The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-03

MINNEAPOLIS, March Thirty
three per cent of the homes in Min
neapolis are without children, In the
opinion of Mrs. Perry Starkweather.
head of the department of women
and children of the state labor btu
reau, based on partial school cen
sus, as stated in her annual report
to Governor A. o. Eberhart.
The Minneapolis census included
visit to six schools, the Sumner.
Jackson, jefferson, Longfellow, Haw-
thorn and Sheridan, with 1905 fam
lilies represented, and STA children
to their credit. Of this number
I,1G4 were not in school. Of fam
lilies who had only one child there
were 1868 out of the total OF 2,60o
families visited.
Figures Are a Mere Scratch.
The figures given are only a mere
scratch on the surface, and in order
that the state may have thorough
knowledge of it's standing army, Mrs.
Starkweather asks that laws be en-
acted Immediately that will compel
an annual and exhaustive census OF
the children of the state. 1t is one
of the things that will eliminate
child labor, she declares. for II will
give the authorities thorough in
sight into child life and conditions
and enable them to cope with any
thing detrimental to it's healthy
growth.
Would Have State Aid.
Commenting upon the states lfber-
atty in the care and comfort of its
war veterans and the widow, Mrs.
Starkweather inquiries if this same
liberality might not be extended TO
the INDECENT child OF the state. The
soldiers relief fund is an annual
appropriation of one-tenth of mill,
which now amounts annually to
something more than $4,000. 1t
maintains the integrity of hundreds
of homes, and although the demands
upon it are so many that the sums
given out are sometimes as low as
So monthly, oftener 81 or Sc, how
ever small they may be, they mark
the difference between the preserva-
ton of the home and it's disruption.
Keep Family Toeether.
May not this precedent be foE
lowed for the little children of THE
state?" asks Mrs. Starkweather. an
stances are common whereby the, Ell
penditure of ever SO small sum for
a pressing need, like the sickness OF
a widowed mother or the temporary
disability of deserted wife tryins
as best she may to keep her little
family about to maintain them even
in the direst poverty rather than
give one of them to the care of the
state, would render it possible, for
the home to be maintained, for the
mother to keep her children, for
the children to be blessed by that
greatest of all blessings, the care OF
loving mother. y t..;t.sssz
Suggests a Tax.
| 81 recommend to the careful cUn-
sideration of the legislature a plan
whereby may be set aside one-twen.
tieth of 1 mill of the tax of the
state to care for the INDECENT child
in his own home, who would other.
wise become state charge in the
state public school.
"The period of time for which the
state aid would be given would vary
with the necessities of the case. II
might be that within few months
the natural guardian of the child
would be in position to again as
sumo its full responsibility. 1t
might be a longer or shorter time,
but the helping hand of the state
during the disability would have
saved the integrity of that home
Concluding, she says it would wipe
out the evil of the baby farms" and