The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-04-15
SEES THRIFT AS
; WARM ALLY OF
DOMESTIC PEACE
Judge Lacy Tells American Soci.
ETY. of the Economics" of
His Court
MANY HUSBANDS MADE
PROVIDENT, HE SAYS
Prevents Disruption of Homes
by Aiding in Making Them
Prosperous

American Society for Thrift. Judge
I Lacy, OF the domestic relations court
/ IN Wednesday outlined his method OF
procedure In encouraging more eco
nomlcal home management, as fol
lows:
f american Society for Thrift.
O02 Straus Building.
Chicago. III.
q G's n.t klteplying 70 your letter
methods here In the encoura cement OF
- FAMILY thrift. / beg To say:
the prime motive actuating this
court Is 10 restore families 10 normal
fronditious wherever possible We have
jurisdiction over All non support
abandonment and lamilg criminal
rases, and all divorce and other family
cases We never issue warrant
Without preliminaTN inyesg igation
where IL IS possible.
When the WIFE makes AN appficatlon
Z Tor q warrant, She states her claims
y" the eplet deputy who tells her 10
return AZ SEINE appointed time In
me meantlme inv estigaiOn- officers,
WHO are conCiliatory officers cali upon
me priest pastor. employer. grocer
ana the husband and ascertain the
story from every angle and arrange
cor "a conference between the husband
ahd the wife together with a man and
We man investigator at an appointed
>, me by this method We aim TO avoid
lhr ISSUANCE Of warrants and the ar
resting or men. II IS often "A very
serious thing ln family case TO ar
rest even guilty husband, for il rem
GERS reconciliation more difficult and
uIten entirely prevents IL we nel er
Arrest even tht gufity anti every con-
/. 3g8iaFoES Wethod has utterlt failed
A-A e AtnF To control the ,SftultiaA ~
controllinE the finances before the ar,
rest by voluntary arrangements
The husband In order 70 avoid tho
arrest Is willing voluntarily to place
himself under the advisory suIervision
oI the court He arrahges Ia, pay "A
certain amount Of his wages into
court. portion is returned 10 him and
= portion paid 20 the wife Where we
consider IL desirable he is required 10
render an account Of All his eNpendf-.
WIS and his wife 10 ia Likewise
w hen she comes for her second allow
1Hce' she must render an temiZed
1tdltuiehl 81 NerNthing she has eN-
p"hued out OF the first allowance. She
~ Wiling 10 do this. because she wants
support FOR herself and children
ne result OF the family accounting
department ~ WONDERFUL and il is ev-
'etulhGlN popular with the husbands
AS Well as the wives. Tie money mass
mig through this department now
mounts 10 about 81 poe week AL
Hecks lniemperance, extravaganza i'm
providence ana encourages thrlft
economy. and business methods WEI
"uHeate wives In ouy ing By "a sliding
scale or graduated allowance de-
pendent on conduct we are able I'm a
measure 10 control the conduct or the
NlNeS and relatives. The better they
al the more they get
The wife is informed when the hus
Wnd rs To pay the money. and hpinG
Htsirous 70 get IT, She comes 10 get IL i
~ the same time The result ~ Very
FREQUENT meetings She is nanny "a
set the money and he is proud to nav
II ana "a feeltp- Of good cheer and
the conciliatory officers are endeaVor-
ing 20 get the parties together The |
result rs that ia our first six months |
this court recouciled or adjusted over
zoe families-over so per cent heinz
permanent All of this money comes /
from men who have not hitherto been /
properly supporting their wives and /
,,illurtn, ana II goes 70 relieve fam
HES almost all OF whom nave been
dependent upon public charities and |
the poor commission OF our county
our offices are open evenings to pre-.
vent loss OF time nv the men who ara
working Lack OF work il no excuse 7
Tor non-support i'm this court We /
nave an employment bureau which
provides work and through the co.
operation OF our labor employing in
dustI.es, We nave always been able 10 |
10 be arrested unless he forces IT, lie
has repeated chances before arrest |
I- - IN no equitable position to beg
me 10 give him "a chance" when
brought before me I never fine forI
non support for that Furnishes the de
pendent FAMILY ] never mprison un
I'll every oNher means has failed FOR
mar amounts 20 enforced desertfon
but when ! sentence it is ALWAYS FOR /
we linlt anu every man understands
mat In advance. We have support
BOND policy whereby interfering rela
ives Sign the bonds which quite ef
iectively breaks M the interference.
u has aided greatly I'm solving the
mother-in- law problem
We nave a philanthroptc fund froml
Whlch we sometimes loan small sums1
70 needy men To bridge over rim nav
lay IL is loaned without security or
interest not a single scratch OF a pen
we don't even take = uote-but loan
~ often before arrest on the honor OF
the man The suggestion that We trrtTt
bim owakens self respect ana inspires
III the latent honor ne has We also
ave charity fund. Ordinarily nao-
pie DO not want charity, but oppor-
tunity Distressed people need "a lad
der. not crutch. To let the family I
,recedenL When once thus started
hey are apt To continue our milan (
lnropic tund prevents that. As soon
rs the families are gotten on 10 I, .
sound financial basis which viii en-.
lble them TO do So we encourage the
making OF small savings deposits
mere can be no dividing line be- I
tween the work Of this court as n
court and the rendition OF personal
erNlce 10 tie distressed families com ] |
~ nv. Tor We find crimnality and {
Whntohess SO interviewer with ignor- .
ance' improvidence, shiftlessuess. lack
i dhiiIt, III temper sickness. home s
"hdllons' lack or work, and misfor-
IuneS or All sorts that mere fines and 4,
Imprisonments VIII not remedy tho
difhculty. When a husband fails To {
support his Wife because ne is out of :
work ne needs job, not Jail N his /.
Wiie ~ eNtraVagant She must be uu- !
ger advisory supervision. In he Is in. ]
temperate. ne mast be checked: n she {
rags. her tongue must be- STAYED. III +,
relatives interfere. the interference ;
pust be broken; N the family is. sick 8
they must be given relief Anything 4
snort OF discovering the cause Of thcl .
dlthcultv and correcting il is merelvI
surface treatment and is mere tempoE-
ization - Ia
We regard thrift rs close to tie .
hasis OF domestic felicity You win :
observe that our policy is that there G
should 'be as little family litigation az n
possible In practical efTest ii makes
nus court one Of Cancellation We ,
need court To stop familv litigation .
rather than TO encourage It, M IL re- b
duclnE the number or warrants ISSUED b
tremendously and i'm our FIRST six I.
monthS We issued only 2G7 warrants v
Tor non-support Tor "a population I'm G
excess of 100000 in this county and | =
We feel rather happy 90 get through
the winter season on this number
At some early date hope 10 he AMI. 3
% give you more careful review 0f.l s
our work
yours very truly.
AIlIIIEH u Lacy
Judge domestic relations court r 4
County 81 WAYNE n
---- -
i. a.. / =