The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-12-12

tenn.
AYEWARK, N. J.-she stands in
~ the door of the shanty she calls
W home on the outskirts of the
city. A child clngs to each
hand and another clutches tightly to
the folds of her pink calico dress. Just
inside the door stands two new brass
cribs Across the gloomy aspect of
broken kitchen chairs and patched
table beyond are hooks in the brick
chimney on which hang Children's gar
ments with the bright stamp of new
ness on them There is coal in the
scuttle by the range, with its cracked
lids, and there is food a-cooking. Dingy
and gloomy Is the interior of the sin
gle room, but 1t is spotlessly clean.
This is the home of the first widow
In Jersey to be pensioned for being
what she is-just povertystricken
mother The cribs, the coal, the
clothes, the food are results of that
first pension check.
Homes Are Proof of Worth.
To the outside world perhaps the
Widows Pension act passed in Jersey
last July is hazy reality, the real sig
nifcance of which is hardly appreciat-
ed. 1t Is only when one can peer into
home where the pension has come
or perhaps, more aptly, has peered in
to 1t before and after the coming
that 1t dawns on one what this pen
siOning of widowed women who have
children dependent upon them really
means.
Briefly the widows pension was the
dream of Isaac T. Nichols, senator
from Cumberland county, who plainly
stated that in his opinion a woman
who brought children into the world
was entitled to pension for her work
when her husband, or support, was
taken from her by death. That was
the beginning Senator Nichols was
for pensioning every mother of child
under sixteen years old. But there
were those who objected. Such broad
act, they said, would allow unmarried
women with children, women with hus-
bands still living and others to share
in the reward intended really for the
widowed mother. The bill was amend
ed, and became law on July 4.
First Pension on July %.
By July % the first hearing to deter
mine the granting of pension had been
held, and the first pension was grant
ed. 1t is only matter of time when
every state will have its pensioned
mothers, Senator Nichols said.
There are 346 widowed mothers
drawing pension in New Jersey, and
the number is steadily increasing
There are pensioned mothers in every
one of the states 81 counties save one
The one exception from which no re,
quest has come is Ocean county, in the
southern part of the state. Why nc
cry from needy mother has been
heard from there Is a mystery to the
state board OF children's guardians
which has the supervision of the pen
sions and pensioners in hand.
The process widowed mother must
employ to gain pension is simple
First, she must write to the state
board of children's guardians fol
application blanks. She will receive
three blanks, all identical. She must
fill in each, one for the state board
one for the overseer of the poor in
her district and one for the judge Of
the county court, where her case
eventually will be heard.
County Foots the Bills.
On receipt of her application the
state board sends investigators to de
termine her condition. Then date II
set for her hearing and she goes into
court and tells her story. The inves
tigation of the state board is Offered
in evidence, and the Judge passes or
whether or not she is eligible to 6
pension. If she becomes a pensionel
the checks are sent her out of the
funds OF the county in which she lives
The amount of the pension, which
is really intended for the support O.
her children, is fixed by law. It is s!
a month for one child, s14 a month
for two children and SIS a month fol-
three children, and for each chile
thereafter 81 month. The state
boards investigators have SUPERVISOR
charge of the dispensation Of the pen
tsion and of the conduct of the mother
lat the arrival of child at the age O
sixteen, or before. at the discretion O
the board, the pension for that chile
can be discontinued, This, briefly, i,
what New Jersey has done for it.
widowed mothers. Low has the plar
worked out?
The woman with the three children
In shanty on the edge of Newark
smiled when she was asked 1t was
tired smile, but there was no trace O
unhappiness iu it.
How does it work." she answered
and her voice was full with emotion
"'Fins!"
:. She paused to smooth with THU