Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-05-16
Supervisors Turning Attention
To AlmShOuseS


sore spot in the side of our body
social. the county almshouse, is
attracting the attention of the
people throughout the State, and
boards of supervisors are study
ling their institutions along with
the whole system of poor relief.
Committees are being appointed
from the supervisors to join with
members of the county boards of
public welfare to make investi-
cations of the care and manage.
ment of the almshouse and to
make recommendations to the
authorities. The State Board of
Public Welfare is receiving FREE
quent requests for informa ton,
advice and assistance in better
lug conditions obtaining gen.
orally throughout the Common
wealth. And. as a result of this
interest of the people and the
efforts of the county officials.
great improvement is being md
by several counties.
An interesting angle of this
problem and a cause of the
necessity of overhauling the old
system is the steadily reducing
Bumber of almshouse inmates
A few years back the population
III many counties was thirty.
forty or fifty. where it is ten OF
twelve, and where it was former.
ly ten or twelve, it is now one OF
two. In 1922 there were 3.2Se
Inmates in the almshouse and in
1928 there were 2,180, a falling
loft of 1902 Many of the in.
mates counted in these figures
were present but a short time.
1.-THE normal population was hard.
lily more than half the above, the
yearly inspections showing
present on day of inspection l.,
I188. OF these, ga were ia the
counties and 554 in the cities
Equipment and overhead once
necessary are now unnecessary
land to costly for the few present
Nor does the present small mum.
Der lend itself to the proper
maintenance of the institution OF
'care of the inmates.
A survey of almshouse finances
reveals a wide difference in pei
Icapita costs: One county sup.
ported an average attendance oil
ia at yearly per capita cost Of
IS1l6.66 (and in a very satisfac.
tory way-above the average by
far, another, Fl at $133.S5
another, p at Sl39. q; another,
80 at$l20.S1. These are instances
jof fairly large number where a
farm is run and where supplies
can be bought advantaReously.
In smaller institutions it is
usually different One county
supported at 1852. ~ each an.
other at $4,000; another 3 at
$64S.66; another l at $4,000 /;
another 1 at $l,l7S. 90; another
4 at sl,569.75: another Cat
$4,000. The rule is that costs
ate excessive where the popu-
lation is small, and naturally so.
The average per capita for the
entire State was $236.35 in 1923.
Several methods are followed
in dealing with the problem :
The smaller counties with a
small population have in several
instances closed the almshouses
and arranged board for the in.
mates in larger counties, in
homes for the aged or private
families. (The writer arranged
board for three inmates from one
county where the per capita was
about $4,000 month and con-
ditions inexpressibly bad, in .
city hospital-home at $1,000 a
month. } A survey Of the popu-
lation reveals generally that a
considerable number of the in
mates belong in State insti-
tutious-hospitals. schools for
the deaf and blind, colonies tor
the feeble-minded and epiIeptic.
farms for delinquent women, or
that they should be forced to
work in manv instances. And
counties adjacent to large cities
are combining with the city
homes for care of their paupers |
At q board rate, saving the over
head, interest and worry, let |
alone the greater question of !!
proper care, rehabilitation and
recovery which were always mill
n the county homes. The
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