,hou
this companionshiy they felt tha
life wasn't worth living. SO the,
strolled down TO a nearby stream
and a few hours later their bodie
were found IN the water.
| That story brought home to M
the misery that these couples mus
feel az being separated in an inst
tuition. and IL seemed to me that W
might better keep them n thei
own homes by giving them assist
ance enough to maintain them. wit
what help they were accustomed &
get from their connections. So W
began the plan which Is now ii
force, and II has been very succes.
full"
There are now q couples On tn
rolls OF the poor department for oil
age funds. IL costs less than $40
month to maintain them. Tn
highest sum paid to any couple /
So. and the amounts paid TO other
range considerably lower than thi,
depending on the amount Of hel
they can get from other sources.
1 Each family is investigated tho
ouglly. and its receipts and .,
renses are estimated with az muc
accuracy as possible. All the littl
sources OF revenue are set dow
such as tho return from occasion,
work. 10 either OF the couple is abb
TO do anything and II f. surprisln
20 fad how many men 20 and eve
50 years old manage to get Re
days work from the ID. p. w. co,
tftbutions from friends. or FRO
sons and daughters. are compute
, In some cases. the children contri
ute enough TO pay the rent: in OF
ers, they see that the small inSu
snce which the couple carries
kept up. When the revenue hu
iheen computed. II "a deducted fro
the estimated expense, and the d