Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-26
BY ANNA b. BURNS
Social Worker aud Investigator.

Several hundred women and children in
Philadelphia are suffering actual dostitu-
tiOn because Councils have failed to pay
them the money earned by the prison
labor of their husband and fathers.
Under the act of 1913. delinquent and
Imprisoned husbands have been put to
work crushing stone. Tho law Contem-
plates letting the prisoners earn support
for their wives and children i'm this man
nor the county paying their families 60
cents per day during the term of thcir
imprisonment. This ~ cents per day for
the payment of which Councils have
failed to make provision, Is tho only re-
source of many innocent dependents of
the prisoners In the House Of Correction.
1t is necessary. to carry out the pro-
visions Of the act uf 1913, .Snown MS the
stone pile act that Councils shall apro-
pirate specific sum for that purpose.
Under the mode of procedure in opera
tion in Philadelphia appropriations are
made in December of one year for tho
needs OF the following year: therefore,
70 carry out the provisions of the act
Councils should have made an appropra-
ton In December. 1913, for use during
l9li; an appropriation i'm 1914 for use
during 1913 and an appropriation in
December, 1915, for use during 1915.
All of this Councils Us failed to do
making three years in which Councils
has ignored the cNstcnc" of the act ana
responsibility
to comply with thel avs of the state, and
the humanitarian impulses behind the
law
Tho court records and statistics Of
Philadelphia charitable organizations
show that there are at least 5000 per-
sons at present i'm Philadelphia suffering
privation by reason of Councils failure
to make provision for them under the
law
As n result. charitable organizations Of
the city have had thrust upon them the
car" of women and children deserted or
refused support by their husbands and
fathers. The Society for Organizing Char
ity alone cared for SG5 cases of nom
support during the year ending on Oc-
tober |. 1915. Many of these cases were
referred to the society by the Domestic
Relations Court after the court had made
an order for support. These families
average four, making about $500 persons
provided for by this one private charity
alone.
The Society for Organizing Charity es-
Inmates that it handles about IS per cent |
of the cases of nonsupport in the city, |
which leaves approximately 2jO0 persons
unprOvded for.
While these families are starving, the
only excuse thus far offered by Councils
for its failure to take action leading to
the enforcement of the law is that it
has not yet decided to what department !
the appropriation shall be awarded.
This law was enacted through the So |
licitation of charity workers of the State, |
particularly in Philadelphia and Pitts
burgh, in order that they might deal |
more effectively with men who refused |
to support their families.
The evil of desertion and non-support |
had grown to such proportions that the |
charity institutions Of the state and social |
workers had come to see that the laws |
should he further pthppei
The Central Council of the Associated |
Charities of Pittsburgh in 1912 appointed |
Il committee, with Ward Bonsall as chair
man, to draft bill making it possible for
Judges 10 cor nit deserving or non-sup-
porting husbands to the House of Cor
rcction, and providing that while such
men We're detained therein the sum of
siNty-hve cents a day should be paid by
the county through the court to their
families.
The Pittsburgh committee sought the
cooperation of Philadelphia citizens
Walter George Smith Charles L. Nc
Kcehan and Assistant city Solicitor Eu-
gene Bonniwell assisted in drafting the
act.
It was introduced, passed by the Legis-
lature and has been nominally operative
since June, 1913.
But Notwithstanding the fact that this
law has been Operative" for three years,
not one cent has been Lid TO the Phila-
dolphin families of men who have been
sent To the House Of Correction for deser-
ton ana nOn-suppOr'
As n result Of their inability to enforce
the law the Philadelphia courts have been
rendered impotent in dealing with cases
Of desertion and nOn-support Many of
these cases have become chronic, due TO
the fact that the men, recognizing that
the limit of the court power is to send
them to the House of Correction for a
term, remain obstinate I'm refusing to
support their families until they are ar
rested. They then promise to work, and
some do so for n short time, but very
soon quit work and cease providing for
heir families.
Charity workers and Desertion Court