Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-05-05

| yet the daughter-in-law who likes a
! nip herself. does not realize that
some day the thirst may be as strong
IN her as in the tottering figure wait
/ ing to be sentenced to the almshouse
or much grudged corner in the wee
| fiat of her SON
We have one infallible argument
| to hand these wives" remarked an
| examiner, and that is the bald state
ment that if the husband is not per
mitted to house his father or mother,
the city will put him under bonds or
| probation to contribute a certain
amount of cold cash every week for
the support of his parent. What the
| wife says or does matters not a mite
The law holds the husband RESPONSE
bic for his parents"
And what happens when the pay
ments are not made? Follow the next
couple, nagging wife. d stolid hus-
band, into the eleventh district court
in East Fifty-seventh street The
| man has agreed to contribute dollar
week to the support of his aged
mother. He has defaulted in his pay
! ments. The couple, who had waited
year for their board, have hailed the
son into court. The fearful old moth
er sits hunched up in a corner of the
court room wondering what it is all
about. The landlady is determined,
the wife alternately scornful and
fearful, and the son considerably
frightened A trip to the island will
cost him his job. The landlady tells
her tale Of money due. the old moth
er weeps in maudlin fashion. the son
hears the decision with white face.
PAY up that board bill or go to the
island, and pay it today"
Get the Money Somehow.
The daughter-in-law hurries back to
gether the tirty-two dollars 1t rep
resents their rent--and perhaps a dis
possess notice. 1t represents clothes
the children need, food that will not
be purchased, and perhaps a tiny
loan and all because she would not
let his mother live with them. Oh,
yes, there are two sides 10 the story,
no doubt But if Father Knickerbock-
er listened to these and waVered, he'd
have many. many thousands more in
the almshouse
The next case OF this sort to reach
the domestic relations court is almost
incredible
The investigators of the division Of
domestic relations have summoned a
husband and wife who refuse to con-
tribute $25 a month to the support Of
the husbands father. The wife wears
rich gown of shimmery satin, its
collarless bodice outlined with good
lace on which real diamonds glitter.
Her coat is of Persian lamb fur. Her
hat is set off by willow plumes that
must have cost nearly hundred dol
lars The husband wears d diamond
stud, diamond ring and handsome
overcOat with deep fur collar The
father whose fate is under discussion
is old, feeble and shabby
Nothing for the |OId Man"
The husband and wife testify that
the former Is no longer in business
and they have no means OF support.
The clothing they have incautiously
worn to court is described as rem
nants of past wealth and glory.
though an expert in styles would pro
nounce it very much up to date. They
haven't a cent to spare for the old
mans keep.
Then the investigator takes the
Loo "a
father is decent, respectable and So
Der Years ago. proud of his only
boy, he set him up in business, giving
him $4,000 in cash. Bad luck and
illness overlook the old man and he
became a peddler. Now his health
will not permit him to work.
The son has retired from the bust
ness founded on the $4,000 gift, owns
horses and carriages. lives in an ex-
pensive apartment and his wife keeps
two servants How his money is in
vested. whence his income, the in
vestigator does not know. SO cleverly
has he shifted the burden of support
ing his aged father.
The decision of the court Is scath
| ing. The man IN the Iuf-lflHilnSu
coat and diamonds will contribute S2o
a month to his fathers support or &c
to the island.
Work Never Ending.
Every Friday night in the Eleventh
district court, magistrate hears
these tales of filial duty shirked until
| the division of domestic relations can
not possibly arbitrate. And every
day in the week except Sunday, the
| investigators of the division head
| quarters in Fifty-ninth street arbi-
| trate and adjust cases and threaten
and cajole ungrateful children.
What type of New Yorker shirks
responsibility in this particular form?
Mostly what the Investigators de-
scribe as Americanized foreigners. the
| children of immigrants. The major
ity of the cases which finally reach
court are those of people from east
ern Europe, who through extreme
poverty or ignorance of the law fail