New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-11
Miss Todd Tells of Bill for
Pensions Aimed at Cali
fOrnia Abuses.
CHILDREN MALTREATED
IN MANY INSTITUTIONS
Woman Worker Says Lack OF
Love Is Worse than Underfeed.
ing, but Men Don't See II.

IFS bad 10 see an underfed child.
Miss Helen Todd. Of California, told the
members Of the Widowed Mothers Fund
Association at their annual meeting at
the Hotel St Regis yesterday hut II :
worse 10 see child that's famished Tor
mother love.
I've seen them in the asylums. and the
look In their faces is more heartrendiAg
than the face OF a child that doesn't get
enough 10 eat That's the sort OF thing
man doesn't note The politicians don't
note It when they visit our institutions,
and come away and report that This or
phan asylum is in fine condition.
But Miss Todd told OF material evils,
too. that she found in an Investigation OF
California institutions. undertaken when
the women voters OF that state wished
10 frame their widowed,mothers' pension
bill.
Il don't know why We didn't investi-
gate before we got the vote she said.
we didn't seem 10 have the sense then;
and conditions were dreadful in Calfor-
MIA But they are dreadful in some asy-
lums all over the country. There are
some good asylums-I don't mean TO con-
denim them all-hut there are orphan asy-
lums I'm every state where you'd md
more TO wiring the heart than you d ma
in factories or sweatshops or tenements;
and l know all o. these pretty well.
II found an asylum in California where
the children. sick and well. all bathed IN
the same bathtub. and It was never
cleaned one child that had been bathing
in IL was taken 10 the hospital with a
blood disease. and they didn't disinfect
the tub. In one asylum. where I couldn't
get admission. got nurse 10 get en-
ployment and report TO me what she saw
They gave her q rubber hose, the man
agement did. and told her to hit the chill
dren with that, as II didn't make a marx
Ike a whip In the week that she WORKED
there she was almost eaten up with YER
min; and the chidren's beds were worse
than hers.
AT one asylum saw some children OF
six years or so standing In corner with
their aprons muff1ed over their heads.
what are they doing that for l
asked
] Olls llrN hIc WI beN' wv
said. They are being punished for speak
ing at their meals. That is against the
rules
II found little boys being taken care OF
by old men-not a woman around And
politicians who investigated those places
reported that they were all right But
the managers knew the politicians were
coming; I made my visits without warn
ing"
Not only the politicians but the oharita-
bic organiza tons OF California, Miss Todd
said. opposed the widowed mothers pen
sion bill that was the outcome OF the in
vestigstion.
THE organizations" she said, kept
telegraphng TO man In New YORK
named DR.. Devine. and they'd get an
swers that DR.. Devine didn't approve OF
the bill. But they didn't pay much at
tention and the bill went through. And
! want 10 tell you that next TO getting
the vote the most important thing for the
women of New York to do Is TO make 1t
possible for every mother that isn't ao-
solutely unfit 10 keep her children with
her"
/ Much enthusiasm was shown by Mrs.
William Einstein. the president and the