Mexico Missouri message., 1918-09-19

After the start, things began to be
better. The husband made an allot-
ment of his pay and took out war
risk insurance. AS soon as the pay
ments from these sources begin to
come In the family will no longer be
In need of financial assistance. In the
meantime the Red Cross worker Is
keeping in touch with them.
The legal committees Of the home
service have been especially valuable
aids. Not infrequently soldiers rela-
tives are badly informed on the law
and allow themselves to be duped.
Occasionally they are not aware of the
rights which accrue to them when the
man of the family goes into the army.
Every sort of snarl and tangle arises,
and It usually seems as though the
services of a lawyer may be too costly.
The legal committees meet this need.
All over the country lawyers have gen.
erously given their services to this
important work.
Chlldren's Welfare First
Nothing is more vital than the well
fare Of the children. One of the home
service directors issued this statement
to the workers of the district: "The
home service is especially interested
in children, and we feel that its most
important service Is in the conserva-
| ton Of the child and the home for the
| future. For this reason we stand ready
to see that any child does not have to
| leave school to go to work because Its
| father has either volunteered or has
been drafted into the army. We also
stand ready to see that no woman
with small children has to go to work
because her husband or son is serving
the country as a soldier or sailor"
A short time ago It was reported to
the Red Cross home service station In
one Of the cities that little girl of
fifteen was about to be taken out Of
school because her family needed the
money she could earn. Irene's father
was dead. Her Oldest brother, Alex,
was contributing $40 a week to the
family treasury, but he was saving tt
get married, and that was all that he
could spare. The second boy, Joseph,
had enlisted. The oldest girl, Helen
made $40 q week, while Harry, sixteen
years old and Just returned from
runaway jaunt, only earned 81. There
was another little girl, eleven years
old, who was still in school.
The Red Cross worker explained to
Irene's mother why she felt so strong
ly that the child ought to have at least
| noI, al N
she would be through with the gram
mar grades, and in the meantime tbc
Red Cross offered to pay rene's fam
lily So a week, which was about al
that she could be expected to earn
The arrangement was made, and lren'
is still In school, while the mother II
gradually paying OF her debts. Whei
June comes Irene will graduate, ant
she will probably be able to earn NOR
, than So a week.
It is a splendid thing to help de
serving families, but 1t Is still bette
to put them in position to help them
selves. That is, Of course, the ultl
8 mate purpose Of social work as it i
: practiced nowadays. One of the larg
s home-service sections was able to cal
/; ry through q very large Job OF thl
sort recently.
The family In question had bee
public charges for years. The husban
Q and father was a heavy drinker an
Il never displayed the slightest inclinf
= tion to support his wife and 'childreI
+ The mother was serene and happy-gt
8 lucky and had no other thought tina
: to get the most she could out of tn
l. different charity organizations. Tn
house was dirty beyond descriptio
q and everything was at skies an
sevens.
n Pawned His Wooden leg.
+ Douglas, the eldest boy. was In II
a navy. The second boy, William, wa
v consumed with desire to enlist, to
y He had tried, but had been turne
II down because of physical disquaiii
e cation, and, in rage and disappoin
N ment, he had gone off to the We
where he wandered for several month
ST When he finally came home, he, to
Is settled down to be charity patier
le A third boy, Raymond, seventies
re years old, had also taken to trampin
~ although he had VIC den leg, Il
n souvenir of an accident in the railro'
d. yards when he was small boy. Wh'
ed absent one one of his hikes the
ce terprising gentleman ran out OF fun
and chose the expedient Of pawnil
e. his wooden leg. Helen, the oldest 81
er had st. Vitus' dance, and there we
i five younger children, all OF the
ne growing up in dirt and Ignorance.
10 BY the time the mother applied
GU the Red Cross for help the family W
In suffering for want of food. The woI
er paid a visit to the household a
found the conditions as they have be
iu- described.
is First of all, food was supplied
on the family and their most pressi
all v,,o,.fs x.ya,.a mot Then pOurt orc