The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-03
COMMISSIONERS SIDE.
Statement Regarding Recent Contro-
versy Over Diseases.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
Now that the feverishness of the
discussion between the county anu cry
officials concerning the handling Of a
certain diseased case has somewhat
subsidized, we want to make a state
ment of few plain facts, which nave
not heretofore been in print, giving the
county commissioners side of the con-
troVerSy.
The county through the board of
county commissioners, the poor com
missioner and county physician is DO
ing an immense amount OF charity ana
relief work and the cost of this work
can be had by anyone who is interest
ed by an inspection OF our monthly
report published in the official county
paper We have at this time the
maximum of patients in the county
home a long rent and grocery l1st,
and several that come under the heau
of extras, two being in the tubercular
home at Norton. Kan, and one at
RosedaIe two in private homes in To-
peka. an occasional patient in the To-
cal hospitals. There is a tendency OF
individuals to do less charity work,
leaving it more to the public at large
and this increases the expense OF the
county, city and state governments
each year. The county has not turned
down a deserving unfortunate case
without giving some sort of relief. the
CITY does not help in charity and re-
lief work, although there is a law we
understand to levy tax for TINS pur-
pose
In the matter of the case at point.
it was represented that the man had
an infectious disease and in his con-
dition was a menace to the commun-
ity, and having no institution we could
put him in we asked the Welfare
worker of the police department who
had him in charge to take him to the
city commissi oners-naTninS Porter in
particular-and have him placed in
the city detention hospital, which was
/ hui at nGf of -
000 where he could be segregated,
housed and treated. The mayor short
ly after the party reached the city
hall called up and stated that the
party could not be taken to the de-
tention hospital and made the propo-
sition that if the county would pay
the room rent, furnish the groceries,
the city would provide the medicine,
medical attendance and police surveil-
/ lance. This was agreed to without
pickering or discussion and in as few
words as here related. He then SAID
| that the party owed some back rent
/ and wanted TO know if the county
would pay that, too. and our reply
was that we made it a rule not to
pay back rent or back debts, and that
our responsibility began only from
the time the applicant became pub
! lie charge. Nothing more was said
and we did not know that the county
was not to share in the expense until
we read the article in the evening pa
per of issue of June %
1t is to be noted that the sheriff had
an appended statement to the story.
that he himself had paid = railroad
! fare for some unknown person to
some unknown destination due to the
/ reluctance of the county board in ham
| ding cases of restitution or disease.
You probably wonder why he makes
/ such an assertion, and so do We By
! those handling this kind of work,
shifting them en- to some other
, community is considered one of the
poor and cheap solutions to the delin-
ouent problem In the first instance
| the sheriff never had a case before
the county board of this nature. and
he is in no position TO judge what the
board would do in such a contingency.