The Washington herald., 1913-01-05
by c. c. CARsTENs.

The Illinois funds TO parents act. which
enables the Juvenile Court to pension
parents IL they are poor and unable TO
care for their children, is a loosely drawn
law which does not limit its benefits to
widows or even to mothers, but permits
the pensioning OF both parents. 1t is
certain to be given. in time. a much
wider Interpretation than has yet been
put upon IL in Chicago, which is now, a
year and a half after its passage, the
only Illinois community that has seen
fit TO take advantage OF its provisions.
After six weeks study OF the pension
administration in Chicago and an inten-
sive investigation of 100 OF the SOC fami-
lies that are receiving aid. the law does
not appear TO be one 10 initiate. though
the judge OF the court. Judge Pinckney
has done everything to safeguard its
administration by inviting the leading
charities of the city and a group of
socially minded citizens to aid him. To
the committee thus constituted. and to
the stanCh way in which the judge has
supported their work, is due such sue
cess as has been achieved
In practice the pensions have been
largely confined to widows with two or
more children. to women whose husbands
are permanently disabled, and to women
who have been deserted more than two
years. Wholesale desertion would have
been encouraged by the pensioning OF
families recently deserted. On the whole
investigation shows intelligent choice OF
beneficiaries in the first instance. and
more adequate assistance than had been
given before by the private agencies in
terested IN the same families.
Two Weak Spots.
But two very weak spots were dis
covered: % in the greatly decreased
interest of relatives, churches, and en-
ployers in doing their share since the
public pension went into effect, a de-
crease shown I'm 81 out of the 100 cases
studied: and (sl in the total incompe-
tence OF large majority of the pro-
baton officers supposed to have super
vision OF the pensioned families. In ~
out OF 100 families, their supervision was
Inadequate; in 81 families the conditions
were such that there should be a court
rehearing of the case and a new order
issued IL the pension is to be continued.
In 10 families now being pensioned the
home is too bad TO be kept together,
owing to drink, immortality, or serious
communicable disease. In other words
pensions and RELIEF seem to have
much the same effect and to need the
same safeguards.
The law was agitated for as a means
OF keeping children out of institutions.
tons was Us greater for the six months
ending June 30. 1872, than for the same
six months in 1911 when there were no
pensions. Families containing LOO chill
drens are being pensioned at a cost of
nearly $1,000 a month. 1t is estimated
that Chicago must spend 100000 next
year IL the present pension policy, even
with Its unusually strict Interpretation
Of the law, continues.
In summing I'm NV copcl,sion. 49,
visiting not only Chicago, but San Fran
cisco, Kansas City. and Milwaukee,
I point sut:
-Four Conclusions I'm Brief.
The unwisdom of copying a pension
law On the statute book OF one State
In other States where resources, methods
Of administration, and needs are quite
different. Even within the same STATE
provisions should be adapted to local
conditions.
Adequate relief cannot be assured by
estimating so much per child or per
family. The infiexibility of public PEN
sion funds has made it necessary for
the Cnicago court to ask the private
agencies to take over the care of a num-
Der of families which II cannot relieve
aaeauateiy without danger to its whole
administrative policy.
New machinery for the relief of a spe-
cial class Is being created without deal
ing with the machinery of public relief
already in existence. In Chicago, the
country relief department investigates
the applications for pensions already in
vestigated by the probation officers This
duplicate machinery, with its conflict of
authorities, is most unfortunate Judge
Pinckney of the Chicago. and Judge
Baker. of the Boston Juvenile Court,
have testified that the Juvenile Court is
not the right agency to administer these
and that they will interfere
with the courts discharge OF its proper
functions.
The enthusiasm in favor of widows
must not be underestimated or
1ndervalued. 1t is born of a desire to
see Justice done. but justice Is best done
through the better protection of the liv-l
ne. so that there may be fewer widows
with dependent children Prevention Of
Ind adequate provision for Industrial ac-
,ident. for occupational and other pre-
Tentable diseases. Statewide provision
'or the cure of durable disease, ade-
,uate segregation and kind care for all
he unfortunates who must not propa-
;ate their kind-these are the points In
! social programme that need most at