The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-03-20
PENSIONS FOR WORTHY
MOTHERS WHO ARE IN NEEc
Provisions Of the Measure Which
Will Go Into Effect in Sixty Days
will Bring Relief.

Will Go Into Effect in Sixty Days
will Bring Relief.
The mothers pension act plac-
ed on statute books Of the state
through the passage of bill during
the last session of the legislature, of
which Representative Lawson of Ada
county was sponsor, will 60 into effect
so days after its approval by the gov
ernor who signed the measure during
the session. The act as passed
Is different in many ways from the
measure heretofore published in part.
It reached the governor, however, in
the original form as introduced after
being redrafted, having escaped amend
1nent III both branches Of the legisla-
ture. Similar measures have often bee
referred to as not only a mothers PEN
sion act, but a mothers endowment
fund. t-..-.-1
Must Make Application
It will be possible under the terms
Of the new act for poor mothers who
have children under the age Of Is
years and whose husbands are either
lead or have been taken away from
them by the state and confined in
the Idaho state penitentiary for some
crime committed, to make application
to the probate court in the county in
which they reside for partial support
for her children. If she furnishes the
necessary proof and has the required
qualifications the probate court shall
issue an order on the county COM
missioners giving her a permanent
monthly pension of $40 for her oldest
child under the age of Is years and
S. per month for each other child she
has under that age, the pensions to re-
main a permanent source Of income
TO her at the expense Of the county
until her children reach the age Of 10
years.
The mother making the application
for the partial support in the probate
court shall show the following: that
the child for whose benefit the allow
ance is made, is living with her; that
when in the absence of such allowance
she is required to work regularly away
from her home and children and when
by such allowance she will be able to
remain at home with her children;
that she is a proper person, physically
and mentally for the bringing up of
her children; that such allowance is
necessary, in the judgment Of the
court, to save her child or children
from neglect
Commissioners Required to Act
Whenever the probate court deter
mines that an allowance for the par
tial support of mother shall be made
it becomes the duty of the presiding
judge to make an order to that effect,
which shall set out in full the name OF
the mother, her place of residence, the
names and ages of each of the child
rem, the amount allowed to each child.
Upon presentation of such order -
states the mothers pension act, "the
county commissioners shall direct
monthly warrants to be drawn there
for, which warrants shall be drawn
from the general fund of the county"
A mother making application for the
partial support Of her children must
have been resident of the county in
which the application is made, at least
two years prior to filing it. The pur-
pose of this proviso was to care for
the real needy poor mothers who
through no fault of their own have
been left almost destitute. Should her
husband be confined to the peniten-
tiary and she receives pension, it wi
expire when he is paroled, pardoned o
set free through expiration of his SEN
tence. In case a mother whose child
rem are receiving the pension shall
In order to prevent additional costs
in the probate court when a pension is
contested, the decision of the probate
judge is final on the case and a jury
is not necessary Fraudulent represen-
.ation in making applications for pen
sions is made punishable by a fine of
not less than 800 nor mora than $500
or by Imprisonment in the county Jail
for a period of not more than one
year or by both fine and imprisonment
1t is claimed the mothersI pension
act will bring relief to many worthy
mothers in this state.
Fight Over the Minimum Wage