New-York tribune., 1915-03-25
Party Lines Cast Aside in
States Effort to Aid
Destitute Mothers.
BILL AS PASSED
GOES TO GOVERNOR
Will Hold Hearing Before Sign
ing lt-Many Women Pres
ent at Debate.


was passed by vote of 129 to 8. The
only one to oppose it in the debate
was Majority Leader Iftpman, and he
realized that he was hopelessly beaten.
81 know you are going to pass the
bill" he said, "but if there is not an
other man with me. | intend TO be re-
corded in the negative"
The Senate passed the bill unani-
mously last week, and Governor Whit
man, it is expected. will sign 1t within
the next few days. lie has promised a
hearing on it before taking final action.
The measure provides for the cstab-
/ lishment of boards of child welfare in
New York City and the various counties
of the state. They are to obtain from
the Boards of Supervisors and in any
city from the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment enough money to keep
| the families of destitute widowed
mothers together in their homes. The
plan is to use for this purpose the
money which otherwise would be eX-
I pended in keeping the children in pub
/ lie institutions.
! Minority Leader A. +. Smith made
an eloquent plea cor the destitute
widows with children, and he was fol-
| lowed by Republican, Democratic and
Progressive speakers, all of whom were
/ equally emphatic in their commenda-
| ton Of the bill.
Hinman Fights Bill.
millions of dollars have been
| pledged to conserve the natural re-
sources of the state" said Mr.. Smith,
"but we have been slow TO legislate
along that direction, that thanksgiving
TO the poorest man recorded in history,
He who was born in the stable 1T Beth
! lehem."
Mr.. Hnman held that the bill was a
step toward discouraging individuality.
resourcefulness and thrift, and that it
would go a great ways toward pauper-
izing people instead of building them
up. He read a letter from +. Frank
/ Brewster, of Rochester, a member Of
the commission which investigated
pensions for widowed mothers, critics.
ing the work Of that body.
Martin G.. McCue, also a member Of
the commission and the introducer of
I the bill. declared later that the only
time he learned that Brewster was a
member was when he presented an eX-
pense account to the State Controller,
which. he said, was rejected on the
ground that it was excessive.
Those who voted against the bill
I were Comstock, of Orleans; Conklng,
of New York; Fuess, of Utica; Grant,
Of Lewis; Hinman, of Albany; knight,
Of Wyoming; LandOn, of Duchess, and
Wiltse, of Cortland.
! Mrs. Hannah Finstein. Miss Sophie
( Irene Loeb. Mrs. Samuel S. Koenig and
/ others instrumental in bringing about
| the passage Of the bill were present
/ during the debate.
Charles s. Whitman, jr., will perform
/ his first public duty this morning, when
/ he interviews his father, the Governor,
/ on tn subject of the mothers pension
/ bill, which passed the Assembly yes
/ terday and now needs only the Gov
ernor's signature to become law.
/ 1t is generally understood in political
! circles that the wishes of the junior
/ Governor have great weight with the
! Chief Executive. Not words. they say,
will be necessary. All he will have to
| do is TO look helpless and lovable, and
/ Goye.nor Whitman will be reminded of
/ the thousands Of other helpless and
/ lovable babies who vii! be helped by
the passage of the bill.
Women Believe He'll Sign.
Prominent women in New York City
who have been interested in the moth
ers' pension campaign said last night
! that they were sure the Governor
would sign the bill.
"He cannot fail to sign it with an
eloouent pleader like his own baby son
/ 10 help persuade him." said Miss Lillian
/ d. Wald, head Of the Henry Street Set
tIement "Mrs. Whitman, too, ! imag-
inc. is enthusiastic for the bill. | know
/ she takes an interest in most of the
modern woman movements. and this is
one almost every woman believes IN. |
am sure Governor Whitman will sign
the bill, since so many Of the people
who have his confidence have adyo-
Gated it.
ave here in Henry Street have been
practising mothers pensions for years.
1 Often, when mother was left without
/ ADEQUATE means of support and her
Children were about TO be sent 10 some
/ institution, we have supplied her with
/ money to maintain the home.
"Of course, we did not have funds TO
do this in any but the most deserving
7 cases. but wherever we tried II we were
always gratifed with the results. What
we have noticed in a small way here
I has been the result, also, IN the State
! of Illinois, where the mothers pension
+ rule has been in operation for some
time. Through the frequent visits Of
/ trained women inspectors many les
sons in the care and training Of chill
dren have been brought home to the
unlessoned mothers of the cities.
81 do not know much about the par
ticulars of the New York bill, but ]
am sure that some similar system Of
supervision will be included in the ad-
ministration Of the pension fund"
Counts on Mrs. Whitman.
/ Mrs. Clarence Burns, president Of the
Little Mothers Aid Association, said
B that the passage of this bill was the
/ : est thing the New York Legislature
+ had done this year.
"We're not worrying about the Gov
J ernor's signing IT," she said. Mrs.
Whitman is a real live clubwoman.
} 81 cannot imagine any one being op-
nosed TO the bill, unless il is some tax
naver. To him we need only remark
/ nat il will be a saving 10 the state TO
close up the institutions and keep the
children in their own homes. be-
Geve Illinois has saved one-siXth Of the
Coptinued on page 3. column