The Washington herald., 1912-01-21
URGES SEPARATE COURT
FOR NONSUPPORT CASES
In Pamphlet Recently Issued William H. Baldwin, the
Father of Washington's Nonsupport Law, Rec
OmmendS Domestic Relations Tribunal

The present status Of family desertion
and nonsupport laws in the United
States is the subject OF a monograph
recently issued by William II. Baldwin.
the father OF washingtons nonsupport
law Some years ago Mr.. Baldwin as
volunteer worker of the Associated
Charities saw that a great deal OF dis
tress was occasIoned by the desertion Of
the husband and his failure to support
his family. How to reach this condition
and so prevent suffering was the problem
which he set out TO solve. As result
very largely through Mr.. Baldwin's ef-
FORTS a nonsuppOrt law was enacted IN
1906, the year In which the Juvenile Court
was established. This law authorized the
commitment of deserting husband to the
workhouse at hard labor and the pay
ment Of 80 cents day out or their
earnings to their families.
As pointed out in Mr.. Baldwins s re-
cent article. during the first four years
OF the operation OF the law, the amount
actually paid from the public appropria-
tions In return for work Of men under
sentence wss S4,423. while there was col
lected during the same period from men
under suspended sentence tlOo.S56.6s. The
fact that 1t was possible under the law
for men to be sentenced to the work.
house made Il easier for the court o
secure the promise OF the deserters 10
pay a stated amount 10 their families.
Mr.. Baldwin's study shows that during
the past six years there have been three
principal tendencies discernible In legis-
lation on the subject:
II. To make the offense felony chiefly.
and In some cases soley. for the purpose
of securing the extradition OF Offenders,
but also to make a greater impression
upon them, perhaps on the principle OF
the stronger the dose the better.
- To hold parents or guardians re-
sponsible to the Juvenile Court where
they do or omit any acts which con-
tribute to the dependency or neglect, as
well as to the delinquency OF the chill
dren for whom they are responsible
%. To establish special courts for deal
ing with cases Of nonsupport and neglect,
such as the Domestic Relations Courts In
Buffalo. New York City, and Chicago.
This last development is the most re-
cent and not the least important
Felony in Many States.
A distinct contribution made to the
subject by Mr.. Baldwin is the fact
brought out that while many OF the
States have thought it necessary to de-
clare family desertion a felony, In order
TO make the offense eXtraditable under
the Constitution of the United States, the
crime IS clearly classed with extraditable
oftenses. This right OF extradition is
conferred by article 4, section 2 OF the
Constitution, which reads: person
charged in any State with treason. fel-
ony, or other crime, who shall fee from
Justice, and be found in another State,
shall, on demand Of the executive au-
thority of the State from which he fed,
be delivered up, to be removed to the
state having jurisdiction Of the crime"
AS Mr.. Baldwin points out;
.'It is confirmed by the act OF Congress
February I2. ITss, which declares II to be
the duty OF the executive authority OF
the states on which the demand is made
TO cause the fugitive to be delivered up.
and by the decision Of the supreme Court
Of the United States more than htty
years ago "a Howard. u 5 90, which
states distinctly, in reference 10 tne words
treason. felony, or other crime, That
srhe word crime OF itself includes
every offense, from the highest TO the
lowest In the grade OF offenses. and In
cIudes what are called misdemeanors'
as wen as treason and felony
THE law and the decision cannot be
plainer than they are. There has been
nothing since to conflict with them in
any way, but, on the. contrary, every de-