Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-12-17

hand the hair of five-year-old boy
who chung to her dress The other
children, girl of eight and boy of
seven, looked up at her as children
only can look at those they trust.
"It pays the rent" she went on, land
it buys the coal and it gives me a
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. l didn't mind for myself, but
the little ones were without warm
things except what l could make for
even in July the winter isn't far off,
for the poor at least, and this house
is cold. l hated to look ahead and
think of them shivering all day, and
the coal most gone, and then it was
puzzle as to whether to spend our lone
dollar for food or warmth for them
But now" she smiled again, "it's
different. 1t pays the rent, and it 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 those throughout the
state have given it their unqualified
approval. The state of New York has
taken a step in the direction Of wild
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 ACCESSIBILITY of enacting 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 bit of doubt" she
declared" that the state owes the
duty to the children. l speak adj
visedly of the children instead of the
mothers. However difficult and pa
thetic may be the condition of wild
owed mother, who is unable to support
her children and who must bring them
up in a state of pitiful sordiness or re-
linquish them to the state, the con6i-
ton of the children is worse.
Eighteen States Give Relief.
The influences of their early years
are the influences of a lifetime, and
they make or mar them. And certainly
it is obligatory upon the administra-
ton 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 it should do SO.
"Since have been interested in this
problem, IS states have adopted sys-
tenn of relief for widowed mothers, and
in every one of them it is working
beautifully. 1t can't help but be last
ing success. The argument that the
state will be 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. 1t will do IN
finitely more good in those homes
than in institutions.
And, what is just as important, we
wish to do away entirely with private
charity. That accomplishes very little.
Ii is only temporary relief and
doesn't for a 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
ent scheme does not go far enough or
quite grasp the underlying principle of
the question.
Would Go Even Further.
"As a step in the right direction,
he said, Il am in favor of the present
movement In considering it | have
gone through many phases. And while
I 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
necessity and more on the payment as
a right. For unquestionably there is
an indubitable right that these moth
ers and children should have relief.
"The danger in the present scheme,
If seems to me, is that the mother has
no absolute surety she will be paid,
and that there is no incentive for
husband and father to provide for his