The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-01-11

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Iron county. Never has county peen
blessed with such money-savers. The
man who put green goggles on his
horse and fed him straw had nothing
on the Iron county poor commission
ers. He was a piker. In this age OF
conservation they are most conserva-
tive. We do not understand how
Hoover overlooked them. They are
saving the taxpayers almost every
thing except their salaries. Saving has
become a mania with them. We once
heard OF a man who boosted that he
had been a Christian all his lifetime
and that 1t had cost him only a quar-
ter. We believe. now, that he must
have been one OF our poor commits
sioners.-
They are systematic also, and ser
vice" is their watchward. Should yot
report case OF acute suffering or
crying need to this august body, the
response is immediate. They will tell
you that tse case will receive their
prompt consideration-at their next
regular monthly meeting. This pro-
cedure saves, in many instances. con-
siderable sums OF money and at the
same time, gives neighbors and other
humans a chance to display uneslfish-
ness and human impulses in providing
for the sufferers until the regular day
OF meeting for the poor commissioners
has arrived
IL they deem case worthy OF in
vestigation at their regular meeting
time, a further sum may be saved the
taxpayer pending their Investigations
OF the case. Perhaps the Red Cross,
the League OF War Activities or one
OF the church societies will have taken
the case in hand, and you, Mr.. Tax
payer, will have saved everything ex-
cept the cost of the investigation.
In a would-b kitchen but a better
be-woodshed tackled TO the rear OF an
ancient building in one of our villages
can be found a pale-faced, worn out
mother, not endowed to successfully
weather the voyage OF life even in fair
weather. About her you will find FIVE
pinched faced little ones ranging In
age from one to eleven. One oil lamp,
a warped kitchen stove. three or four
damaged wooden chairs and an equally
damaged table. with two rickety beds
In a small bed room form the bulk
OF their possessions. For reasons un-
known to us the father of this family
left them something over a year ago
Their plight was duly reported, in
vestigated and considered II has been
reinvestigated and reconsidered True
to the traditional function of their Of
fee, which is first and last to save
the money OF the taxpayer, the poor
commissioners awarded this family
twenty-five dollars, in trade, per
month for food and other necessities
This is conservation with a vengeance
You, Mr.. Taxpayer. may call it what
you will or call the poor commission
ers. What better instance could we
have to refute the fallacy of the high
cost of living. A MOTHER AND FIVE
SMALL CHILDREN KEPT ALIVE in
/ these times. on twenty-five Dollars a
month MARVELLOUS!
We believe the poor commissioners
have accomplished more with this
family than any one OF them could
have accomplished had he, himself
tried TO live on this sum. 1t is a most
interesting experiment and one OF
several which they are making. Be
sides, a dollar saved, even from the
bellies OF little gids, looks better to
the poor commissioners in an annual
report than dollar spent for any
purpose.
And now, Mr. Taxpayer, II you are
a poor man. when you draw your
chair up to your simple supper table
with your smiling family around YOU
and contemplate, should YOU be sud
denly taken from them. the bountifui
provision that would be made for
them by the poor commissioners o.
Iron county you may thank your
lucky stars that you are still with
them and that they are not beholdeu
to the mercy and humanity OF the
very poor commissioners OF one OF
the richest counties in the state OF
Michigan.
A TAXPAYER.
NOTE Since the above was written
the writer has learned that this fam.
| lily received $50 I'm the month OF De.