Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-03
stat. Aid For Mothers.
New York Tribune).


New York Tribune).
Dr. Anna F.. Won Sholly. who has had
A pretty extensive experience with the
ha HES of the poor in her work on the
disnensary staff Of the Rabies Hospital
and likewise in her private practice.
saws that she has grudge against day
nurseries.
"As things stard now we must have
them" she told Tribune Reporter.
Mothers who must go out to work and
whose ch17~on are little have no re-
source hut The dav nurseries,. hut they
o-o o v,nkoeh'ft AZ hest The collective
o,~a of hahies doesn't work for their
,ood " ono ehua IN dav nursery
-e.s a ,,'za,ce - SC .,-ettv s,,~e 70 sn~ead
=, .Se others Eo7v dav nursery at
'r~Io-AS ~e ~a'-o1 -nr9as. Nauv are
.-o,,-~ e-.~,s. ans tli-h how r,ch harm
.Le,. eor IN Nv. -o+ hni-o particular to
,-oe., ~ M h'e~' li-er eeoa~n<e NJ and
y" 40 ,,.o-st infections can be spread in
-ho. ,-av"
"r,,,. .vhas's 20 ne DONE wiz, the noor
Lo,,ies vh'o .-a -,othe~s are keeping
the WOLF f~nrr t',e 'on~o"
"N-all us hio ureetion l'ke ai,f-
s-aoa ana a fey other things" said the
doctor VINO &c q practical rol't'c'an as
veil az y,h-sic'a, having heen until
her work con, r>e'lo1 her 20 RESIGN few
weeks AGO leader Of the Woman Snf-
'-aee ra-tv IN the T~er+v- Seventh As
ce,,hlv district "a child'e mace ia with
tie mother I've heen cno+ed with say
ing that the state should suono-t moth
ers for two wears after the birth OF
each child didn't quite saw that but
do think 1t would pay the state TO
make II nnss'hle for a mother. when
her husband has deserted her or when
he is dead. or when she never had any
1t would nav the state to fix it so she
could keen her child or children with
her and give it or them good care It
would be paying investment in future
citizens.
'Peopie saw. what about the ignorant
mothers? Well. 1t is nv experience that
there's rarely mother who is not will
ing and anxious to go to the clinic or
dispensary and learn how to care for
her babies. OF course many OF them
are too poor to buy what Is needed.
Time and time again I have advised
something for a baby only TO have the
mother say 7 can't get IT, I haven't got
the money! Often just don't order
things I know the baby ought to have
because I see there is no use. Mothers
like that ought to be helped out, and II
wouldn't be charity, it would be Justice.
Still. there are a good many sides to
the question. I'm reminded right here
OF family that dwells in my mind like
q nightmare. because was the means
Of pauperizin9 them. The mother was
in hard luck, thru sickness and loss Of
work and she came to me. Well. fix
ed her up-got milk tickets for her and
had groceries sent her and got the
family on it's feet. as supposed. But
dear me. they won't stay there Some
OF them are perfectly able to work. but
having found how much easier II is to
beg they prefer that The mother has
become whining pauper. trailing from
one Institution to another with her tale
Of woe and every time see her I say
to myself You are responsible for her
DOWNFALL 1t makes one realize how
the problem is. But there
are heaps and heaps Of people who will
suffer almost beyond belief before they
Will ask for felp-and. anyhow. II isn't
good policy to let the babies grow up
puny and ill directed. They cost the
state more in the end than II they turn
ed in and helped to bring them up
right"
"Have you thought out plan for the
state support Of impoverished babies?"
"oh. no." said DR.. Won sholly." but II
It were done there would have to be
supervision Of the mothers and babies.
OF course. az the founding hospital and
the orphan asylum keep track Of the
they farm out. Farming out
babies isn't bad idea II they are
followed up It has been found
that the mortality is much less among
farmed ont babies than among those in
And II Is pleasant to $50
how good some Of these people are to
the babies they take for pay. There 10
g. woman over on First avenue who
maintains her small Nat by taking bah
les from the asylum. and she Is abso-
lutely devoted to them. When the
weather will allow she takes them
down to the river and let's them sleep
there all day, and when one Of the bab-
les was sick. not long ago. she wore
herself out SO taking care Of It that
when she brought it to my office here
for treatment used to make her lie
down on my sofa and rest while some
one took care OF the baby"
"She's not unusual either. There are
many like her One day last summer
I went out to the suburbs to visit q
little premature baby we had sent from
the dispcnsary. It was tucked UP in q
in the yard. and when came
on 1t the man Of the family had just
come home from work. and he was
bending over the tiny orphan, talking
to It as II he had been its own father.
THE best society know Of" DR..
Won Shelly went on, "is the Speedwell
Society. Of Morristown. N. ]. 1t takes
children from the city and places them
in families. which are paid 81 month
for caring for them. II is such an
society-no headquarters
no expenses except the pay Of the doc
tor. tho nurse. and the investigator.
Dstween forty ana nifty children are
under its care. It's fine thing"