Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-02-27

the Mothers Aid, as instituted by the
last session Of the Legislature, is given by
Secretary James F. Bagley of the Charl-
tie and Corrections Commission. III
charge of the work in the last number OF
the Bulletin, together with story OF ho"
the aid is granted. Secretary Bagley
writes in part:
Chapter 222 of the Public Laws. 1917
which became operative July 6, 1911 IS
known as the mothers aid law. Its pur-
pose is 10 provide means for mothers 70
maintain their dependent children In
their own homes without pauperlZlnS
tl,nm. Other states preceded Maine in
the formulation of mothers aid laws. and
the general philosophy underlying the
laws IS that it s better to pay worthy
mothers 10 care for their children, than
to take the children away from their
mothers and pay someone else, or an In
sttution, for their maintenance. A law
with such motive does not add to pub
lie expense for it is not pension which
is paid to all widows. but it consists IN
paying the mother. instead of someone
else. TO care for her dependent children.
Conditions in Maine differ considera bly,
from those in some of the states which
first enacted mothers aid laws, for in
those states the laws were the means Of
keeping dependent children out Of or
rhan asylums, but in Maine. compara-
lively few children are committed to the
care of institutions. The mothers aid
law in Maine fulflls two functions, it
l,eeps worthy, dependent families from
being pauperized by the receipt Of town
relief. for the law states that mothers
aid Shall not pauperiZe. and it supplies
aid to those who would be too proud to
go on the town and who would let their
children suffer rather than subject them
to the stigma Of being "paupers'
Mothers aid. then, in the State or
Maine. seems to have been made neces-
s"ry because the public outdoor relief has
I fallen into such dsrepute. 1t ought,
therefore to do something toward build
ing up the character and quality of town
relief in the State, for mothers aid IS
nothing more than relief with standa I'd
aiG that shall be helpful and not harmful
or shameful to the recipient
IL order to insure that mothers aid
shall be administered as relief with a
SN''ildt'ib inc ia w IL SDeClllc Ill lLS re-
Cuirements. 1t states that mothers aid
shall not paupariZe. This means that al
thc3gh one-half of it is paid out OF the
! town funds, the name of the recipient
81 all not appear in the printed town re-
ports. nor shall the mother lose her right
such as it is, to suffrage The mother
must be tit and capable mentally, morally,
al' physically to bring up her children
and the home environment must be of
such character as not to njure or con-
t"minate the children. In this resnec.
mothers aid differs widely from town re-
! lief, for the latter is given to anyone in
rsed, no matter how worthless or how
loor a. citizen.
! The State Board of Mothers Aid is en-
dcavoring to carry out both the letter
arc spirit of the law, and by SO doing.
must restrict mothers aid to mothers
VITO arc fit and capable, mentally, NOR
ally and physically, who live in q good
environment ana who are at the same
llme poor enough to need public aid
! Occdsionally there is worthy family
with an incapacitatcd father which is
actually 50 poor that mothers aid would
!
ready helping the family to a larger
\ amount per month than the mothers
aiu law would permit to be given. the
maximum allowance being $40 per month
Tor mother with one dependent child
under IA years of age and 81 per month
for each other child under IA wears of age
I ohe OF the greatest stumbling blocks
K II granting mothers aid is the mora,
qtallflcatIon. While some of the mothers
/ arc OF the highest integrity morally
others contract doubtful relations with
men.
| as 70 the physical fitness OF mothers. II
is usually found that if they were recent
4 widowed they are in a fair state or
ieelth' out II they have been laboring to
support family for a number of wears.
tEeS are usually much worn out. having
uNed up both principal and interest il,
matters Of health as well as in regard 10
thelr finances. When mother suffers
lrch' chronic communicate disease 1t
y usually thought best to recommend
hospital treatment for her rather than to
sNe aid 10 keep her and her children TO-
Sether. The physical fitness clause has
hot operated to disqualify many mothers
however
The law makes It possible for any
mother who considers herself in need Of
ale to support dependent children to on
! Ter an application. This must be passed
elther faNorably or unfavora bly bv the
municipal board where she lives and sun
hltted IN copy to the State board. Bv rea
son OF the many restrictions imposed hy
tfe law, II is usually found necessary ro~
tha State board to send its supervisor to
VISIT each home before it passes on tha
, application, to see that all the REQUIRE
h'ents of the law are fulfilled After a fll,
report on each case is received the hoar1.,
secretary first studies the case and makes
a recommendation to the board after
which the board in full session, reviews
the case and renders a decision. As the
state board is the final court in this mat
ter ii proceeds with all possible care 50
as to do Justice to all applicants while
carrying out the law.
Il must be recognized by all that a new
law as radically different from old AMI
tried laws a s this. is experimental in any
fern in which il may be offered and that