The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-16
TRAFFIC IN BABES
Mothers in Illinois Sign Away
Infants Before Birth.
Legislature Finds Alarming
Conditions in State.
EMPLOYERS ARE BLAMED
Lead Astray StenOgraphers and
Young Girl Clerks.
Well Known Business Men of
Chicago Involved.

Chicago April 16.-Traffic in in
fants has been discovered by a COM
mittee of the Illinois house of repre-
gentatives Investigating the care Oh
children at charita BILE institutions.
The representatives visited several
maternity homes preliminary to seS-
sion on Friday when the superinten-
dents of these places will testify. They
will be asked about alleged contracts
which mothers are requested to sign
in order to obtain medican treatment
In these contracts the mothers are
said to sign away their rights to their
babies before birth.
Members of the committee today
questioned DR.. S. D. Rogers. head of
the National Maternity hospital, re-
garding arrangements 'InAde with
mother who wishes her child to be
taken care of.
I'VE charge her s25 to $50 to dis
pose of the infant" he said.
The physician asserted he did not
know what per cent of unmarried pa
tients led immoral lives after leaving
the hospital. 1t was the opinion of
Mr.. Curran, chairman of the commit
tee, that the mothers left the hospitals
with little money and fell easy prey
to white slavers." He announced to-
night that he had decided to urge the
following reforms:
To Urge Many Reforms.
Prevention of adoption of children
other than infants.
Prevention of contracting for adop
ton before birth.
Prevention of permanent separation
of brothers and sisters.
Organization of a state institution
for the care and education of found
lings.
Stricter regulation of Lying in hos
pitfalls
Speaker Mckinley, who appointed
the committee, asserted the barter
ing of children in Illinois must STOP"
II Tot,
on an inspection tour of other ma
ternity hospitals on Saturday
Protect Girls Against Employers.
The state morals court with women
as judges to protect working girls
against unprincipled employers will be
proposed in a bill to be introduced in
the Illinois legislature by the state
senates welfare commission" Lieut.
Gov. Barratt O'Hara, chairman of the
commission, made this announce
ment just before T embers of the
investigating body departed for Spring.
field.
I'VE have received scores of letters
from stenographers and factory girls
telling how they had been led astray
by the men for whom they worked
said the lieutenant governor.
These letters We're not anonymous,
and we have a list of more than 200
business and professional men filed
away for reference.
These men figured in the commune
cations we received as responsible
agents for the moral ostracism of more
than 200 girls.
Can Do Nothing in Court.
THE girl who is wronged by man
of station can do practically nothing
under present conditions. When she
goes to court, publicity Injuries her
more than it does the man and she is
frequently accused of attempting black
mail. The great majority of such girls
can not even go to court, because of
lack of funds.
with five women acting as judges
of state moral court, conditions will
be changed. Girls can tell their ex-
periences in confidence and escape
harmful publicity The name of the
responsible man will be known to the
court, and if circumstances warrant
the information can be used either to
drive the man from the community or
to prosecute him."
Lieutenant Governor O'Hara said the
commission had no present intention
of using the names he had received to
date.
Some of these names are we'll
known in Chicago he said, but we
have not investigated the charges