Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VIII CHARITABLE AND PENAL INSTITUTIONS The sup- The support of the destitute falls first upon their paupers. near relatives; when this resource fails, public charity becomes necessary. Much the greatest part of public relief is given by local governments. Where the town system is strong, the work is in charge of the town board or of a special town officer. In the South the county commissioners, or other county officers, administer relief. In many States, particularly in the West, both town and county are interested. Out-door Two general methods of dispensing alms are practiced. (1) Out-door relief means the giving of aid at the home of the pauper. This is a convenient method in cases of temporary want, and in the relief of persons who are partially self-supporting. Many local governments make a practice of giving goods, or orders for goods, to paupers. In rural communities, where the circumstances surrounding every family are well known, this method of relief works satisfactorily. But in cities, and in the administration of relief by county officers, it is possible for individuals to impose upon the public by securing aid when it is not deserved. The evil here is not only that of stealing from the public treasury, but also the evil of pauperizing the individual and the family. This is a place for investigation and reform in many communities. Sentimental ideas of charity and loose business methods sometimes cause the harm of out-door relief to over-balance the good accomplished. (2) In-door relief. Towns frequently pay for the sup- port of their poor in private houses; and paupers are sometimes bound out to service on contract. But alms- houses, or poor-houses, become necessary when the number of paupers is large. These are most usually maintained by counties an...