The Poor Farm Inquiry
After an elderly inmate accused his manager of serving poor food, the county commissioners arrived for a surprise lunch inspection.
G. Shiewe, an inmate of the county poor farm, yesterday made complaint to the board of county commissioners regarding the poor quality of food that Manager Hunt was serving, and also of the general treatment the inmates were accorded. The board, Commissioners Cornwell, Smith, and McCaw, visited the farm this forenoon, arriving about the time dinner was served, and after viewing the food set on the table and interviewing the other inmates, stated this afternoon that the charges could not be substantiated. Shiewe became disgruntled at some trifling matter and in revenge, it is said, trumped up the charges against Manager Hunt. Commissioner Smith stated, 'We found that the charges preferred were absurd. The menu for dinner today consisted of nice boiled beef, boiled new potatoes, nice light bread and butter, pickled beets, boiled turnips and raw onions, tea, milk and sugar, and for dessert, raspberries and cream. We talked with every inmate with the exception of Mr. Shiewe, and they all declared they were receiving the best of treatment.' There are at present five inmates at the poor farm, all elderly men. Mr. Hunt was awarded the care of the county poor for the ensuing year for $2,160.
“We found that the charges preferred were absurd... they all declared they were receiving the best of treatment.”
Public oversight of institutional care remains a delicate balance between protecting vulnerable residents and the political pressure to minimize costs. This 1903 inquiry mirrors ongoing modern debates about the adequacy of state-funded facilities and the tendency for investigations to favor the status quo of facility management.
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