The Sauk Centre herald., 1930-08-21
PUBLIC CHARGES
OWN AUTOS, RADIOS
Mrs. A. F. MOynihan, of This
City, Completes Survey
In Wisconsin
VERY INTERESTING JOB
AS Result of Her Work Ash
land County Will Save
$4,000 Annually

Mrs. A. F. Moynihan, of this city.
executive secretary of the Child
Welfare work in Stearns county,
has but recently completed a.
months investigation for the State.
Board of Control and County
Board of Supervisors of Ashland
county, Wisconsin, making a sur
vey of county aid for dependent
children.
The city of Ashland, the county
seat, had a population of about
$4,000 ten years ago; this popula--
ton has decreased today to less
than 10000; the population of the
entire county at the present time
is about $4,000.
The country is very sparsely
settled with farmers residing on
| cut-over lands of poor crop pro-
ducing possibilities. The county is
70 miles long and one can travel
for miles without coming in con-
tact with a human being. There is:
| one finely oiled and graveled
highways are almost impossible.
| from north to south, but the other
highways are almost impossible.
In one of her trips Mrs. Moynihan
was compelled to detour 70 miles
to reach point less than 20 miles.
| away.
She visited every nook and cor
ner of the county, travelling over
1900 miles by auto, doing her own
driving.
The State of Wisconsin has a.
very lax system of handling and
checking up their dependent child
rem. The survey of the Sank Gen.
tire lady disclosed that Ashland
county with a population of 10000
was spending S22,577 for aid of de-
pendent children. Stearns county,
! by comparison, with a population
of $4,000, was spending S22,263 an
nually for the same purpose.
The aid paid for dependent child
rem is left to the discretion of the
County Court. The judge is a very
busy man and it is impossible for
for him to properly check up. The
result has been that once a family
starts to receive county aid they
remain on the payroll much longer
in many cases, than they should.
The survey showed that there
were S5 families receiving aid in
Ashland county against SO in
Stearns county.
The taxes on Ashland county
land are almost prohibitive as near
i ly forty per cent of the farm lands
are on the delinquent tax lists.
In the state of Wisconsin Ameri-
can citizenship is not a requisite
for receiving relief. The national
ity of those receiving relief is
, quite cosmopolitan as the follow
ing will show: Finish g; Polish, 49,
/ American, II; Italian, 8; Scandi-
navian, 10; Irish, 4; French, g.;
Bohemian, 5; Indian, 2; English, l.;
unidentified nationalities, 10.
The reports shows that of the 85
families receiving relief 10 of them
own automobiles ranging in quail
ity from 1917 Ford touring cars to
1880 Dodge sedans. One of these
families supports two cars. In the
group were also found II cabinet
radios of standard manufacture
and cost.
Twelve of the women receiving
the county aid owned $50 acres Of
land with some incumbrance; 38
of them own their own homes With
one to eight lots each; 46 of them
were carrying $66,031 life insurance
costing the county S16745 per
month for premiums; % of them
carried fire and cyclone insurance
to the amout $48,600 which cost
the county 5000 per year in prem
iums. The women on the dependent
list were found to have S8,497 in
saving banks.
The percentage of unmarried
mothers in the county was very
small. In 1929 there were II. Up to
Aug. 1, this year, there were five.
In her report, which is very ex-
Federal board. the board of con-
troll of Wisconsin, and board Of
} county supervisors of Ashland
county, Mrs. Moynihan recon-
mends that public relief should
merely supplant the combined eff
! forts of the family, and should be
temporary.
Some of the families have been
) drawing monthly checks since
: 1921.
Frosts come too early to raise
: corn in this territory; wheat is
: not grown; there is some barley
and oats. Mrs. Moynihan said she
7 saw only four hogs while driving
: through the county. The cattle
\ are mostly of the Guernsey type
and the large herds run from four
l to six head.
The survey of the Sauk Centre
5 investigator will save the county
: $4,000 per year in the future.
While the work was arduous and
the hours long, Mrs. Moynihan says
3 the experience was most interest.