Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-10

er and children are committed to the GUS
tody Of the board; in New York. general
supervisory power Is vested In the state
board Of charities: and In Wisconsin. by
reason of the state aid granted. the board
Of control has q limited power Of super
vision.
The administration Of the law is fur
Their hedged about by certain statutory
restrictions which the executory agencies
are legally bound to observe. These re-
strictive provisions relate to the eligi-
bility of the mother to receive aid. the
express conditions upon which relief Is
granted. and the age OF the child upon
the attaining of which public subsidies
automatically cease. Practically all OF
the laws provide that before aid Is grant
ed the mother must be physically. mep-
tally and morally fit to rear her children;
the support Of the husband must be re-
moved either by reason Of his death,
permanent incapacity for work because
| of physical or mental inf1rmity or tncar-
ceration In a detention institution: the
mother must be an actual resident and
must live with her children; financial aid
must be imperative to save tho children
! from neglect and enable the mother to
| properly care for them: and in practical
! " all cases the sources Of financial IN
| come are vigorously inspected to deter
| mine the economic dependence of the
mother and children.
| The procedure in obtaining relief varies
rather widely. In general application is
either made by the mother who IS eligi-
BILE to receive an allowance or by rep
utable citizen who may be informed
about and interested in the case. When
| the formal application or petition for re-
! lief in filed. the granting OF an allow
ance is preceded by and based on an IN
vestigation conducted by an agent or off,
| Ger Of the court or board. The state
ments made in the application, the act
! ual home conditions and the regulatory
| provisions enumerated in the law are
| adhered TO and observed in ascerta!ning
the relative restitution Of the applicant
or petitioner. A written report embody-
| ing the results obtained IS submitted 10
the court or board and the investigator
Is usually present to supply any infor-
nation demanded or to submit his opin-
ion on obscure and controverted matters
In Illinois the procedure is formal, the
mother petitioner and the county board
who formally disburse the relief are
made parties respondent. In New Jer-
sey the court examines all who desire
to be heard. After all evidence has been
heard. weighed and considered the court
or board makes an order accordingly.
ttv,v
lief, the proper fiscal officer Of the state
or Of the county. town or city appro-
PIRATES the funds and pays them in con-
formity with the order. In all the states
except California. Massachusetts,, Penn
sylvania and Wisconsin. the funds neces.
| sary to carry out the provisions OF the
law are paid out Of the county treasury
and out of money not otherwise appro-
priated In Illinois, South Dakota and
Ohio these funds are raised by a special
tax which in the former state amounts
to $40 Of mill on the dollars. and IN
| Ohio and South Dakota Ito Of mill. In
California SIS per year Is paid by the
| state; in Massachusetts one-third OF the
! allowance where the recipient has 1e-
gal settlement and the whole amount In
other cases; and in Pennsylvania and
Wisconsin one half Of the amount within
the limits of the appropriation, which is
apportioned according to the population
Of the counties In New Jerrey the pay
ments by counties are made through the
| state board Of children's guardians.
| In most States. the allowance Is paid
directly to the mother. either in monthly
| instaIlments or at such times and IN
such amounts as are indicated in the
| order of the court. In a few States.
notably in some Of those which have
amended their laws. provision Is made
for the payment of the allowance to an
individual or organization approved by
the court in case the mother is found to
be improvident. careless or negligent.
Several States definitely limit the time
to six months during which an allow
ance continues in force, but each allow
ance may be renewed and extended for a
similar period; in other States payment
continues SO long as the original order
Is not modified. In Massachusetts, each
case is reconsidered at least once each
year.
The amount of the allowance is sup
posed to be sufficient to enable the
mother to properly care for her children
or to be equivalen to an amount neces-
sary to maintain them in an institu-
tional home, and in each State the
amount is definitely fixed. In several
States the amount which may be ex-
pended is definitely limited. This is
fixed at $4,000 per annum In Missouri;
in Pennsylvania at $4,000 in counties
with cities of the first class: s2,406 in
counties with cities of the second class:
$500 in counties with cities of the
third class. and $1,000 in other counties:
and to meet these expenses an appro-
priation of 5000. 900 was made for the
biennum of 1924; In Utah not to ex-
coed $4,000 per year in any county; in
Wisconsin the amount paid by the State
to any county in any one year can not
exceed 81 for each 10000 inhabitants.
and State aid does not exceed $4,000
per year.
The Investigations in most States are
conducted by probation officers. agents
or visitors appointed by the court or
board and families recipient are subse-
quently supervised by these same per-
sons. The qualifications of visitors are
usually that thew shall be discreet per.