Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-10-15

and before the year closes will easily |
pay out $4,000 all told. Minidoka /,
county paid put s20s1.19 for mothers |
pensions and county aid in 1915 ana
SO far this year has paid for the same
purpose s244R.96. During the month
of September Canyon county paid $zV0
in mothers pensions and for the third !
quarter of the year paid s1185. In 1915
Canyon county paid Q grand total OF
s5s1s in mothers' pensions. Gocding
county distributed $1s15 in 1915 for
the same purpose. taking care of 30
mothers and their families. Twin Falls
county allowed $1715 during the first
three quarters Of the present year In
pensions. Very similar conditions are
shown in the several other counties OF
the state. The distribution of pensions
to deserving mothers is progressing
without trouble or signs of difficulty.
DISCUSS AMENDMENTS.
After reviewing the terms of the
mothers pension act showing that un-
der them women whose husbands are
dead, confined in the state penitentiary,
asylums or feeble minded institute
may secure pensions, Mr.. Lawson
called attention to proposed amend
ments, one df which is to extend the
benefits of the act to divorced women
left with families and in destitute cir
cumstances. The advisability of
amending the law in this way was dis
cussed by those present with the au-
thor of the act and q difference OF
opinion was found to exist. 1t was
admitted there are many cases of d.
vorced women so situated that the law
might reach but some doubt existed
as to the advisability of trying to make
the law so liberal. The various wo-
mems organizations of Boise and Ada
county will discuss the law and amend
ments at their meetings and will de-
termine what action they think should
be taken. There seems to be not
little sentiment among them to let well
enough alone and allow the law to
stand unamehded.
HOW MOTHERS BENEFIT.
Numerous instances were cited by
Mr.. Lawson of cases where the
mothers pension has saved mothers
from parting with their children. He
provoked laugh when he said that
one widow receiving $40 to help in the
suppol of her only child, said that
she had a proposal to remarry but she
| refused 1t because the pension would
| have been cut off and she would rather
| have her $40 month than husband.
| for she was sure of the former and not
so sure of the latter. In another in
/ stance he narrated the destitute cir
! cumstances n mother was left in with
her children by her husbands support
being removed when he became insane
and how the pension saved the family
from being Thrown out on the world.
| He told of wives who had been able
| to keep their children at home after
the husband had been sent to the peni-
Tertiary, through pensions applied for
and secured.
The necessity of safeguarding the
mothers pension act was urged upon
the women DC the state and county by
Mr.. Lawson. He compared it as rela-
/ tive in Importance to the women as a
workman's compensation act is to men
ant asserted that care should be taken
to see that joker amendments were not
allowed to creep into it or unwise
amendments which might tend to
weaken the purport of the law. Mr..
Lawson is the Republican nominee for
state senator at the coming election
and offered his assistance in support
of any action the women desired re-
garding the strengthening of the
mothers pension act.