The Nome daily nugget., 1915-02-09

side her home. In the majority oi states the allowance is ample for the re uired need and at the same time is not of sufficient size as to cause the recipients to refrain from attempting to help themselves when opportunity offers.
 The need of such laws is apparent when one considers the thousands of needy mothers throughout the land who are trying by every means in their power to keep their growing families together and give them such education as can be afforded Such are surely deserving of outside help Private re- lief is charity, pure and simple and often those in the greatest need will not accept of if fearing the stigma of pauperism which is almost invariably attached
 And. while the pension system may
 
 il is charity in different garh. the un- deriving idea is not the same. Under the pension system the state assumes the view that the raising of children in the best possible environment rebounds Ia the good of the state and, as this environment is not to be found except in rare cases. outside of the home. it Is therefore a proper function of the state to preserve the home life as far as possible bv keeping the family Intact Thus, il may be seen that the pensiouing If the needy mother to that end is. in reality the granting to her of a salary. which she is expected to earn. by serving the state in giving her time to the raising of good citizens It may he argued. of course. that the granting If money alone will not make good homes Yet IS opposed to the public institution system which has been found wanting in the great majority of cases and the difficulty of finding other homes where proper care is as sured, tue normal home life is, by and large, better conducive 10 good cit .lensnip in the end.
 The struggle to preserve the home lie unasssted in many cases results .n the physical breakdown uf the motutr from over work, poor housing al1 uourishme h., and also ill the frequent delinquency of the children during th- mothers . ,senee from the home.
 Gonsluetei Ill the t7ht that the child IS d public heritage il is the duty of the slate to insure as lar as possible that Il be raised under the most favorable conditions, and, if the mother be not .tble tu supply those conditions, owing to the difficulties of obtaining a lis ing. lhe sttle should assume at least DOT tion of the burden. Private funds con tributed for that purpose generally give only partial relief and are both irreg ular and inadequate, and so do not fiji the ever present need. Furthermore it is properly a function of the state to meet such needs where they exist and no other remedy is adequate Tho thousands of wan and toll worn mothers whose lives are one constant sacrifice in the effort to properly raise and clothc their offspring are the most effective argument for measures of this kind. There are many arguments against the system, some of which are founded on logical reasons, but there can be no objection to the principal. | Mothers pension laws arc working sue cessfully in many states despite the i difficulties of administering them in the most efficient manner but this will 1 improve as it continues. In the major l portion of cases the families thus help l ed according to the best information obtainable, have proven worthy of the effort expended. and have shown not only tendency to become more closely 1 knit but have generally displayed a tendency To help themselves wherever opportunity offered While as before