Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-06
WOULD KEEP CHILDREN
IN CARE OF MOTHERS
better for Young Ones and Cheaper
for Public Than lnstitu-
tiOnal Care.
HAWKINS SUBMITS REPORT
Annual Meeting Of Associated CI,ari-
ties Takes Place at Jefferson.
buchanan Says Number OF Wife
DeSertiOnS Has Increased.

Buchanan Says Number OF Wife
DeSertiOns Has Increased.
That the Richmond Associated Chart
ties introduce policy Of holding to-
gcther the family, where such thing
il At all feasible. Was earnestly recon-
mcnded yesterday by President O.. \.
Hawkins In his annual report TO that
institution. which. ne Says falls in is
work or service when it stops with
mere temporary relief. For carrying
out this purpose, he suggests that the
organization spend more money. If nee
cssary. but submits "a table of expenses
to show that when the children Of a
widowed mother are cared for in chart
table institutions. the public. after all.
spends more money for their nainte-
nance.
The average institution" said MIR.
hawkins. such as homes for the aged.
the INDECENT and orphanaEes. report
the per capita cost Of maintenance for
1918 as from ti25 10 1928. suppose
we have on our roll good mother.
widowed or otherwise deprived of SUP
port. She has. say. three children.
aged five. seven and nine years. re-
sDcctivcly. She cannot employ helm:
she cannot make living in her own
HON" for all four: shG cannot afford TO
send the children 10 school. she can
no: afford to go out to work and leave
the children TO roam the streets-not
" she loves them and has their future
interest AT heart. She does not want
to break up her home. And If she he
p good loving mother. her children
should not b" removed from her IN
fuence
shc do? Rather than see them hungry.
half-clad and without any school adj
vantaEes. she yields and permits them
70 he taken TO some institution. There
after. annually. until they reach the
age Of eighteen wears. sometimes
longer. the public. either as taxpayer
ar by contributions. are paying prob
ably az much $50 for each or a
total NJ $3.50 annually. aud "a home is
broken w. mothers influence lost 20
her children. and no living person can
compute IN" cost 10 the city. state or
nation on account Of that separation
COULD SAVE FAMILh
ron LOWER EXPENDITURE:
In lieu Of that condition il is alto
cether probable that il the mother re-
'uained "A widow. the sum Of $500 OK
pended annually for six wears or until
the eldest reached nftecn years. 500
per annnm for two additional years ami
300 per annum for another two wears
We would find that family together ana
s"lf-supportinc. The total expenditure
would he $500. covering a period OF
ten years"
Tn" problem Of caring for the miEra-
'ory or tramp. class seems 10 he dis
appearing with the adven, Of prohi-
hition. says Or. James Buchanan. sec
rotary 81 the Associated Charities
During tn" past year 4.o25 men were
Jared !or in the ISayside Inn. and
No. mcals were given 10 these men"
says his annual repor, For the
month Of November. since prohibition
went into effect patronage in this de.
r"riment or our work has greatly
diminished There has no, been
sinEl" drunk applying at the Wayside
Inn during the month Of November
The old habitues OF Richmond have
disappeared. and men OF this ,yn. do
not come TO Richmond. For instance
last night there WAS not - single man
IN IN" WaEsidc Inn. The problem OF
INC migratory or tramp class seems
I" he disappearing with tho introduce
ton "f prohibition. This is an adj
vantage. but there is another aspec,
:" this question which We have NOT
hnG time to observe so as To b. able
20 speak authoritatively. Coiucident
with the disappearance OF the tramp
We nave an increase in deserted fam
HES. Whether or not the husband is
DESERVING his family for The same rea
son mat the tramp IS refusing to come
I" Richmond. Ne are Yet unable to
state. nut the indications point toward
this conclusion. Later these men may
send for their families and relieve MS
If this burden. During 1917 we will
he able to make study OF this mia SO
81 the question and be in "A position
~ the end OF our next fiscal wear 10
speak from experience
WAN WHO WANTS WORK
CAN GET EMPLOYMENT
In 1914 the disbursements at the
central office were ss.363.2e. and i'm the
year 1915 the disbursements were sl5.-
"o5'52' whereas. in the year 1915 just
closing. the figures reverted back 10
Ss.342So- This is only sls less in 1915
man IN 1919: Both years are practi-
caliE about 30 per cent Of 1915
The disbursements for the year. as
outlined III previous Exhibits. are
larger for the number OF families
helped than in the previous year This
Is accounted Tor by The fact that during
December Oslo. January. February
and March Of 1915. our disbursements
were sl0,02a.53. whereas during the
balance Of the year the expenditures
were abeut normal. The large eXpen-
"iture during these months comedies
with the industrial depression Dur
ms l9lo we We're unable To discrimi-
nate as to the real cause OF distress
NO matter whether "A man wanted a
loh or not, he could truthfully say that
he could not find one
In the present year, 1916 the con-
d'tions were entirely different II a
man wanted work he could find it, and
the reason for not being employed must
be sought in some other way The
analysis of the figures presented dur
ing the past year shows us what the
real problems are underlying much OF
our dependency. AS an educational
FACTOR this is valuable because i, en-
doles us 10 bruSh aside all sentimental
CONSIDERATIONS ana look squarely at the
,i''S' me ngureS FOR the year show
me causes. we find standing out
prominently widowhood, desertion. III
berculosis and old age This accounts
for about IS per cent Of the causes
aided during the year The other o5
per cent is accounted for by drink,
opiates. improvidence and Incidence
The completely Of the problems in
volVed creates diSSension among our