205.830. Board to furnish relief--investigations--prosecutions (second class counties).

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

205.830. Board to furnish relief--investigations--prosecutions (second class counties).

Board to furnish relief--investigations--prosecutions(second class counties).

205.830. 1. It shall be the duty of said board, when anyperson by himself, herself, or another apply for relief to makeimmediate inquiry into the state and circumstances of theapplicant, and if it shall appear that he or she is in suchindigent circumstances as to require temporary relief, the saidboard shall furnish, out of the funds in their hands, such reliefas the circumstances of the case may require; provided, that inall cases where the applicant for aid may be found dependent andsaid applicant or member of said applicant's family is anable-bodied male person capable of performing manual labor, saidboard shall require such person to perform work to the value ofthe aid given, and the city engineer and the street commissionersof such cities in their respective departments are required toutilize the services of such able-bodied persons upon receivingnotice from said board that such person has received or isentitled to such aid. Where the applicant or a member of theapplicant's family is an able-bodied female, said board shall,whenever practicable, require that labor to the value of the aidgiven be performed. They shall make investigations of cases ofdependence for individuals or other charitable organizations andfurnish such reports upon the same as in their judgment seemsadvisable.

2. Their office shall be a center of intercommunicationbetween the various charitable agencies in the city. They shallfoster harmonious cooperation between them and endeavor toeradicate the evils of overlapping relief, and for this purposeshall maintain a confidential registration bureau.

3. When it is impossible to repress mendicancy by the abovemeans they shall prosecute imposters. They shall carefully workout such plans for helping families to self-dependence as mayseem most practicable. They shall make concentrated attack onsocial causes of hardship, such as unsanitary housing, childlabor, extortionate charges by pawnshops, salary loan and chattelmortgage agreements.