Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-01
COMMITTEE HEARINGS


ID no' mandatory
II i'H % proposition Of raising the
usi Mr. BnElcy," said Senator Mer-
H NH.sHChusetts the maximum age
n children 20 be so supported Is
hl' ihc age was made 70 In this act.
Nr IRglcy. 10 conform with the
h.d ioWs and child labor laws lie
7td 'hat among the eastern states
- hampshire. Massachusetts. Penn
1nia. Sew York and New Jersey
have mothers mid acts.
iH'rmHn Whitchousc of tho Board
.N1rticv pnd Corrections stated
t.rn now in some instances the
for The protection of children.
'.r han break up homes are board
drcn with their own mothers.
ouEh there Ia no warrant of law for
rs nythVg but boarding them in
''f NNWoF, so that in some cases this
would merely lcgali2e what is al
being done He felt sure that
year would cover the first
,.ars
H.p Murray of Bangor asked IL the
'ent sYftem didn't spend as much
'n.} IN breaking up tho homes as the
opposed act would in keeping them to-
her ana Mr.. Whitohouse replied that
y thought u did and in some cases
pore. Twcnty-eight states of the
hiun. ho -nid. now have such laws
Rop Quincy of Portland said he be
we'd 100 this matter the state of Maine
~ great opportunity TO prove that
/ hristinnlty has not failed by providing
/ me children. who the Governor had
fad, are the states most valuable as
'I" pointed out. however. that OF the
X .'lfes which now have mothers pen
''a only one Wyoming-starts out
'' payment ~ large for the mother
enc such child as Maine would give
month. Also IN the matter OF age
"hi'h the aid should be paid he urged
"Vhg With u as the maximum age.
we've states now have this as the max
num axe.
'h' Inst census showed that there were
-Ni Widows Ia Maine. but IL did no,
'N"w how many OF them had children
i utEht become henenciaries under this
There were at that time 2lS.00)
'drcu IN the state under II and $4,000
ler 10, showing q startling increase in
'fceutaEe of children who might have
Pc cared TOR II the age were placed
p le instead " a. Mr. Quincy advised
little more caution. although he believ-
H j. mothers aid bin should be passed,
iui said he thought $4,000 year would
probably he enough for the first two
cars
II you had seen as many pitiable
homes ~ have" said Mrs A. A. Ken
DAN ~ Portland. with broken down
mothers who worked Just as hard as
they could to keep their families togeth-
~ and yet had 20 have them taken away
from her. you would certainly pass this
hIil She was loudly applauded.
Mrs. Jones gave statistics and strongly
urged the passage Of a bill TO permit de-
pendent children 20 be brought up in
their own homes Mrs. Weeks. spoke elo-
qnently IN favor OF the bill. tellIAy graph
ically her own experience when her hus-
band wns injured and she feared that In
supporting her one child she might be
separated from him. and Mrs. Cobb
roln'cd out that this Is no quixotic or
uutried measure. but that II Is the most
humane method yet devised for giving
hlldren n chance I'm life.
g. T Laushlin of Portland strongly
rsed the passage OF the bill as one that
" Guild he OF great benefit TO the State and
~ future citizens. and a good invest
'uent
secretary r II. Hitler told OF a par
icuisr instance OF mother working to
acep her children together. two OF whose
ihildren had been arrested for Juvenile
dciinauencies. The Portland Associate
harities spends sSo.oeo a year and will
Ion,inue It's work Just the same. he said.
'veu though this bin Is passed.
Percy II. Morton. secretary of the board
pf overseers Of the poor Of Portland.
poke from an investigation OF the oper-
Piien OF the mothers pension laws In
Massachusetts,. No person. he said, re-