The Detroit times., 1913-04-22
Associated Charities Secretary
, Says Proposed Legislation IS
Hasty and Ill-Considered
MRS. ZAHN WARMLY
DEFENDS MEASl RE
Insists It's States Duty to Pre-
serve the Home and Care
for Children

under consideration in the house, has
caused division OF opinion between
It's sponsors and certain organizations
OF charity
| The bill provides that the juvenile
/ court may commit child to the care
of its mother. and provide a compensa-
ton, from the county treasury, of not
more than 50 week, provided the
mother is a widow. or has been de
serted by her husband. or is divorced,
and Il too poor To care properly for
the child, but is otherwise a proper
guardian. IL has been estimated that
! $4,000 year will cover all the ex-
| pense TO be incurred in Wayne county
under the proposed law
The new law would, however, put
/ into the hands of the Juvenile court a
considerable amount OF work which
is now being done by private charities,
and il is for this reason. among others,
that some OF the charity workers are
opposing this bill.
! Howard l.. Udell. secretary OF the
/ Detroit Associated Charities. says
II am opposed 10 giving the juvenile
court any more work 10 do. II al
ready has its hands full, and to sad
f, die IL with the administration OF moth
ers' compensation would be TO over
| load IT, | doubt If the court would
be- able 10 devote 10 each case the
time necessary for its investigation.
| The. administration OF the law
should nor be in the hands OF the
Juvenile court, but in those OF the
| poor authorities
| Il believe that many people are
| favoring the law for sentimental rea-
/
necessity for such "A measure in this
state9 Has any preliminary survey
| been made to discover the needs OF
/ the state in this direction, or the prob
able cost OF the proposed law? have
| heard Of none. The administration OF
the Illinois law has revealed several
mistakes which ought not to be com
raifted In Michigan. They are COW
cred in the report OF G.. c. Carstens
TO the Russell Sage foundation.
II cannot understand how the payment
OF So a week to an ignorant woman
and great many OF the beneficiaries
Of the act would be ignorant women
could be made without danger. She
would scarcely know the proper way
Of spending the money to the best ad-
vantage. IT Is likely that there would
be considerable waste. There is no
provision for proper supervision In
this regard
The argument that the child ought
hot to he separated from the mother
is futile. because modern charity has
recognized this principle for some
time, and has acted on 1t. Our great
est care Is the preservation OF the
home, II that is possible"
Fred NJ. Butzel, who was head OF
the disbanded children's bureau of the
Association OF Charities. and is presi-
dent of the United Jewish Charities,
says. Il agree with the Carstens re-
port | have not much use for the
proposed act. We have gone along
for thousands OF years without such
legislation what harm will it do to
wait year or two longer and watch
the outcome OF the experiment in 9TH
er states?
The mothers compensation idea IL
too much like a pension. Next We
shall have to pension all widows: then
for all women who bear children: and.
finally. we may arrive at the point
where We shall consider citizenship
itself the excuse for a pension. Our
experience with Civil war pensions
has been enough 10 make us go slowly
In this matter II is too big a step
in the direction OF Socialism am In
favor. however. of big increase in
| the funds OF the poor commission"
Mrs. Ruby NJ. Zahn, president OF the
Political and Civic league, through
whose efforts the mothers compensa-
ton act was drafted and introduced In
the Legislature, comes TO the defense
OF the bill
at liz hard 10 tell whom we may
trust she says. AT first, the pro-
posal for mothers compensation act
received enthusiastic approval. but
our treatment lately has been such as
TO lead me 10 believe that strong OPP
| position existed in influential quar-
ters. Some Of our most ardent cham.
p'ons suddenly lost interest OF be-
| came lukewarm The question OF
justice TO mothers has become in
| volved In petty issues OF politics.
We do not need a statewide sur
vey TO ascertain conditions In Michi-
gan Those conditions are we'll
known. We have in Lapeer an insti-
tuition for defective children that Is
far too small TO care for It's inmates,
and utterly incapable of taking charge
or all those who should be committed
10 II. Many OF these children would
not be there IL they had had the prop
or home conditions. In spite of the
terrible waste OF the states resources.
which is admitted by everyone famil.
lar with the outlay for child-care in
| institutions. We are continuing under
| an antiquated system OF semi-pubic
and private charity instead OF striking
az the root Of the evil--the enforced
neglect Of children by mothers whose
poverty makes il impossible for them
to give their offspring the care they
need.
| Charity is not what these mothers
need. I hate that word what they
are demanding from the state in jus.
tice, not charity. The state, which de.
mands that children be brought into
| the world must see that those Chi
dren are given proper care. To the
state belongs this duty--not to private
organizations or to individuals charit-
| ably-inclined. Nor should the unfor-
/ tunate mothers be forced TO appeal TO
n poor commission. aud brand them
selves paupers 20 obtain the iust dues
owed to them for their service to the
state
ohio has passed mothers com.
pensation act and added itself to the
honor roll OF progressive states In this
regard. MICHIGAN should not lag be
4 hind