Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/782

 766 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

1894 the county auditors' reports showed trustees' and medical relief amounting to $586,232. 27,** and in 1895, to $63O,i68.79. 9

In all these years no statistics relating to the use of this great sum could be obtained, other than the actual amounts paid out in the different counties. No method of accounting was in general use, to show who received the money or why it was given, whether the money was being spent dishonestly or merely unwisely.

As a result of its studies of the situation the Board of State Charities embodied in its report for i894 10 a recommendation to the legislature that a law be enacted requiring overseers of the poor, and all persons who administered relief from public funds to the poor not inmates of charitable institutions, to keep a record which should contain the full name and the age of every person to whom relief was given, and the date of giving relief in each separate instance, together with its kind and amount, a copy of this record to be filed with the board of county commissioners, who should be prohibited from allowing any payment for the expense of relief until such record had been filed. It was further recommended that a true copy of each report of relief should be transmitted to the Board of State Charities as often as once every three months. This recommendation was adopted by the legisla- ture of 1895 and enacted into law. 11

Under this law of 1895 the Board of State Charities at once began receiving reports of township poor-relief. The form used by the trustees throughout the state gives the name, age, sex, color, nationality, mental and physical condition of the appli- cant, together with other facts concerning each individual who is a member of the family aided, the cause for asking relief, the date, character, and value of the aid each time relief is given, the length of time the applicant has lived in the township, where he came from, the names of relatives, etc.

The twelve months ending August 31, 1896, comprised the


 * Annual Report, 1894, P- 9-

Ibid., 1895, p. 50. " Ibid., 1894, p. 7.

11 Acts of 1805, chap. 120.