Evening journal., 1915-03-05
Education OF
STATE Children


Tho committee of seventy has issued |
the following statement relative to thel
bill in the Legislature for the maintc-l
nance, support and education of chill
dren in certain cases.
"Ihere has been recently passed byl
the Senate at Dover bill pertaining tol
the maintenance, support and education
OF children in certain eases which has
many features worthy of public inter
est and support. This bill was recently
introduced by Senator Furniss, OF Sus-
sex county. and is designed TO have each
county contribute one-half and the
( State contribute the other half towards
the support OF children between the
ages of and IL years OF age. who may
be in straitened circumstances as re-
suit of being orphaned or whose families
through lack OF earning power are un-
able to properly support, maintain and
educate them
"ln twenty-one other States laws
are already in effect. having the same
object in view For instance. the
State of Pennsylvania passed a bill
designed TO provide monthly pay
ments TO INDECENT widowed or aban-
doncd mothers for partial support Of
children in their own homes. A law
on those lines, properly worked out In
It's details, is unQuestionably needed
In Delaware TO properly supplement
the normal and wise restrictions al
ready provided under the Child Labor
laws and the compulsory education
laws of Delaware. so that the best re.
suits which Il Is desired TO obtain
under the present labor and educa-
tion requirements for the children of
our State may be worked out without
causing a hardship on certain fami-
lies lacking sufficient means of sup
port are tempted to handicap their
children further by putting them TO
work.
"rhe bill at Dover Is not considered
by many as sufficiently protective on
several points This hill. In its orig
inal draft, provides for the application
of funds authorized or appropriated
under the bill TO be made TO societies
orphanagos or similar Institutions
which may receive children assigned
TO such institutions through the op-
erations OF this proposed law Il has
been recognized that an important
feature of such law was the maintc.
nance of the children under the con-
ditions of homo life where they should
, normally be reared This seems to be
an important principle aud therefore
the bill at Dover should be so altered
in this respect that the fund should
! only be supplied for tho support o
( children in their own homes or in
q homes OF interested families.
q "As 10 the application Of this pro.
! posed law 10 the support of children
within the family or under home con
r ditions Il appears of great import
I anco 10 have proper oversight of the
1 families receiving the support. to sec
81 that the money Is being used TO th'
greatest advantage for the children.
L In the State laws of Pennsylvania
d each county has a board of five o.
y seven trustees, as may be seloctol
by the chief executive, these irus
q tees to be women. Il is the dut
10 OF these trustees TO see that On
States funds may be properly an
n effectively applied to establish th
10 best home life for the children IL
.e sought to maintain. educate and SUI
,t port during the earlier period of the
IN development and until they reach th
a legal wage-earning age as prescribe
A. by The laws OF the State The Phila
4 delphia county trustees emphasize IN
i, fact that provision for the supervisor
{, care Of the families is as imporian
/, as provision for money relief
o. I'm the bill now before the Stat
- Legislature Of Delaware there ais
seems 10 be serious inequality 4
the fact that II is proposed to appl
the same amount of funds for each O
the three counties. whereas il is un
= questionably q fact that the need O
y funds for this purpose would approxi
% mately be in proportion TO the popu
lation of the various districts effect
ed.
with these points properly cover
cd: namely. first, the elimination q
applying funds to societies for sue
support; second tho thorough super
vision of the use OF these funds an
y the children supported under theI
u in their own families or homes {
which they have been assigned, ant
third. a moro equitable distribution {
y the funds according to the populatio
"a of the various counties of our Stat
10 the bill at Dover is well worthy ,
D. converting into an established la
F. for our State.
m MIR. MCGOWAN AN OFFICER.
N Alexander McGowan. of No. AZ
East Fourth street, left on Wedne