Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-02-11
THE PROSPECTIVE
7 Mother PROTECTED
Italy Has Laws for the Pro-
lection Of Race

men, especially in the matter oil
motherhood, civilization recognizing
more and more that only through sucn
protection may the coming genera
tons be strengthened
Just now Italy has joined with
few other European states in the es-
tablishing law for the better protec-
ton of women working in industrial
occupations after confinement. There
was law which prohibited mothers
from returning to work in month
after giving birth to child, but this
law did not provide any means of sup
port for the mother during this month
and so the law was constantly violat-
ed, women rushing back to their
work just as soon as they were able
to do so.
But now Italy has established 4
most unusual and worthy law which
provides that women must not work q
month before and month after their
child is born, and at the same time
they are given pension during that
time. AS this law is really for the
betterment of the race, physically, no
restrictions are made as to whether
the mother is married or not, the en-
tire aim of the law being to provide
mothers with sufficient rest to insure
healthier children.
Women Belong to Fund.
All women in Italy between the ages
of Is and so who are in industries, be-
long to an obligatory maternity i'll
surance fund. The employer pays the
dues which are only from 20 to 40
cents a year, and deducts half of this
from the wages of the insured, SO
that it costs the women only from 10
to 20 cents year, and in the event of
h childbirth, they secure two months
complete rest with a pension to care
for them during those two months, II
for this small sum.
This law holds good whether it is a
natural childbirth or premature, and
the women get about IS, which, in the
industrial centers where the law is
enforced, is sufficient for the keep OF
the women during the two months.
This Italian law further requires
that in all factories with 90 or more
women workers there must be provid
ed decent room in which mothers
may GO to nurse their children. Many
of the large factories provide such
rooms and also trained nurses to as
their children Infant mortality has
already been greatly reduced in these
Italian industrial centers by means of
these humane laws.
Widows and Mothers.
There is a constantly growing rec
ognition of the needs of widows and
mothers whose husbands are i'll or
imprisoned, and laws in their behalf
are being made Just now Ohio is
considering law to pension widows
with children and also mothers whose
husbands are unable to work and sup
port them through illness or impris-
onment. or whose husbands have
deserted them
The plan is that every such mother
shall be allowed SIS month for he"-
self and ST for each child under "A
years of age. This money is to come
from special county fund.
1t hash found, after long research
and experience, that the welfare of al
most every family depends upon the
home ties, upon its being held togeth-
until the little ones become oil
enough to work Such pension for
mothers will therefore hold the fam
lily together, it will take much ex-
pense from charitable institutions and
il is believed that such a law will
not only be enforced in Ohio. but that
other states will see the great benefit
of it and take it up