Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-08
TRADE IN BABES.
Infants Bought and Sold-Cruel Fate
of Uuwanted Child.

I rom LONDON AESWerB.
Now and then a sensational case calls
attention to what is surely the meanest
OF all trades-that OF the baby farmer.
But few know the extent of the traffic
or the dreadful extent Of the suffenngs Of
the children concerned.
1t is dark and secret business this
traffic In young life. Brought together
by advertisement the two parties to the
transaction meet In all manner of places.
and the unwanted baby is quickly handed
over, together with the premium arrang-
ed. "A baby will be taken for love-
sometimes the advertisements say There
can in most cases be no phrase SO iron
ical as this. There are, Of course. some
instances OF children being taken to nurse
by kind-hearted. motherly people. who
have been faithful to the trust reposed
In them.
But In most cases experience has shown
that even when child is taken without
payment it's lot Is not likely to he any
more happy than when premium has
been handed over
Systematic inquiries over a long period
made by the n. S. P. c. c. have resulted
in shedding light over this dark spot In
our national life. Advertisements in the
papers make, so to speak, the shop
counter for the supply and demand In
ferring to nurse children were found.
One paper alone averaged ninety -four
such advertisements.
In the course of special inquiry 1870
their Willingness to take children In
only four of these did the people express
any desire to have the child solely for
the sake of its company.
The type Of person engaged in advertis-
ing for nurse children is generally not
high. and. with rare exceptions. a love
for and interest In the baby handed
over to her charge is not distinctive
feature In her qualifications.
She is mostly a mother for money.
In sixty investigated cases the pre-
miums asked for taking care Of a baby
varied considerably. At Chelsea $500
was asked, at Newmarket $500, then
varying amounts down to EI2 at Gates
head. In twenty-five cases E1OO was the
figure. But in many instances far less
than this is asked. thus much decreasing
the chance of the helpless baby being
properly tended and looked after
In business carried on. as this is for
the purposes of gain obviously the baby
in the case has a poor chance at best.
The unfortunate child Is the last to be
thought of. A value attaches to its body
as thing to be bartered. That transae-
ton completed. 1t becomes OF no account.
Why do people take up this trade in ba-
bies? In a recent case a woman took 1t
up because she wanted money TO get
married. Here are some other reasons
given by advertisers upon inquiry being
made:
/. Keeps a general shop and is IN
financial difficulties. Wants to raise
money to be able to make move.
2. In debt to a draper and wants to
pay him off. (The woman who gave this
reason for taking nurse child liz addict
ed to secret drinking.)
2. Wants money to open connection
er's shop.
are oapnot and nurse child 4
must find daily work.
8. THE money will come in handy. and
a little drop Of milk will do the child all
right
These illustrations are sufficient to give
an idea of the general purpose in ad-
vertfsinz for a child. Money is wanted
badly and a child is an easy thing to
look after That seems to he the
thought. It gives small hope for the well
fare OF the unwanted child.
That the hope Is small indeed is made
clear by the fate Of the children In many
instances. The premium is takei: there
is direct temptation to be rid of the
child in order to profit thoroughly. Regu-
lar baby farmers move continually from
place to place, so that their tracks are
most difficult to find. Advertising from
one address. the next week sees them at
another with a fresh baby in their care.
Sometimes, having received the premium.
they. by means Of other advertisements.
hand over the baby elsewhere. promising
to pay weekly sum for it's maintenance.
They make one payment and then alb
scond- In one case of this sort man
and woman received in the course OF four
months El66 with fourteen children. They
had placed these out made one payment
and disappeared.