The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-23
CHILDRENS home
IS ENDANGERED
BILL INTRODUCED BY SENATOR
PIERCE FOR w. A. BLAKE
WOULD GREATLY HANDICAP
WORK or CARING FOR THE Or
P4ANs or THE STATE.

supt. f. D. Hall Of the North Dakota
Childrens Home society returned yes
terday from Bismarck. where he has
been looking after the interests Of the
home. Mr.. Hall says the solons are
getting decidedly busy in these closing
days Of the legislative session, and
hardly know how they viii come out,
as there are many hundreds Of bills
yet to receive final passage. A large
number will OF necessity have to go to
the scrap pile.
Senate Bill 1e6, introduced by Sen
ator Pierce, contains several features
very inimical to the work of the chill
dren's home society, in the view of
superintendent Hall and the board OF
directors of the children's home The
February issue of The Children's
Home Finder contains an article head
ed, Shall We Have State Monopoly
in Child Saving Work? which re-
views the principal provisions of SEN
ate Bill 106. The measure aims to
give the SO called, State Humane So
ciety, organized by W. A. Blake of
jamestown, double mission. First,
to prosecute cases OF cruelty to ami
mails, and second, to prosecute those
who abuse or neglect children.
Mr.. Blake was appointed by Gov
ernor Burke for the prosecuting of
those who beat or otherwise illtreat
dumb animals, but which in no way
appoints him to care for dependent
children,
The board feels that with twenty
years Of child saving work In North
Dakota, and record of more than
1000 children provided for and with
finely equipped and valuable property,
there is no special demand for an in
stitution supported by the state by
public taxation of public property. The
home authorities are not seeking an
appropriation for their work, but have
offered Agent Blake free asylum for
any dependent children he may pick
up in the state, free OF charge. where
there are no responsible parties to
meet the cost of care. They feel it would
impose an unnecessary burden of tax
alton on the people to work this new
state supported institution, so long as
the home viii accept such children
from the state humane agent and pro
vide for them from public charity
Senate Bill 106 not only authorizes
the appointment of a state humane
agent at salary Of $1,000 and $1,000
for expenses of trial and prosecution,
but permits counties to appropriate
not to exceed $500 in any case Of de-
pendent children. Superintendent Hall
says this is the niger in the wood
pile" and would impose heavy bur-
dens on the larger counties where such
cases are more frequent. The senate
committee on state affairs. to which
the bill was referred, eliminated this
feature Of the bill, and also changed
the measure so that all cases Of chill
dren to be placed must be acted on by
a special board authorized by Senator
Duis' Juvenile court BILL" which win
likely become a law.
Superintendent Hall commends most
highly Agent Blake's work for dumb
animals, and desires to cooperate
with it whenever possible, having been
secretary of the local humane society
organized in Fargo some years ago.
but which died for lack of public in
terest.
Should Senate Bill 106 pass in It's
original form, according to Superin-
tendent Hall, all investigation and
inaugurated in cases of
dependent children by any child-sav-
ing organization, would have to be
made through the state humane agent
AS the present agent is also executive
officer of the society he seeks to have
carried on at the states expense the
children's home board feels that its
own mission and work would be very
seriously impaired, If not utterly
ruined, by such a law, and is fighting |
the matter hard
The personal fitness and qualities of
Agent Blake are questioned by the
board, and Superintendent Hall says
he found a very pronounced sentiment
In the house OF representatives on this |
point. A leading senator from the
slope, calls the bill "the most iniquit-
BUS measure introduced during the
session
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Did Not Work Both Wavs