The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-20
BETTER CARE OF
HOMELESS WAITS
s'BABY FARM AGITATION HAS
IMPROVED CONDITIONS.
Children Will Be More Carefully
Looked After in the Future-Fear of
the Law Has Already Had It's Eff
fect-Workers Give Opinions of
Methods Of Bracing Up Weak Laws.

1t is the belief of the officials and
care of dependent children that the
illegal disposition OF children by the
nbaby farms has been stamped out.
The agitation has accomplished meal
years to come. The exact conditions
have been brought to the attention of
the city officials and philanthropists,
and they are in a better position to
deal with the perplexing. problems in
volved. Exposure of the deplorable
conditions has spurred all having. op-
portunity. to lend aid to renewed efforts
to minimize the evils that unfortunate
girls and helpless children are exposed
to. knowledge of and respect for law
! has been inculcated among people en-
ployed in shielding girls from the re-
suits of their folly.
The .proprietors of several private
hospitals for women, reputed to be
baby farms, have visited the Humane
society officers and assured them of
their desire to comply strictly. with the
law governing such establishments and
of their Willingness. to have their
places inspected, not only by the health
the society. On the other hand, the
Humane society has promised them its
cooperation in disposing of dependent
children.
Requests for Children.
The Children s Home society has had
requests from two of these private hos
pitfalls to take children born there. AS
the society makes it rule not to take
children under three months Of age, ex-
cept in an emergency, it has refused to
accept the custody of the infants in
question, but has agreed to take them
at the age of three months, and mean
while to make an effort to place them,
if it can be done under favorable cir
cumstances. An officer Of this So
ciety thinks that the fright of women
doing an illegal business of this kind
has had noticeably wholesome effect
and that they will be careful to keep
themselves clear of trouble for while
at least.
S. L. Van Etten, agent Of the HUI;
name society. takes hopeful view of
the prospect for Improvement in the sit
uation. He found many of the women
concerned actually ignorant of the law
governing their establishments, be-
cause the inadequate staff of the health
department does not permit frequent
and regular inspection Of the hospitals
1t is proposed that the council make
provision for a special inspector OF
these hospitals.
Rigid inspection would insure the le
gal disposition of the children and prop
er care to the mothers, but the law is
defective in permitting parents to give
away a child without the sanction OF
the law, and the proprietor of hospita
may legally give away to whomever she
chooses, the children born in the insti
otution or intrusted to her care. The only
thing required by the law is that a writ
ten report shall be made to the health
department Of the disposition Of the
child.
Law Is Weak.
This is the fatally weak point Of ex
listing laws dealing with private hospi
tails for women and infants, and al
effort will be made at the next legisla
while every facility will be offered tn
women likely to be tempted to engag
in baby-farming, to dispose of the child
rem left In their care, by ADOPTION, thr
the new juvenile court to begin it's wor]
in June.
E. D. solenberger of the Associate
Charities is especially interested in tn
quiring the legal consent Of the parent
Jor satisfactory evidence that they ar
not known and cannot be found, befor
the children can be transferred to pc
sons desiring them. Mr.. Solenberge
does not think the women managin
hospitals, the proper persons to arrane
for adoptions, and would have tn
placed in the hands Of experts, wi
would undertake the task when sati
fed that the children should be take
from the mothers, either for their GOO
or for that of the mothers. BY cou
ling with this kind of a system, admi
istered without publicity in the juveni
court, but with full and correct recort
of the transactions, plan for the i
spection of the homes into which chi
the r eh Of et the little hepess fuu
citizens would be safeguarded to tt
cxtant Of la1u and civic cd rat q