The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-10-16
Will the Bosses Get Pretty "Judge
Anita Friend of Jersey Ctys Poor?
rFundShe
the Bosses enchm front the Payroll
BY NlxoLA cRssLsY.sMlTH.

NEW YORK, Oct, iS.-Her name Is
Anita Grish. Blu In Jersey City, N.
j., where she Is superintendent OF the
poor fund. everybody calls her Judge
Anita"
Everybody. that Is except the politi-
clans who don't approve OF having
woman superintendent OF the poor.
because she refuses 10 administer the
poor fund In the way that viii do the
most good at the next election, and
because she thinks that the poor fund
II for the poor--not TO be doled out In
pensioial to those VINO vote right
Irrespective of their need or Claims.
Ever since Mark Pagan. Jersey
|'Citys mayor. appointed this slender.
brown-haired young woman as his SUI
perintendent OF poor. the politicians
have been trying 10 get her" They
speak Of her as that foreigner be-
cause Miss Grish was born In Hobo
ken, three miles away.
I'm the morning | investigate-in
the afternoon | hold court" she said.
smilingly In explaining her title
Judge Anita" I'm the judge, the
prosecutor, the lawyer for the defense.
the jury--everything! nominated
and elected myself.
you see, there are a great many
cases which come before the superin-
tendent OF the poor fund which hinge
ON the disagreements Of husbands and
wives SO hold court TO arbitrate
their differences. The proceeding
begins usually with the wife's COM
plant that her husband doesn't con-
tribute to her support and the support
of her children. In Jersey we have
b law that man must pay his wife
4 $3.50 week for the support OF each
child, irrespective OF his financial
il condition, no matter how much money
Ihe has, that's all he is obliged TO pay
! under the law!
Il well, there's no such fool law In
||my court, can tell you! make the
Husband pay In accordance with his
/ Income! or course. ] reconcile man
Hand his wife whenever | can. Often
IIthey have Quarreled about some fool
||ish. trivial thing. x man can't UNI
|Jderstand. for instance. why his wife
|lobjects to his treating his friends on
|1Saturday night just as be did before
|Ithey were married In case like
point out to the young husband
1.-The new responsibilities and duties he
has assumed.
81 Sometimes the, wife Is unreason-
liable or extrayagant or doesn't know
Vhow to cook or keep her home tidy
Hin such q case tell her that she Is
0loafng on her job and that IL she
Nworked for anybody except the man
1who loved her she would get fired.
I YOU'D be astonished TO see how far
IIa little friendly reasoning viii go with
Iboth men and women. And then, OF
IIcourse, have a great ally-their love
IIfor each other. For the poor really
love each other. you know. Their
Iquarrels result from forces stronger
Shhan they are and outside OF them
[kelves--from poverty, bad housing.
Hong hours OF work. believe that
(khere's always way out OF every DIFF
I@aculty SO long as love is still alive.
land that's what / tell them. II works
q Judge Anita smiled wonderful.
Initial, dazzling smile of youth and
3kaith. II tell you there wasn't any
khing like that connected with this Of
lice when the politicians ran IT, she
hxclainfed suddenly. Then the city 8
money was benenting all classes OF
people except the poor, for whom II
|was intended. Why. there was one
Regular pensioner who always cashed
ais city check at the nearest bar and
spent It there. at least. part OF ".
|Then there was q woman running o
boarding house and paying $50 q
month rent who was on the pay roll.
There were families who had received
help when they had dependent chill
tran who were still drawing money
Although the children had grown up
and could support themselves. This
sayed bookkeeping, and kept the vot-
hrs In line. but II was pretty hard on
re poor people who really needed the
money but couldn't get IT!
~The rule here was Here's your
money, and no questions asked un'
III came. don't blame the ponti
ciAns for wanting to get rid OF me
ant really don't think they will.
don't think so. either!
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