The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-08
AID FOR CHILDREN
Many Needs of Orphans Home
Reported by DIR. Harding.
Club Women Should Take a
Hand There She Says.
TOO MUCH PAWNEE ROCk!"
Topeka Doctor Declares Women
Use Money FOOlishly.
s<Pay More Attention to Orphans
Less to Patriotism"
TOO MUCH PAWNEE ROCKP'

DR.. Eva Harding came nome AAoA
her visit to the state orphans nome
with a whole bundle of highly IN
flammable sentiments about the his
guided efforts of Kansas club women
She saw the Riddles who are state
wards suffering in a dormatory at the
home and thought of the lack of inter
est which Kansas club women show IN
the situation. Right away she resolved
to refuse to pass the contribution ooX
when the federation of clubs wants to
endow a home for sick kittens or build
a new drinking fountain at Pawnee
Rock
There was a regular serial story OF
complaints which Doctor Harding
brought home from Atchison. A re-
port from the home stated Doctor
Harding had placed her o. K on the
home. Possibly the report came from
some person who once met -DocLor
Harding at pink tea party. tne
sentiments which the doctor brought
home from Atchison didn't fit the adj
vance reports in any particular spot.
Lack of Facilities.
1t was the lack of hospital facilities
at the state orphans home which
made Doctor Harding weep. Big, Flcn'
independent Kansas herds her sick or
phans in dormitory on the top
floor of a fire trap building when
they are sick That was the condition
Doctor Harding found, OF course II
wasn't exactly the fault of the man
aFement or any individual. The leg
islature Just wanted to- carry out a
policy of economy and wouldn't pro-
vide money for hospital facilities Tor
the home.
The hospital matter was close to
Doctor Harding's heart today. But
Ill he kan fa1af r
She took a big. free handed swing at
Kansas club women
You ought to see the conditions
saw yesterday, They would make you
sick" declared Doctor Harding.
Helpless little children in 1ormi-
tory on the top floor of a fire trap
building because the state has no hos
pital for them
But the club women of the state
don't know anything about 1t. OF
course they don't. Maybe they don't
want to. / don't know. They are too
busy securing markers Tor Pawnee
Rock or monuments for John Brown
park They are putting in their time
sending silk flags to the soldiers on
the Mexican border and otherwise be-
ing patriotic Now they are getting
funds for a Lincoln bust in park.
Patriotism VS.. Humanity.
There's too much of this kind of
patriotism and not enough huma nifty.
men will sit around the legislature all
next winter and want an appropriation
for Pawnee Rock or for the John
Brown memorial park and they won't
have two thoughts about those chill
dren all during the session. II the
state doesn't provide facilities for the
care of these little tots when they are
sick, it's all right But let n legisla-
tor refuse to vote for the Pawnee
Rock appropriation-Oh, fny The
whole federation turns loose and
passes resolutions. 1 would just like
to tell these women this would be a
better state II they would pay more at
tention to the orphans and be less pa
triotic just for a little while.'
DIR. Harding believes the state
should arrange to place the children
in private homes after they have been
in the institution three months. If
necessary, she declared, the state
should pay for the care of these chill
dren in private homes.
THE whole plan over there is silly"
said the doctor. think of a man
looking after 800 indentured children.
What does he know about it? Can he
look in a girls eyes or talk for five
minutes to a man and know whether
the child is getting along all right
Then when you want an investigation,
they send the managing board out to
look into the matter to decide whether
they should convict themselves or not
It's a great and wondrous system
But maybe some day the legislature
WAl do something about it."