The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-06
AT THE ROTARY
Big Meeting of the Organization
n,~SVo

AO0Ass
Many members of the house and
senate were guests at a luncheon OF q
popular club today.
At the Rotary club meeting today
at Pelletier's Tea room resolution
was adopted authorizing the president
TO name a committee to endeavor to
secure the erection of the county home
and hospital near the city of Topeka.
The county commissioners are un-
derstood to be favorable to the loca-
ton of the new building, which will be
fireproof and modern, on the land OF
the county at the county poor farm,
north of the city. The provision under
which the bonds are voted requires
that the building must be located on
large tract.
Charges were made by Rotarians
that during the campaign voters were
told that the building would be To-
Gated in or adjoining the city. Refer
ence was made to the distribution OF
large number of circulars setting
this forth and that unless the location
was made in or adjoining the city the
voters had been led by misrepresenta-
tons.
Mr.. MacLennan of. the State Jour-
nal denied any Misrepresentation had
been made by the State journal, and
he thought there had been no mis-
representation made by the Topeka
Capital
He claimed that while the Rotary
club was factor in putting over the
election to secure a needed modern,
fireproof building for a county home,
that the newspapers and other clubs
were factors in the campaign. too.
/ Newspapers Rather Than Circulars.
He said a campaign could not be
put over by circulars. Anybody could
| print circulars. They might or might
not carry weight.
Secretary Howes said he had in his
hand all o. the articles from the State
Journal on the subject. He read them.
and the reading showed that in no
article did the State Journal ever say
that the building would be located in
| the city.
The poor farm was condemned as
/ being in adequate, Lnsanitary and
| disgrace to Shawnee county. These
! contentious were made in $4,000 cir
| culars distributed by members of the
| club at the time they were making the
campaign for the passage of the bond
issue.
A. A. Rodgers, county commissioner,
| statements which were read from
minutes, pamphlets and other litera-
| ture, by Cecil Howes, secretary of the
! club. 81 cannot under any circum-
l StdiICeS HSten TO Sucn talk, Salu
Rodgers. TT is not true. 1 invite you
all to visit the poor farm and see for
| yourself
Those favoring the present site point
out that the only land owned by the
| county near the city where the home
tract near the fairgrounds. But this
place, 1t is argued, is too small and too
unhealthful because of the lowness of
the land, the proximity of the creek.
"a nti &c ov1.r
sulting from heavy rains and the prox-
| unity of the horse barns where the
race horses are kept.
Present Location Healthy.
] It is pointed out plainly that the
| present county poor farm contains
40. acres, that its accessible location is
| more desirable for the inmates on ac-
count Of pleasant surroundings and
! that it costs the county much less to
maintain this place than it would in
i the city. On this farm are kept cattle.
| hogs and chickens, supplying all the
| meat, butter. milk and eggs needed.
In addition to this, n large amount of
| fruit is raised on the farm, the total
number-of quarts put up last ear be-
I ing 3.400. Figuring a basis of sixty
inmates-there have been only about
! fifty during the winter-it costs the
county $137 a year for the mainte-
1 nance of each inmate. This is a little
| less than 81 cents a day. Last year
| the net cost of operating the farm was
approximately $S,0S0, and this ex-
pense included many purchases out of
| the ordinary, including the erection of
,, a wire fence around the farm. the re-
| covering of the siio, digging a well and
| many repairs on the buildings.
| New Site Too Costly.
| 1t is also asserted that on account
of the un1ealthfulness of the fair
grounds tract, the home should not
be built there and that to buy a tract
of land near the city the size of the
| present farm would consume prac-
tically all of the $4,000 raised for the
building II a smaller tract is pur-
| chased all the food consumed by the
| inmates would have to be purchased
or some of it hauled from the old
| farm, which. it Is argued, would
greatly increase the expense of main
| tenance.
/ The commissioners claim that the
| term county home and hospitaP' has
led many to believe that tyoo buildings
| were to be erected. but that this is n
i error, and that the new institution will
really be a home for the poor and
aged. They WILL however, receive
treatment when needed from the
county physician and two nurses are
kept on hand constantly. The county
has an Arrangement with the local
| hospitals t. take care Of the sick for
| SO a week and the commissioners say
that there have never been as many as
twenty patients sent to hospitals By
| argued, is far less expensive than the
establishment and maintenance of
hospital by the county would be.