Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/758

 744 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

story of the remarkable reduction of outdoor relief in Indian- apolis was recounted as one of the world's most striking object- lessons in the administration of poor relief. 1 A committee was appointed, consisting of three trustees, a county commissioner, and the secretary of the Board of State Charities, to present a careful report of the subject to the next conference.

The meeting at which this committee reported was a conven- tion of township trustees and county commissioners. It was called by the Board of State Charities in 1891. The report of the special committee recounted some of the evils arising from misused poor relief and urged concerted action by the trustees. It recommended that the principles of scientific charity full investigation, registration, cooperation of relief agencies, etc. should be adopted by public officials. The report alleged that, if this were done, a saving to the taxpayers of a sum anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000 per annum might be reasonably expected.

So far the results of the agitation for poor-relief reform seemed not very encouraging. Although the years 1891 and 1892 were generally prosperous periods, still the total amount of poor relief increased. Then came the panic year, 1893, and the increase was more rapid, as was shown in May, 1894, at which date the county fiscal year in Indiana then closed.

The statistics collected up to 1894 were too general to afford a basis for action, or perhaps for very positive assertion. All that could be shown was the total outdoor relief disbursed in each township. In 1895 * ne legislature, on the request of the Board of State Charities, made a law requiring the trustees to report their relief to the county auditor in detail, quarterly, in duplicate, one copy of the report to be transmitted by the auditor to the Board of State Charities. Most of the trustees promptly obeyed, and a mass of detailed information about poor relief began to accumulate. Then it became possible to criticise the work in the townships, not merely the sums total, but the

'This occurred in 1876-80, when an enterprising and intelligent trustee, using good business methods, reduced the annual distribution of outdoor relief in Center township, Marion county, from $85,000 to less than $12,000, without causing any additional suffering, and without increasing the population of the county poor asylum.