Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-27
WIDOWS PENSION
HEARINGS ENDED

the State, of whom there are 1,131 at
present on our books. 1t did not and
could not include any expenses en-
tailed by the provisions of the law
to promote home life for dependent
children" as this law was passed
after our appearance before the APP
preparation committee.
"Second-Before the new law went
into effect, in July, our board de-
cided to detail three of the agents in
tended for our original work to take
up their new duties. These three
agents, together with our general
agent Miss Day, have done all the
work so far. This has entailed pre-
pairing for forty eight court hearings
and investigating GIG petitions. Seven
hundred and eighty-five children have
been committed to our care. The ex-
pense involved to the counties for the
care of these children is $5,147. These
figures are from July l, 1918, to Janu-
airy 1, 1914.
"Third-Our board has carefully
prepared plan for submission to the
appropriation committee of this year s
Legislature which includes separate
department, with its own investiga-
tors and agents, to carry on the
mothers pension work, including the
preliminary investigation and the
subsequent supervision of the home.
If our requests are granted, we be-
lieve we can fulfill the duties i'm
posed on our board by the law.
"Fourth-If the requests just men
toned are granted, and IL the sums
requested are placed in the supple
mental bill, the new corps of agents
can begin their work after they have
= ~ rt.r
examination. We calculate that under
the most favorable circumstances, the
earliest date when we could hope for
this corps to be IN working order
would be May or June, 1914.
Work Is Limited.
"Fifth-The situation which con-
fronts us at present, therefore, is
this The work we can do is limited
to the physical capacity of the three
agents available. If court hearings
continue the agents whole time will
be taken up in Investigations prelim-
mary to these hearings. 1t will be
utterly impossible for them to visit
the homes of the children already
committed to our care, although Sec
ton of the act to promote home
life for dependent children provides
that it shall be the duty of the
state Board Of Children's Guardians
to see that any widow committed to
its care, pursuant to the provisions of
this act, is properly caring for her
children, that they are sufficiently
clothed and fed that they attend
school regularly and receive proper
religious instruction, and that said
family shall be visited at least six
times a year.
THE State Board of Children's
Guardians shall report Immediately to
the court OF original jurisdiction in
the case of any widow who does not
nroperly care for and educate her
child or children, or when they find
that she is an improper guardian for
said child or children, or when they
find she does not need all or any part
of such support" These provisions OF
the act have been almost entirely
dead letter. OF the 1856 children COM
mitted we have been able so far to
visit only ninety. In many cases in
granting pensions the court has dl-
rected us to carry our certain SPECIFIC
Instructions, such as that family
be removed from its present surround
ines. that certain children be given
medical attention, or that boarders
should be ordered to leave we can
not carry out these instructions De
cause our agents have no time TO
visit the homes. We have heard ru-
mors in reference to some of the fam
lilies that it might be wise to revoke
the pensions, but we cannot trace or
verify the rumors. There is grave
danger that the law may fall into DIS
repute before having had an oppor-
tunity to be fairly tried out.
"Sixth-At each hearing more chill
dren are committed to our care,
which must aggravate the difficulty:
Our board has, therefore, decided
to respectfully suggest to the courts
of the State that no further dates be
set for the hearings for the present.
This will make 1t possible to have
the homes visited and reports of ex-
listing conditions made to the courts
of all the counties. AS soon as we
are able to catch up with our work,
as / have tried to explain 1t, we will
notify the judges so that hearings
may be resumed.
1--WE are anxious that our position
in the matter should be correctly I'M
derstood by the public and | am,
therefore, sending a copy of this let
ter to the press.
"I need not say how deeply our
board regrets what has occurred. for
we realize fully the hardship to the
Individual widows and children who
will be deprived of relief for an in
definite time. but we cannot but feel
this is the lesser of two evils. Very
truly yours,
CAROLINE B. ALEXANDER.
president"