Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1913-12-11

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hand the hair of five-year-old boy
who clung to her dress. The other
children. Il girl OF eight and Il boy of
seven. looked up at her as children
only can look ut those they trust.
1t pays the rent" she went on. "and
it buys the coal and it gives me II
chance to clothe them as they ought
to be clothed. Before the first check
from the county came we didn't have
any clothes that you might call
clothes. didn't mind for myself. but
the little ones were without warm
things except what | could make for
them between the days work. and
even in July the winter isn't far off.
for the poor at least, and this house
is cold. | hated to look ahead and
the coal most gone. and then ii was Il
puzzle as to whether to spend our lone
dollar for food or warmth for them.
But now" she smiled again. Its
different II pays the rent. and ii buys
the coal. and-we can eat three times
every day"
New York Investigating.
New York is fighting for the very
law New Jersey now has. The fore
most charity and philanthropic stu
dents in New York city ardently in
dorse it. Every club in the City Fed
Grafton and all these throughout the
state have given it their unqualified
approval. The state of New York has
L. 81 ,,.,l
owed mothers pensions Last year
the governor appointed commission
TO investigate the workings OF the law
in several states. including New Jer-
sey This committee will report upon
the advisability of euacting similar re-
lief legislation one of the members
of the commission is Mrs William Elm
stein. president OF the Widowed Moth
ers' Fund, who for many years has
been the heart and soul OF the now
great movement According to her.
there really is but one side to the
question
There is not a bit OF doubt she
declared" that the state owes the
duty to the children. speak ad-
visedly OF the children instead OF the
mothers. However dilhcult and pa
thctic may be the condition of n wild
owed mother. who is unable to support
her children and who must bring them
up in state OF pitiful sordiness or re-
,inquish them To the state the condi-
tion of The Children is worse.
Eighteen States Give Relief.
The Influences of their early years
are the Influences of q lifetime. and
they make or mar them. And certainly
il is obligatory upon the admnistra-
tion to see that all possible be done to
make those influences OF the best.
Mother love and home surroundings
are of inestimable value. and since the
state can preserve those to the chill
dren 1t should do so.
Since | have been interested in this
problem. Is states have adopted a sys-
TEN of relief for widowed mothers. and
in every one Of them 1t is working
| beautifully. u can't help but be last.
ing success The argument that the
state will b. spending too much money
is not worth consideration. The only
difference is that the money will go di
| rectly into the needy homes instead
OF into institutions. Ii will do in
lnitely more good in those homes
than in institutions.
And. what is Just as important. we
wish 10 do away entirely with private
charity That accomplishes very little
1t is only a temporary relief and
| doesn't for Il moment get at the big
principle of The situation
Mr Bruere. the head OF the Bureau
! Of Municipal Research. believes In
such relief but he declares the pres
cnt scheme does not 20 far enough OF
| quite grasp the underlying principle oi
/ Che question.
Would Co Even Further.
AS a step in tho right direction
he said. II am in favor of the present
movement In considering it have
! gone through many phases And while
/ / am theoretically in thorough agree
ment with it. | cannot help thinking
that it stops little short
Il prefer a general social insurance
that will lay less stress on relief as 9
necessity and more on the payment as
( IL right. For unquestionably there Is
an in iubitable right that these moth
ers and children should have relief.
The danger in the present scheme
il seems to me. is that tho mother ha:
no absolute surety she will BE- pad
md hat there Is no incentive for {
husband and father to provide for hi.