Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1890 — INDIANA CHARITIES. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA CHARITIES.

■xelmngeof VkwiMUth« Beat Method* ot Caring for Unto, tunatea. The first State Conference of Charities *t Indianapolis, Ths people $1 attendance consist of county commits oners, township trustees, super* jntendents us county poor asylums, superintendents of orphans’ homes, and others engaged in charitable work. Secretary Johnson, of the State Board, Rev. Oscar McCullough and John R. Elder were the moving spirits of the conference. The at* tendance was quite large. A permanent organization was effected by the election of John R. Elder, president and Alexander Johnson, secretary. The pappr on .be sub;ect was read by S. K. Leatherman, super* intendentof the Elkhart County Asylum. The Elkhart County Farm consists of 1'23 acres, with 100 acres under cultivation. Mr. Leatherman made the point that the poor could be more economically cared for where a large farm was connected with she institution. Mr. Leatherman thought the most important duty of a superintend-. out was the purchase of supplies; this is where there was frequently a great waste. He advised against buying cheap goods. He. had experimented, he said, and had bund it was more economic to always buy good goods. • He followed the same plan n the kitchen aud dining room; the inmates were always given the best. Superintendent Williams, of the Marion County Asylum, opened the discussion in a lengthy talk about his methods of management. There are, he said, 3)5 inmates >f the Marion County Asylum. There were but 220 acres of land connected with the institution, while 400 could be utilized to advantage. Mr. Williams belived the areat waste came from the table. It was uis pan to save everything that wasn’t consumed at the table. For instance, if an inmate did not eat all tbe bread that was brought him at one meal it was saved and returned to him at the next. Mr. WiL liams also believed there was economy in □uying agoodarticle,o' clothing, but in an asylum like the one in this county where 'here were so many transient inmates it could not be done. The tax-payers, ho said, were Imposed on continually by people being sent to the poor fa m who had no business there. The taxpayers of Marion county, he said, were constantly paying for the keeping of vass. The cost of running the Marion County Asylum, Mr. William* said, was SB2 or SB3 per capita per year. Mr. McCarty, of the Henry counjy Orphans’ Home, followed Mr. Williams.! He,. urged that children in orphans’ homes be taught to work. His plan was to instruct the boys in farming, and the girls how to sew and do all kinds of house and kitchen work. Mr. Breckenridge, Trustee of Allen township, Allen county, objected to calling poor asylums “poor farms.” The latter name, he said, grated harshly upon the ears of many people. Mr. Breckinridge called attention to the mistake made in many counties of letting the position of medical attendant to the lowest bidder. He thought physicians should be employed on accountof their fitness, and notbecause they were able to underbid some one else. Mrs. Franklin, of Bedford, asked a ques' tion that none of the Superintendents present seemed anxious to answer. She said she had understood that sametimes when inmates refused to work they were whipped. She wanted to know if many Superintendents did resort to whipping. One Superintendent replied that he found Bible authority for shutting eff the rations of a mail who wouldn’t work: that always brought a lazy man to time. The economic question was discussed by quite a number of other delegates. Joshua M. Hull, Superintendent of tbe Vigo county asylum, read a paper on “Care of Insane and Idiots in County Poor Asylums.” and Qtto Williams, of the Marion' county asylum, one on “Care of Helpless and Sick Inmates." Rev. Oscar C. McCulloch delivered aa address on the -‘Value of Conferences of Charities." The speaker said there are • 15,000 rec ipi en t & 0 f ch ar ity in Indi an a, re* quiring an annual expenditure of $2,000,000. The he believed, had an op* portunity to accomplish much good. Short addresses were made by Commissioner Winderly, of Vanderburg county; Super, intendent Charlton, of the Reform Sohoob Lieutenant Governor Chase and others;