The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-05-04
GIVES INTERESTING REPORT
Tells How City's Money Has Been Elk.
pended for the Good of Unfortu-
mates. in Aid and In Build
ing Up Of Morals.

Jacob Saftig s business as city pauper
commissioner leads him into many and
diverse channels.
His duties and activities include bury
ing seven individuals, quarantining four
homes, dealing with one mothers pen
sion law beneficiary, and putting eleven
patients in Kenosha hospital beside
having 81 calls upon charity patients
made by physicians, all within the fis-
cal year beginning with May /, 1915,
and ending May /, 1916. And these are
but a small beginning of his duties.
Besides these manifold and varied
occupations of his office he has had
also to take up the pedagogic work of
teaching irresponsibles how to take care
OF themselves financially. In other
words he has seen to it that certain of
the city's charges heretofore, have be-
come now self supporting, because the
money they have earned has been ex-
pended in food and clothing for the
family instead of invested in W. w. and
s. and other features Of riotous living.
Mr.. Saftig in the report which he
rendered the mayor and the common
council on Monday night touches upon
this subject and others as follows:
g feature which is attracting at
tention among poor departments in
other cities Of the state, is the system
of teaching man self-support. Many
men are not able to take care of their
money. They apply for aid from the
city. The case is investigated and the
matter is brought to the attention of the
Judge; he in turn releases this man to
the pauper commissioner on parole, the
commissioner to take care Of the man $
earnings each week, paying the family
expenses. If money remains after the
expenses are paid, it is deposited in the
bank, where it is taken care of for a
rainy day.
EThere are some cases where men do
not want work. They are always out
of a job. The poor commissioner in
such cases gets them work and takes
care of the earnings.
"Another feature which seems to be
working out in great shape is the sys-
tenn of temporary relief A man is
in need of food and clothing; he has
been out of work for some time. He
comes to the poor commissioners and
asks if relief could not be given tenn
porarily. The poor department. makes
an investigation of the case and finds
the circumstances. The man promises
to allow the commissioner to collect a
given amount OF his wages each week.
To show that the system is working sat
isfactorily, and has been for the past
three years, give the exact amounts
collected: In 1913-1914, $388.19; 1914
to 1915, $4,000; 1915 to 1916, $373.7S.
"During the year 1915 and 1916 sew
eral such cases have been taken care of
by the poor commissioner. The state
board of control recommended one case;
the state prison at Waupun, through the
warden, turned over a case; while the
municipal judge gave the department
full charge of six parole cases.
During the past year, May LIST, 1915
to May LIST, 1916, the pauper depart
ment added twenty-four families to the
pauper list; three other applications
were received, and after being investi
gated were refused. Twenty families
whose names appeared on the list May
LIST, 1915, have been discharged from