The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-18
Should All
Widows Be
PenSiOned?

The young widow, statistically consid-
cred, is one of the most unfortunate or
beings and not at all the gay butterfly
which unfeeling popular fancy has pic
tured, according to Prof. Friedrich Prinz-
ing, of Paris.
This savant has collected remarkable
group of statistics which show that pow
erty most sorely Expresses the widow, and
that she is more subject to insanity, con-
sumption, conflict with the law, and death
than her married sister. Moreover, all
these woes fall most heavily upon the
young widow.
Dr. Prinzing's conclusion is that the
state should make provision for the sup
port of the widowed and their children
directly instead of indirectly through
prisons, hospitals, orphanages and insane
aSylumS.
The views of Dr. Prinzing and the sta
tistics he has collected are as follows:
l deem it a proof of woman'S power
of endurance that widows have not COM
bined as a class to demand aid from the
state in every civilized country, for they
are everywhere the most needy Of per
sons.
Table of statistics concerning the wild
owed and divorced have been made in the
United States, Great Britain, France and
Germany. The figures show that, in the
majority of cases and irrespective of the
class Of society to which they belong
widows are not equal to the burdens they
are called upon to bear
The consequence is diScouragemen
melancholy, insanity, lack of proper nour-
ease, crime and suicide.
Among 1883 F'renchmen who suffered
imprisonment for the third time or more
last year 1920 were illegitimate children,
2,77S lost their father before they were
fourteen years DID, 1,7SS their mother be-
fore they were fourteen. and $40 lost both
old-7,226 in ALL
If to this could be added the number
Of fatherless children who early met
wretchednesS and immoral influences oW-
nf fn fiOraf
the battle of life alone, the total would be
appalling AS they stand, the figures
show the necessity for parental guidance
In the building of a child'S character.
Germany First to Aid Widows.
Germany is the first to give recognition
TO this side of the social problem, as
bill IS shortly to be introduced into the
reichstag providing for the widows and
children of laborers.
The wives of laborers and artisans are
or course, hardest hit by the husband
oeath. very few of this class save much
and burial or sick funds constitute but a
temporary benefit at best. Whatever funds
mere may be generally go for a dispro-
portionately elaborate funeral and at the
end OF month the average widow of this
class is without funds
What has she to do? She has no pro-
fesSion or knowledge Of handicraft or
trade. and her children call for attention
morning, noon and night. Her predica-
ment is one of the hardest that falls to
the lot of mortal man.
On an average there are 1900 900 wild
oWs In every 65,000,000 Of population, and
OF this number an average of 400, 900 are
absolutely without regular income, living
from hand to mouth as best they can.
The occupations of poor widows are
divided about as follows:
Agricultural laborers ..............121, 900
Chore women -. .............. $4,000
Factory workers .................. $500
OBJECTS OF charity ....,. ........... % 600
In all civilized countries the mortality
among widows is excessively high, fact
undoubtedly due in RI dR0TacciOr of
spirits caused by the husbands death, by
the loss of social position, and of regu-
lar, or at least satisfactory, income. Here
are the mortality figures: