Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-03

ink progressive and Humanitarian
spirit Ia voting TO build new jail, has
gone a step farther The system of
feeding prisoners lie to be a humane
one. Rock Island has discarded the
Old fee system. the payment to the
sheriff Of per diem fse Tor the foon
OF each prisoner The county now
purchases the prisoners food Until
Rock Island county adopted this meth
cd OF feeding prisoners, Cook and 81.
Clair were the only counties In the
state eniancipated from the old fee
system" is Miss Hinrichsens com
ment relative TO the new dietary plan
which has been installed here
Praise for Wylie.
Miss Hinrichsen is enthusiastic In
her remarks on the county inhrmary
near Coal Valley and the way it is
managed by Superintendent f. B.
Wylie. In referring to the insfitu-
ton, she says: "A policy Of recon
struction, carefully planned and sys-
tematically carried out, has made Rock
Island county infirmary credit to
the county and the state. both in equip
ment and in method of administration
The condition OF the buildings and
grounds shows that badly rundown
plant is being put in order, at com
paratiyely small expense. The amount
Of inmate labor that the superintend-
ent secures shows a good understand
ing OF his population The appear
ance Of comfort. cheerfulness and well
being of the inmates shows that a
kindly as well as a practical spirit
directs the institution The establish
ment is most economically operated -
The installation of septic tank,
concrete silos, remodeied dairy barn
and other improvements within the
last year are mentioned, as we'll as
Superintendent Wylie's truck garden,
which supplied market in Moline
and the county tail, probably being
the only county farm in the state, ac-
cording to the inspector, where the
latter is done.
Miss Hinrichsen states there are
172 acres of land in the farm that Is
men can work in the fields; that near
ly all Of the inmates do something;
that the gross cost Of the almhouse
for the past year was $4,000; the re-
turn from the sale of produce, $1,000,
q net cost of S5.400 with a population
of 100; that there were IS women and
10 men at the almshouse al the time
Of the inspection and that only two or
the women were able to work regu-
larly; that the superintendent is paid
sl,S00 a year
Suggests Hospital.
Relative TO suggestions as TO widen
ing the scope OF the influence of the
county farm, she saws: a need Of this
institution is a hospital department.
With so large a population a hospital
department is a necessity. The cost
to the counties Of maintaining hospital
departments at the county farms Is
far less than the cost of caring for the
sick in the city hospitals and better
care can be given the inmates Of the
/ home who are i'll. A hospital depart
fnent for county farm is a necessity
and is a saving of money.
The old frame building can he re
modelled to make good hospital. The
salaries of the nurses would be the
only increased expense and this ex-
pense would be more than covered by
the lessened expense Of maintaining
the sick in the city hospitals.
An inventory made IN April this
year, the inspector states, shows the
value of the land at $3t.500; personal
property, including furnishings ana
live stock, S24,St7; buildings, $63,385.
Outdoor Relief.
Work of Charles Oswald, Rock Is
{ land, and William Golden. overseers
of the poor, is also touched on. A to-
tai of seven blind persons receive pen
sions OF $15e year; 40 mothers re-
ceive pensions for Ill children. MAX
: ing the average amount Of relief for
each child S. Appropriations for the
current year are: Charitable institu-
/ tons, $4,000: almshouse, $4,000: out
door relief, $17,500; relief of INDECENT
soldiers, $500; mothers pensions
/ $1,000; blind, 81 500.
/ Other work touched on by the in.
spector is that done by the Moline
Woman's club and Kings Daughters
Associated Charities, Visiting Nurses
association, Bethany Home associa
! ton, Big Brother movement of th'
EIks, West End settlement
Christmas ShauTfug