The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-05-27
CENTRAL HOME FOR THE
POOR OF SEVEN COUNTIES
Pasquotank Health Officials Make Interesting
Proposal To Commissioners of Seven
Counties

"A central Home for the poor
OF the seven counties of Curri-
tuck, Camden, Pasquotank, Per-
quimans, Chowan, Gates and j..
Dare with a large and complete
ly equipped hospital in connec-
ton Herewith is the proposition
presented to the Boards of
Commissioners Of these counties
this week by Chairman N. Bur-
foot of the Pasquotank Board of
Commissioners. Such a central
home to be- built and equipped at
a cost of 100000 to $25O,OOO,
would take the place of all the
Homes now maintained by the
several counties. Mr.. Burfoot
as Chairman of the Board of
Health of Pasquotank County,
addressed the following letter to
the Commissioners of neighbor-
ing counties this week:
Elizabeth City, N. c., May %, 1921.
To the Chairmen Boards of County
Commissioners and Boards of Health
of Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank,
Perquimans, Chowan, Gates and Dare
Counties:
Dear Sirs:
In this day of refined civilization And
worldwide charities no appeal can more
surely touch the heart than that of the
INDECENT and aged and infrm of our own
communities. It is a duty we owe to
provide for them in the best manner
possible, and to afford them not only
sustenance but protection against dis
ease and facilities for the removal of
any disabilities that might prove fatal
on the one hand, or might through suc-
cessful operations restore them to use
full citizenship. 1t is fact that the
homes now provided by the counties
named are inadequate for this latter
necessity. Experience has shown that
such work can only be properly done
in an institution equipped for the pur-
pose, ATTENDED by a capable professional
and nursing staff Such an institution,
If situated in a town central to the COM
referred to, and large enough
age could be made thereby to a large
extent selfsupporting, so that the indi-
gent sick and disabled could be cared
for at much less cost than under the
method obtaining in the counties now.
In order that a hospital could be
placed upon a satisfactory basis it
would be necessary for the counties
named to establish a central Home, in
which all of their INDECENT and aged
and inirm could be grouped and be
available to any professional necessity
that their condition required. If such
an institution as the one referred to
above be located in a large community
it could, we believe, secure such fnan-
cial assistance as would, together with
the private patronage which we believe
it would draw, relieve the counties
largely of the expense necessary for
it's maintenance, and secure to their
poor at a much less cost than now, bet
ter service, a better home, and greater
protection to life and health. No fig
lres are available to us to offer for
estimates at this time, but
we believe we are on safe ground in
asserting that such a central Home as
above, with a hospital at
tached of sufficient size to care for the
county charges, as well as for private
patients which a large community and
is surrounding territory would afford,
would not only be a beneficial charity,
)ut a wise economy.
We invite your interest in this mat
er, and would be glad to have an ex-
preston of your views relative to such
cooperation.
THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF PAS
QUOTANK COUNTY,
(Signed) n. BURFOOT,
Chairman.
The idea of a centralized district
lome for the INDECENT poor is not new.
It has been advocated by this newspaper
is it's files of former years will show.
But it remained for DR.. T. S. McMul-
an, a member of the Pasquotank COun-
Y Board of Health to inspire an Off
ial consideration of such a project. DIR.
1cAIullan has urged the idea here and
was he who interested Mr.. Burfoot
n taking the matter up with the Com
1issioners of adjoining counties.