Smyrna times., 1932-04-06
COUNTY HOME TO
LOSE DAIRY FARM
Probe of New Castle County
Hospital at Farnhurst
By the Levy Court
START ECONOMY MOVE

tie County Levy Court stepped into
a caucus meeting, behind closed
doors, with the board of trustees
of the New Castle County Hospit-
al, at Farnhurst, Wednesday after
noon. The meeting lasted two and
a half hours. After the meeting it
was announced by Frank B. Nc
F'arlan, Levy Court commissioner,
who presided, that the dairy farm
IL head of cattle furnishing be
tween 40 and IT'S quarts of milk
a day, would be sold, that no furth-
er poor orders, which were said to
have ben greatly abused, it was
said, would be issued, until the
county highway police had investi-
gated the cases; that a more COM
plete poor order book would be
used; that the two cooks at the
hospital, who have been there for
many years would be relieved by
two regular army cooks, to be
paid SIS a month; that an investi-
cation would be made to determine
the number of able-bodied Will
mington and New Castle county
people who were said to be making
a Winter home of the poorhouse;
that action will be taken for the
removal Of what was estimated as
100 mentally deficient cases to the
Delaware State Hospital for the
insane, next door; that an annual
expenditure of S2,500 for tobacco
for the inmates of the hospital is
to be abolished. This meeting be-
hind closed doors was held after it
was disclosed by Leo j. Dugan,
chairman of the finance committee,
that of the total of $4,000 had
been appropriated by the Levy
Court for the maintenance of the
hospital, nearly half had been
spent 1t was said that SS,667 .S7
had been paid for outside relief in
the month of March, which is in
cluded in the total figures of $16,-
569.46 expenditures for the month,
leaving a balance of S27, ,547.02 for
operations. The balance on hand
at the end of February was S44,-
144.48. 1t was stated by mem
ber of the board that if expendi-
lures continue at the same rate,
the funds will have been exhausted
in less than two months. Follow
ing the meeting of the board of
trustees in the board room. in
caucus" reporters were summon
ed to the meeting. 1t was stated
by Mr.. McFarlan, that it had been
brought to the attention of the
members Of the Levy Court that
the privilege Of issuing poor orders
for securing supplies from grocery
stores had been greatly abused. 1t
was stated that many grocers had
failed to give full value for the or
ders and that in some cases the
orders were given to persons who
did not really need them.
System Long Used
1t was further stated that the
system was an old one which had
been in use for many years. 1t
was said that no further orders
were to be issued by the trustees
of the poor until the requests had
been turned over TO and had been
Investigated by the county high
way police After such an investi-
cation, the orders would then be
issued by the trustees if the cases
were worthy. New order blanks
will be prepared, requiring, it was
stated, more information as to the
condition, family and de-
pendents. It was further said that
the Levy Court, after further in
had determined to
make an examination of the num-
ber of persons who are said to
come to the county poorhouse
each year to make a
home there, in spite of the
fact that they are able to work.
1t was asserted that the physical
directors of the institution have
been ordered to examine all those
who are said to have done this, and
that they will not be returned to
the institution in the future, with
out a doctors certificate. 1t was
said that there are between 80 to
30 persons in the hospital who are
mentally deficient and are really
cases for the Delaware State Hos
pital for the Insane. These people
will be examined, and those defic-
lent in this respect will be turned
over TO the State Hospital It was
said that there are about 100 in
this category. The dairy farm, to
be disposed of consists Of so head .
Of tuberculin tested, pure bred
Holstein cattle, valuable in normal
times, but practically Of no sale
value now. These cattle supply
between 140 and ITS quarts Of milk
a day to the institution. 1t was
decided that they would be sold at
the earliest convenience, and that
the ground used for dairy farm
would be used as a truck farm in