Evening star., 1924-08-27
P00RHOUSES HIT
ASSOC|AL BLQ1S
Vicious, UncIean, Inhumane
Institutions Throughout
u. S., Survey Reports.

Scoring the American poor farm as
"unclean, vicious, wick ed" and as
the most inhumane institution that
exists on the face Of the earth"
Harry q. Evans of Des Moines Iowa
who. jointly with the Department of
Labor experts, is making survey of
the 2,234 poorhouses of the country
in q sensational preliminary report
today recommended the entire poor
farm system should be abolished He
appeared before the National Fra
ternal Congress of America in its
session at the Raleigh Hotel
Mr.. Evans, who is conducting his
part Of the survey for the fraternal
orders of the country, and will in
corporate his report with that Of the
Government. proposed that instead of
the present stencil in the nostrils of
society," there should be established
scientifically conducted State institu-
tions for the care of the poor.
Pictures Tragic Conditions.
The silence, gloom, despair and
utter desolation of the American poor
farms are more tragic than were the
battlefields of France" said Mr..
Evans.
Declaring that the American people
stitutions throughout the country, Mr..
Evans said his investigation so far re-
veaied that insane, feeble minded, idiots
criminals, immoral persons, negroes,
children and intelligent pauperS were
associated promiscuously.
When the final complete report of the
government and the fraternalism of
America is made public, Mr.. Evans pre-
dicted, the country would force aboli-
ton of the poorhouse. and the substitu-
tion Of State Institutions
Secretary Davis Interested.
Secretary of Labor Davis is deeply in
terested in the survey, Mr.. Evans said,
explaining that the Department of La
Dor is making on behalf of the Gov
ernmert a census of the poorhouse pop
ulation and ascertaining the value Of
real estate and other property and the
cost Of maintenance. The survey, Mr..
Evans said, would be completed in about
six months.
The more the system of maintaining
ton Of the United States is studied
and analyZed," he continued, the more
convincing becomes the fact that the
poor farm is inhumane. 1t is the gen.
eral opinion of physicians. scientists
and welfare workers that the poor farm
a. now organized can never be made
decent
Backing up his sweeping charges
with reports of actual conditions and
places, Mr.. Evans revealed. to the
surprise of the 900 delegates to the
National Fraternal Congress, revolt
ing conditions in several houses he
named.
Live OFF SIop Barrels
i,,, 1f -, 60,
in Stone County, Mo-" said Mr.. Evans.
were found living on the swill from
slop barrels. In Laclede County, Mo,
the poor farm consists of four log
cabins which are crowded with men
and women, three-fourthS Of whom
are feebled- minded.
In a poorhouse in Maryland. an
overseer sawed off the broken gam
greened leg of an old man inmate.
These are sample horrors. A pig
stye is luxurious in comparison with
some of the poorhouseS of the ma
tion.'
Conditions in various states covered
SO far by the survey were revealed
by Mr.. Evans in this way:
"Arkansas-Poorhou unfit for
human habitation.
Young Children in Houses.
"Connecticut-Ther are Els young
children in almshouses associating
with epileptics, insane and criminals.
"Georgia-Forty per cent of in
mates feeble minded. All classes
thrown together. Ninety-four coun-
ties do not have poorhouses and pau
pers are cared for in convict camps.
"Iowa-There are 100 poor farms
in which 1,134 insane inmates are
confined with 1,67S other dependents.
of o i'm, o. fnS inc
Not trained nurse in any poorhouse.
"Kentucky-Twent per cent
of inmates in II poor farms are fee
BILE minded.
"Missouri-Poor- farm inmates num-
ber 2,05s. OF these, 2S3 are insane
and 443 feeble minded. Over half the
inmates are insane or feeble minded.
FeebIe-Minded Inmates.
New Hampshire--Twenty nty-nine per
cent of inmates feeble minded. In
many of the almshouses successive
generations of the same families have
been cared for. Among the inmates
are 122 children.
New York-In a total of S,732 in
mates, 1855, or 20 per cent, are men
tally defective.
"Oregon-Inmates of the poor
farms who are feeble minded form
the second largest group.
"Pennsylvania-The are 651 fee
BILE minded and 56 idots in poor
houses. The inmates are classified
as normal, insane. idiots, feeble
minded, blind, deaf mutes, sufferers
from chronic disease. criminals, pros
titutes, mothers of illegitimate chill
dren, orphans and deserted chill
dren-all mussed up, mixed up and
mingling together.
No Reference to District of Columbia.
I'm South Carolina, Tennessee, Wis
consin and West Virginia. the aver
age of feeble minded is 80 per cent.
Many children are reported in the
poorhouses of Arizona, Delaware,
Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey, Massa-
chusetts, North Carolina. Virginia
and West Virginia."
Mr.. Evans made no reference in his
report to the District of Columbia.
Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Sec
retary of the Navy, urged delegates to
do their full duty by the children of
the country. and as citizens of the
republic. Deploring the fact that for
every 100 citizens who voted at the
last election there were 96 qualified
to vote who did not, Mr.. Roosevelt
urged all persons, regardless of
party, to go to the polls in November
The future welfare of the country, he
said, depended largely upon IAN in
telligent electorate which exercises
the responsibility of franchise"
Haynes Defends Dry Unit.
Prohibition Comm ssioner Roy A.
Haynes reviewed the statistics of pro-
hibition. and declared Federal forces