The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-21
'CQNS0LDATIONOF
ALIg G(AIN|TYP0
EARNSPR0POSED
one Institution for Each Of
Six Congressional Dis.
!, trlotsin State Urged.

SVll9l SSSlVllal gIo
trlcts in State Urged.
Defective, delinquent children
have, IN some cases, been kept at
county poor farms IN order that the
attendance would be large enough
@ meet the district school require
nnents aud keep the school open.
rhis 70 one Of the startling facts
hrp4ght 10 light IN the investlga-
lion Of con itiops IN West Virginia
W The Child Welfare Commission,
Of which Mrs. James A. Meredith
ofsthiss city, a a member. And II Is
orc o. the facts upon which the
commission ID basing It's argument
IN favor Of the consolidation Of the
county poor farms In the state into
~ solidated poor farms, one
q each congressional district.
But that is not the only reason.
For the last nine months the
commission has been making a
study OF the poor farms OF the
state and II has found that the
county homes are being maintained
in the large majority Of cases for
an sappallingly small number Of in.
mates In the language Of Miss
Hettie Ha2lett, executive secretary
eot the commission. This means
Missf tslett said in o recent letter
70 County authorities throughout
the state, "a large investment for
9a county In land, houses, barns,
Puipm4ent, etc, to say nothing OF
tine p4 capita cost which varies
iromg$ $50 to $500.
THE commission" she said, as
considering a plan by which these
poor farms may be consolidated
having only one for each congress.
sional district. Under this plan
the presidents OF the county courts
OF the counties constituting the con.
gresaional district and the State
BoaTd Of Control would form a
boafdl of managers for the district
home.
The attached chart" she contin.
ued. will show you the situation
az REPRESENT time worked out on
the congressional district basis,
showing the rooms, inmates, ap.
proxtmate value based on the mum.
Der ot acres, the value per acre and
the value of the household euuip.
tient. Notice the number of In.
mates In relation to the number
OF rooms. the actual number OF
rooms exceeding the number Of IN,
mites Under the plan suggested
= would mean that directed by a
local board of managers there
ewould DO six homes in the state
which would adequately and In an
re- ident, economical manner nm.
1er sanitary conditions, care for
our helpless. aged aud INDECENT, !"
By personal investigation Of Ger.
tatn Door farms, Miss Hazlett col.
tected asgreats, deal OF data, thai
convinced the child welfare com.
mission that radical changes must
be made in the administration Of
the laws and the institution created
or established for the benefit Of the
poof before this group Of unfortu.
mates can be properly cared for.
Conditions existing in some OF
me county farms are indicated in
Mss Ha2lett's report OF the moor
armS One farm was described as
follows; ~
The farm was supposed To 81
AN eighty acres, hut there was
only. q small area and the land was
worth clltiyatlng, on. this farm
gre Two buildings, the one reserved
Tor the Inmates with room for four,
ten or sixteen persons. The nres.
ext number OF inmates more than
Twenty. the condition Of each al
y whom 10 described in the reDcrt
The condition of each is described
IN brief notes as follows:
Patients Described.
MOI old age and tuberculosis:
No, p feehIe, minded: Nos. 4. s and
6. three chi ldren, all having golfers.
40. q mo mind -at all%; No 10,
old age; No. II, old age and mar.
alysis; No. -, old age and feeble
minded No 10, inmate for four.
teen years, nervous compla int
nenIa!!y aeranged, complained bit
ierty ot theE nerves and conditions,
ss ,r sae appnea salye to boys leg,
THIS poy,. who is No. Il, Is
wears old and Is in the imbeoIle
iass With flies crawling over m
Face and not registering enough
sslsstton on MS brain to make him
orusn them on. Sores on his feet
ana legs. some healed with hard