The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-09
CHARITY ROW STIRS
WAR AMONG WOMEN
Father Higgins's Refusal to
Address Welfare League
Causes Tempest.
SISTER LEADS REVOLT

Father James J. Higgins, Catholic s,i-
,evisor of charities OF the diocese Of
,cns island. did not address the meeting
" the International Child Welfare
League in the Della Robbia room OF the
Vanderbilt Hotel yesterday afternoon.
His absence. however. vas e~nlivcning,
,r ii not only brought about a polite
controversy between Miss Helen Todd.
director Of the bureau of information of
he league. and Miss winifrcd Higgins,
suter Of the priest. but II caused a num-.
her ot irate womcn TO announce openly
ina, they were through with the or
SANITATION because of what they called
10 unfairness.
Tho trouble began with Miss Todd's
explanation Of why Father Higgins did
not appear. Miss Todd in her address
said hat the league must stand by
Charities Commissioner kingsbury In the
present investigation into the State
Board OF Charities. Some one told her
from the floor that the women present
preferred to await the results of an In
westigation before taking sides.
Mas Todd Surprises League.
Fifty or sixty tables In the room were
occupied yesterday by women who had
gathered to hear Father Higgins. Com
missioner k~ingsbury spoke before the
league two weeks ago. giving his side
OF the controversy. Miss Todd sur
prised the leagu. by saying that Father
Higgins. after making a positive en-
sagement TO appear. a sent a letter
declaring that II was impairment for
her TO announce that ne would be a
speaker.
When Miss Todd lad finished a young
woman in the audience arose and said
tina, she would like to know how Miss
Todd had come TO believe that Father
Higgins was 10 be there.
"Why.' replied Miss Todd, II met
Father Higgins at the Bar Association
two weeks ago and he told me that he
would like to answer Commissioner
Kinssbury. Al his solicitation I fixed
SATURDAY.. April s. for the time and sent
on. a cali for a meA,inv. I tried to get
Father Higgins on the telephone re-
pea,edly. but he was never In. / knew
nothing until l received n letter from
him saying that II was impertinent for
NE 10 him without permits
sion
MAY I ask II Father Higgins told
you that he would not speak until after
ne end of the investig% atom" asked the
young woman.
oh. no. nothing OF the kind" said
Miss Todd. 1T was "A positive engage
ment, made at his request-I cannot IN
derstand IT,"
Prtest's slater L. Challenger.
You will pardon me-" said the qres.
TONER, but I th!nk ! can state on frs,
hand authority that you were old tina,
Father Higgins would not speak on the
slbjec; until after the report had beer
made. | know that"
No. replied Miss Todd calmly. 81
a. not think that Is So"
The Questioner was Miss Win'fred
u ggins. sister Of the priest. She and
= half dozen other women announced
that they would not join the league
They accused the league OF taking sides
n-for. all the evidence was in.
Miss Todd. in her address yesterday
criticised the present state Board o.
Charities. objecting to the axe Of somt
o. the members. She particularly criti'
cis-d pr. Smith. who is 30 years OLD
SIZE read extracts from his testimony II:
cnild welfare. She said that he had no
had a new idea on child welfare since
1856. She advocated "A board made up Of
persons who ave specialized in the care
II dependent children. one-half men, ore
half women.
rather Higgins said last night nat In
mad made several conditions when dis
clss.nc his appearance before the league
One was that the investigation must III
completed. another that he should have
.e platform alone and the third tina
here should he no debate. While he wa:
surprised to hear that he had been an
rourced ~ "A speaker. he said. he die
DOT use the word ''impertinent' in his let
Irr - Miss Todd.