Norwich bulletin., 1915-03-03
Opposed the Amendment.

ing to support the rest.
 Opposed the Amendment.
 Secretary Bailey of the Hartford board of charities opposed the amend ment. He said that towns were liable for the support of the poor of the rpense of $25, 900 had established a home for the poor children of the town independent of the county home and that there were now forty ch1l- dren in the home. He did not believe in the town saddling the expense of the care of this class of poor children on the state.
 Selectman Lillibridge asked if the people were not the state and added that the whole people were taxed for the expenses of the state.
 Arthur NJ. Brown said he appeared for the commissioners of New London county in opposition to the proposed amendment, and if the proposition went through it meant the revolution of county home management, for the a minimum age of four years in the admission of children. This bill would not only mean an addition to the county home building, but also the ad- dition of a corps of nurses and at | tendants, and be a burden on every county in the state. He did not con- slider it fair for Vo1untown and like l places, where there are no pauper 1 children to be compelled to care for | the children of this nature in the more populous towns of Norwich and New London. It was not fair to the state which now pays $2.50 a week for the support of children in the county home to add the young children that ought to be cared for by the towns Mrs Frank A. Mitchell, member of the state board of charities, said she appeared rather as an individual | in this matter than as a member of 1 the state board. She said she had
 been interested in the New London county home for ten years, and that i at intervals selectmen had made stren- uous efforts to get all dependent chill | dren in the home and without regard 1 to the accommodations and the neces- sary system of management and sim | ply to relieve towns of legitimate eX pense. She said that these homes were generally becoming permanent rather than temporary homes as it is difficult to place children under twelve years of age with families as there was danger of their being treated as little slaves. New London county should have a new home. The pres ent buildings are old and of wood con- structfon and are veritable fire traps and there was always fear of a de- structive fire. There are many chi1- dren in the home from five to six years | of age and these require constant care
 
 county family would mean an entire | ly new department increase the dan ger from fire with it's awful conse-
 quences and greatly increase the eX- pense to the state. The present home | is inadequate for any such plan as
 proposed in the amendment.
 | Jacob D. Walter, a county commits sioner for New Haven county, said that he did not believe the county com
 missioners throughout the state were
 in favor of this proposition, and if they l had been acquainted of the hearing he
 was of the opinion that they would appear before the committee to man | in opposition. He said that when he
 advocated that the new county home
 for New Haven be constructed for the
 accommodation of 200 children, five years ago. that he was ridiculed, but 1 that his idea prevailed and that now the home was filled to overf1owing and i that sixty of the little children are Ibeing boarded in St, Francis hospital and others are out to private fam lHaven selectmen found no difficulty in securing temporary homes for the neg llected babies, and had no desire to dispose of their trusts In the county home at the expense of the state.
 MT. Shields said in closing that he Ihad attended several hearings on other matters and the policy seemed to be alleged economy on all state matters ialthough as Mr. Lillibridge said, the lpeople are the state and the people pay the bills. He considered the pro- posed amendment an economical meas 1re, as well as a humane one, and he did not consider it fair treatment for the state to provide for dependents of all classes and ignore the babies the most helpless of them all He said the original bill creating the county homes stipulated the minimum age as twelve years, but that it was changed in it's travel to final adoption.
 CHESTER PEOPLE OBTAINED