Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1916-05-12

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KANSAS And It's UNFORTONATES. /
The good people4of Montana are being appealed to by
imported an, and high. saisried sgitat93rs! to make the hes state +S of
shining virtues Of Kansas enumerated. in the Anti-saloOn
League Year Book are these: .
Feeble Mindedd--None in 81 counties. p:
"Insane-None in 81 counties.
Paupers--Lesstthan 500 iii the state: 81
"Poorhouses-4 Empty in 80 counties =
"see what prohibition has done for the unfortunate in
Kansas! . The prohibition. publicity bureaus spread the
the housetpps in Montana, and well meaning but deluded fol-
lowers repeat the sounding acclaim
But like the highly colored bubble OF unexampled per
capita wealth and per capita savings deposits, this bubble as
to what Kansas has done for its unfortunates" is pricked
facts. These facts are obtainable from the $50 page printed
Fifth Biennial Report of the Board Of Control of the State
June 3oth, 1914"
~ The Basic Facts in the Record.
Kansas has nine state institutions for the unfortunate
classes namely: Three hospitals, largely filled by insane, one
for the feeble-minded, one for the deaf, an orphan s home,
a boys industrial school and a like school for girls, On a basis
of the populati9n, Of these nine places, a low per capita is
figured by prohibitionists, but they are always careful to add
the phrase Sin state institutions The less than half truth
contained tain; Cd in int that qnaGf tydt2ya phrase 1rhsn i it 60 naas at IT once APP apparent thars
are in the state of Kansas a grand total Of 80 private insttu-
tons for the care of unfortunates!
These institutions are named and classified as to purpose
on pages 1872 and 1873 of the official report referred to. In
order Of number these private institutions are: Hospitals,
mostly for insane, 81; children s institutions, 20; rescue homes,
5; adult homes, Is associated charities and provident associa-
'0ns The b, @s&si tat ths : sts sta IN Rl' its pa msane sss and oh &C. 81
ing, refuses to do, the citizens Of Kansas do as individuals.
] fortunately indeed for the "unfortunates, these same poIti.
clans do not control the humane sentiments of all the people.
Comparisons, odious Because odorous.
! Feeble minded-none in 81 counties" True, but be-
cause they have been largely thrust into private institutions,
the state having inadequate provisions for them! ~.7&
"~lInsane-none in 81 counties True also, but these, like
the number of private as compared with state institutions.
Paupers and poorhouses.
"Less than 900 paupers in the state and "empty poor
houses in 3 IS count Z = in indeed >~.
First, because the private institutions to which the help
] less paupers have access are more attractive than the ilLftted
and parsimoniously managed public institutions. Second, be-
/ the INDECENT poor are literally farmed out to private families!
Fifth ihe Biennial Biennial R Res II referre pai to: "Ma pSse Of tn these = po %
! farms in the state of Kansas have been turned into agricul-
& tural demonstration stations; and other farms established for
: the care Of the dependent poor of the county are now being
! rented to individuals by the county boards, and the informa-
1 ton given on the records from these counties shows that this
\ rental is often used to help out the poor of the county
Peonage for the unfortunates!
y Appropriations for Unfortunates.
The appropriations for state institutions for unfortunates
J for 1918 and 1914 totalled S., 863,150 This included $2O3,574
! earned by inmates. 49,,
I g. 900 in round figures. Of this the state of Kansas con-
Z trbuted but $29,50Ol --#t ~
! Contrast State Institutions.
In the rank held by it's state institutions of all kinds,
7 Montana is in a position which is the occasion for statewide
I pride. But how about prohibition Kansas, Here's the picture,
7 drawn by an editorial writer for the Kansas City Times, in its
7 issue of February, 18th, 1915:
! 4. Cheeseparing.
"At Parsons the State patients in the Kansas home for
Y epi1epties are sleeping on floors because the state is too
/ parsimonious to builo a new buildine o take care of the over
Y crowded condition of the home.
cat Winfield the unfortunates in the b~me 70" imbecnes
are sleeping on cots crowded into Railways scause ehere is not
I room to provide for them in comfort.
cat Atchison the state cannot receive needy children into
the state orphans home, or properly care for those that are
( there, because there is not room enough for them.
cat the State University at Lawrence lie Of the build
ings is about ready to tumble down anu will have to be
vacated. it ~
cat Rosedale one of the buildings at the state hospital
n will ha torn down this summerb because of old age and decay.'