Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1921-10-20
|CH|LDREh'S HOME OUEST'H
ITO Be VOTED on THIS FALL

One of the propositions to be
voted upon this fall at the regular
election, calls for a bond issue of
$21, 900, to be used for the repair,
or rather the rebuilding of the chill
dren's home.
For the benefit of our voters, in
this connection we present these
facts as we gather them. The pres
ent home location is ideal; the
county owns the farm; school is
close, so there are no transportation
charges hauling children to and
from school. The location is a
healthy one, since there is very sell
dom sickness among the children.
The home, before being used for it's
present purposes, was six-room
: brick farm house. built much the
same as many farm houses. The
rooms are rather small. In this
six-room house there have been
times when as many as "a children
were kept, besides the superintend-
ent and matron and two helpers,
children have been forced to sleep
in single room 13 feet square.
Nothing but a door separates the
boys from the girls. This is viola
ton of the states rules which gov
ern the care of children in such
places. There is no lighting, heat
ing or water system. The state
also orders that there must be a
separate play room for boys and
girls. There is nothing Of the kind
out at the children's home now.
There is now nothing that answers
Hn%1 hn
children, when given their baths,
are taken to wagon shed, and
bathed in a common wash tub. The
dining room is small and crowded.
In view of these facts and others
that could be named, the state has
ordered that certain repairs be
made to meet the state specifications
of a home The county commission
ers have employed Engineer Paul
Murray to make plans and specifca-
tions, which has been done. In do
ing so he has made plans that in
clude all the present structure, so
there will be nothing wasted. These
| call for additions at the ends and
back of the present building, and
conform generally to the other re-
| quirements, and provide for enough
room so that there would be no
likelihood of additions having to be
built for years to come.
| The estimates of Mr.. Murray were
made when material and labor were
| high. The chances are that they
are too high, and in the event the
contract was sold for less than the
estimate of s21,0 900, the difference
must be turned into the debt fund
of the county, to be used for no 9TH
er purpose than to go toward the
lretiring of these bonds as they fall
due. If the issue carries, the bonds
can be sold so they may be retired
hin three years, which would be an
increase in the tax rate of s., or to
be sold to retire in five years would
increase the rate three-tenths. In
either event the increased indi-
vidual taxes would be very little.
"In case the bond issue fails, then
what?" some will ask. In such
to be done. The county commits
sioners could issue bonds not to ex-
ceed $4,000, ard do the work
drawn out affair, and not so salts
|
the present plan. The other plan
would be to abandon the home, and
turn the children over to the state
welfare board to keep, at our county
| expense. In such an event the
county would have to pay at least
zoe day for board, besides finding
all clothing and necessities, includ-
ing doctor bills. At the present time
the county has two children with
the state board. During much of
the time the county has had to pay
for the board only of one, $1O50
per week, besides the clothing and
other expenses. The board of the
other was SIS per week. Last year
the average cost per day for the
keeping of the children here in our
home, which included everything,
was a fraction above 75c per day.
The above facts we give without
comment in order to better acquaint
our people with our children's home
conditions as they exist.