The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-09

A 49,
OF S6lO,S53.S7 was spent from public
funds by township trustees acting as
overseers of the poor for outdoor re-
lef during the last fiscal year, ending
Dec. 81. 1921, according to a report
made public today by Amos Butler.
secretary OF the board of state chart
fhis is the largest amount of money
ever expended for such aid in the his
tory OF the board OF state charities.
according to Mr.. Butler. The greatest
previous expenditure was made in
1915, when S435,4S9 .8S was devoted TO
the poor. The amount used in 1921,
II was said. was almost double the
average Of the preceding quarter of Il
century.
Compared with 1920, the figures for
w. show ar increase of S193,123.74.
fhls was attributed in the report to
be due in a large measure to the un-
employment situation in certain local
tiles of the state in the last Y months.
Seventeen counties reported more aid
and 10 less aid than in 1920. The 10
counties are Ohio, Switzerland, Perry,
Spencer, Pos@y, Pike, Daviess, Martin,
Greene, Sullivan, Parke, Carroll,
White, Jasper, Marshall, Elkhart, La
grange, Noble and Dekalb.
Increase In Aid
The 10 counties reporting an in
crease in aid over h previous ear
also are scattered over the state. but
1t is in the northern part in which the
notably large increases are to be
found, Mr.. Butler asserted in the re-
port. In some counties, it was more
than doubled in the last fiscal year,
according to the figures. Howard
county went from $9,446.o5 to $40,217.-
40. Practically all the increase, it was
said, was in Center township, contain
ing Kokomo.
Lake county went from S46,447.3 SO to
$~S5,829.07, Madison county, containing
Anderson. increased from $6,27S.SS TO
s~1S,914.55. Delaware county. of which
Muncie is the seat, increased from ST.
10000 to $21 ,549.31 in 1921 as against
S~12.07724 for the previous year.
Wayne county. where Richmond is
located. spent $18.S76.40 in 1921, SILL
1858 in 1920. There were increases,
in round numbers of $4,000 in Cass
county, containing Logansport; $4,000
in st. Joseph county. containing South
Bend; $4,000 in ~Tippecanoe- contain
ing Lafayette; , 1000 in Allen county,
AOAldlAlh6 LO1A 4 ~
south. Vigo county (Terre Haute) and
Vanderburgh county (Evansville) re-
ported increases of $4,000 each; Knox
county (Vincennesl $4,000.
Township Pays Costs
The reports received include the
aid given both by the trustee and by
the school authorities under the COM
~nulsory school attendance law. All
such aid is paid from the poor fund
Of the township concerned. The only
other outdoor relief from public funds
is spent for the burial of soldiers or
their wives or widows. 1t is paid By
the county and is not considered pau
per relief. il was said.
According to the reports received
hv the board of state charities. out
door relief in the year of 1921 was
distributed among 1886 families and
4,644 persons not members of families
"a total of 21.540 cases) There was 4
total of 1892 persons altogether. 1t
was said, and the aid averaged $3.50
for each pergon. For the preceding
year, the corresponding statistics were
as follows: 1891 cases involving Al
253 persons aided. Average amount
of aid per capita, S9.43.
Of the total number of persons aid
ed in 1921, 5000 were men and boys,
1882 were women and girls-49 per
cent males and 81 per cent females.
The children under II years old num-
bered 43,O16, or "a per cent. They
were about equally divided as to sex
Those between the ages of II and S
Those between the ages of II and so
numbered 31,104. or SO per cent. In
this group there were 1886 women
and 1859 men. Those over so years
old numbered 5,053 and constituted s
per cent. The ages of SO, or one per
cent were not specified.
Mostly Americans Helped
According to the report, II per cent
of those aided were negroes. Less
than n per cent were Irish, less than
n per cent we're German, go per cent
were Americans and nine per cent
were unclassified, it was said. In the
1895 families aided, there were 75,-
34S persons, an average of As persons
to zach family.
The occupation of 1857 individuals
or heads of families was indicated.
The Iaborers numbered 1891; the
housekeepers, 1920; he farmers, 308:
clerks. agents. office employees, Sc.
The skilled trades were represented
by so persons and the professions by
%.
Aid was given 94,O22 times, accord
ing to Mr.. Butler. In the case of "a,
934. or 31.1 per cent of those helped,
the relief extended owe a period OF
three months or more. The reason
for giving help was reported in 1928
cases. SO far as was possible to judge
from the reasons assigned by the
trustees, most of the aid given was be