Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/502

 488 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

ness, and who is poor and stands in need of relief, is supported by such town, and shall take his wages and appropriate the same to the maintenance of such person, his family, or his children.

IV. BOARDING OUT.

The last method of caring for dependents is that of boarding them with private families. It, like " farming out," is an old alternative for care in the almshouse. It is found so now in the statutes of Georgia and Nebraska. 1 On the other hand, however, it has lately been adopted by a few states for the care of special classes of dependents. The State Board of Lunacy and Charity of Massachusetts may board the indigent chronic insane, as well as dependent children, with private families. 2 In Michigan the poor authorities may remove the harmless idiots and insane from 'the almshouse and board them out at an expense not greater than keeping them at the almshouse would entail. 3 A similar provision is found in Minnesota applying to the indi- gent chronic insane. 4 But as these are not strictly a part of the class denoted as " dependent," they will be considered in the discussion of the insane.

In North Carolina we find the provision that paupers may be boarded with families or kept at their friends, but that none are to be hired out at auction. 5 Ohio, while she does not have a law authorizing the boarding of dependents, does have one tending in a not dissimilar direction. We refer to the Act of April 27, 1896, which permits the infirmary boards to contract with other institutions for the care of the aged and the deaf and dumb at a rate per capita not to exceed that at the infirmary.

Thus much for the relief and support of the indigent. The public is not only under obligation to care for the indigent ; it is also to bury the poor deceased, when they have no relatives of sufficient ability under legal obligation to do so. In some cases the poor authorities are especially authorized to bury the poor. More frequently it is done under their general power to care for

'755; 3930. '3489-

9 I, 2, 34, chap. 87, and 23, 46, chap. 84. 5 3542. 3 1776 as amended in 1889.