Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1935-05-16
Mrs. Margaret Curran Gives
Very Interesting Address

Mrs. Margaret Curran, admins
traitor of aid for the aged of Nor
gan county, gave most interesting
Land instructive address before the
Women's Democratic Federated club
of Morgan county, Monday evening
in the Maccabee hall. Mrs. Curran
who has proven her efficiency in
her position, was also just as eff
cient in telling her hearers of her
work. She believes the old age
ian work, and is bringing happi-
ness, hope, sunshine, and comfort
to many people of the county. She
gave many incidents and expert
ences she has encountered, but in
no instance did she mention any
names. Some of them were most
pathetic, and one could hardly be-
lieve that such things existed in
Morgan county. She told an Incl
dent of an aged lady who had wait
ed and hoped for years that she
might have money with which to
purchase herself one orange. An
other woman had for Is years hop
ed that she could some day be able
to spare 25 cents with which to
purchase bottle of prepared mus
tard and after receiving her pen
sion she made the purchase and
said the mustard tasted just as good
as it did rs years ago. She men,
toned the different classes she en-
counters in her Investigations.
Some, she said, have sense of
pride, and feel that to ask for
pension is the same as asking for
charity, and after Mrs. Curran has
explained that such is not the case,
the happiness it brings to them
cannot be realized Many have told
her they would be content with but
$5 per month; others complain be-
cause they do not receive as much
as they think they should have; and
there are those who have tried to
get the pension, who have ample
property.
All Of these things call for close
investigation, which Mrs Curran
has most carefully given, and with
her every applicant, regardless of
race, color nationality, religion or
political affiliation, has had exactly
the same careful consideration and
attention There are now 800 per-
sons in Morgan county drawing
pensions, the average of which is
$13.08. For the month of March
the total of pensions for this coun-
ty was $3,363, and for April, $3,
812 The total administration cost
of Mrs. Currant office averages less
than $113 per month. This in
cludes her salary, and stationery,
postage, and all other expenses OF
the office, including transportation
charges throughout the county, in
making Investigations. We doubt
if there is an administrator for the
aged in the state of Ohio who is do
ing the work as efficiently as Mrs.
Curran and at so small an expense.
One not familiar with her office has
little idea of the vast amount of
work required. In her office she
has "a different papers and blanks
many of them of four pages each,
to fill out, and in order to do it
correctly, it takes vast amount of
investigation. At present there are
% applications in the county, at
Columbus, waiting to be passed up
on, and there are IL applications
on file in Mrs. Curran's office. To
date there have been 3 Applications
either denied or withdrawn. For
the past two months the sum of
$499 has come into the county as
burial allowances.
Following Mrs. Curran's address,
short talks were made by Judge L.
J. Weber, c.. A. Gaylord and Ray
mond Durbin, all of whom highly
complimented Mrs. Curran in her
work
Mrs. Norma Hooper, chairman,
presided, and Mrs. Stella Durbin
had charge of the program. Mu-
sical numbers included violin and
piano selections by the Misses Muir
iel and Evelyn Winegardner and
two vocal solos by Mr.. Kenneth
Dulaney of Stockport, with Mrs.
frankie Hawkins accompanist.