The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1917-03-31
MUST BE CHANGE
IN POOR SYSTEM
WIDOWS PENSION LAW coHSTRUc-
TIOM MAKES MOVE NECESSARY
SUPERVISORS SHOULD ACT
County System Would Put All Needy
On the Same Basis and Stop
Much Evasion

A reporter for The Diamond Drill
was at the Office OF the county treas
urer last Tuesday when a letter was
received from one of the pensioners.
She had been awarded $500 per month
and her letter contained an order TO a
fuel dealer for the payment OF a $40
fuel bill.
or course Treasurer Ball didn't pay
the order but the action Of this woman,
80 Mr.. Ball says. is but a sample OF
conditions that arise very frequently
under the Mothers Pension Law. The
awards under this law is growing
every month. so we CLEANED from an
inspection OF the records of the treas
urer's Office, and unless some action
f. taken by the supervisors whereby
the funds OF the county may be placed
under the care OF that body, the day
is coming when the burden through
the mothers pension act is going TO
be very great.
Townships Shunting Burdens.
The trouble Is that Iron county has
a dual poor system in which different
municipalities collect and dispose of
the poor funds. The poor of each
township or city is supposed to be
cared for by the municipality in which
the poor charge resides. In cases
where the charge in not resident OF
any one OF the municipalities OF
the county the charge becomes
ward on the county and is placed un-
der the charge of the county poor
commissioners. or course. the county
takes care OF more than the non-resi-
dents The distinction is interpreted
loosely and aggravated cases in all
Falls are cared for by the county but
the number Is comparatively small
and the amount of money spent di-
rectly by the poor commissioners Is
not large by any means.
When the Mothers Pension Act
went into effect the supervisors saw
a chance to slough of some of the
burdens onto the county and the prac-
tice has been growing gradually ever
since. II is but natural that each
supervisor should try to escape all OF
the expense for his township that he
can so whenever a case can In any
one of the townships or in the city be
shunted off onto the county through
the Mothers Pension Act the charge
is placed on the county One place II
Just as bad as another although one
hears that this township or that one
is getting the best OF it.
Must Adopt County System.
The fact Is that each township is
getting Just as much as II can get, and
this practice will grow as the days go
by unless the county board takes steps
TO adopt the county system OF caring
for the poor. Then and in that case
II would make no difference how many
we're placed under the mothers pen
sion act so far as the paying OF the
bills are concerned as the money
would all come out Of the same pocket
book
Should the county adopt the county
poor system. the probate Judge. be
fore placing any applicant upon the
pension roll. could turn the applicant
over to the county poor commissioners
for an investigation epthe case.
In other counties alit is Just what
IL done and the resulNs that the dis
tribution on mothers ension account
Is very small because in almost all
eases where application Is made and
an investigation by the county com
mission follows. the applicant Is cared
for out OF the regular county poor
funds.
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