Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-10-08
MAINE WELFARE WORKERS MEET IN AUGUSTA THURSDAY

exec pllol d -AICoSlooh county anu
there K seemed that 50 many II the
town clerks did not know what taelr
duties were.
One day while sling records Miss
Choate said she anne across a record
whore a mother had been 4 mat case
twice before. She felt sure hat me
woman must be either mentally de-
ficienr IT degenerate she thought Il
would De a wise plan 10 report the
case 10 the Board Of Charities ana
Corrections This was done ana -hey
co-operated. n one case me mother
was the sister II ne awful wife. The
town authorizes cid not want TO NJ
terfere. They hesIcated because hey
were afraid nat the father would
leave his WIFE ana several children
as Town CHARGES
II The year al9 there were reported
in the following counties me fellow
ing number ot children born cut ~
wedlock: AnCroscogEIn. - zoos
took. 30. Cumberland. -. Frank-r.
{. Hancock. %: hennebec. S. Knox. r.
Lincoln. 3. oxford. 4: Penobscot. II.
IislataauIs. =. Ssgadanoc, :. Somer-
set : Waldo 3 Washington. g. ana
York, u.
Miss Choate quoted Dr. Bristol 7
where the child BORN aut Of veoiock
-nared equally with the legitimate
children the estate II me father. she
said she noped hat -ucn aw W. d
be force n Name because IA was
too oaa mat she hid rad no, the
dement's ana mat besides having -a
bear me SINS ~ .ls fatner mad 10 bear
poverty as well u nanv cases
Miss Gertrude - Macdonald
Mss Gertrude T.. Macdonald. su-
per1ntenuenr Of Tie State school for
girls n fIalJoweI. carly stated ,1aI
snc had been In personal contact
more or Jess with - Unnarrlel
mothers. She said she knows hat
sinking feeling when I IS earned
that ne pretty 1l~l VINO ras been
her care for SIX months or more 1nd
VINO mas gone out. Has the so-eallec
disgrace Of being pregnant
Her talk vas rRtroduceo uy the
supposed -alA between IN old man
ana j young man. The Ola man
speaking n ne 18th century All
that me 9th century vas ror he
woman ana that he zAh century
would he for ne enid. Every man
wll know mat ne > bound TO me
life ne has produced other Ihan
those imposed by society and Iaw
EAen though re travel round the
/ world re cannot get away from rr
Kingdoms can De gwen ana AN be
taken away hut fa1hernood cannot
When IL mild EeIs his ~:ghLs moral
lty viii be perfected.
She Old or her Els4t 70 m insti-
tuition ONE hundred miles away
She vas The dining room curing
the nIa LAY meal Il vas filled with
girls ana women -anking hem bv
age. bot -ankInE hem by mentality
t1ey were al children. They we're
feeble minded. II was a pltiable
siEnf ana h sorry one 20 see them
, offer up hanks for their daily bread
They were there beca use society hac
, been two Of three generations be-
hInQ 70 prevent rtem. Ii seemed 20
bc stamped on their faces. speaking
20 TIER ancestors, What Gid ,-ou
ana YOU and YOU 10 hat come INTO
the world il weaklng ?"
I. The mother Of me Legitimate
enid \ Maine ) generally he Young
factory girl me mlil worker. the -!rE
II the restaurant ana the -I-i Of The
remote -urai sections ana the class
OF degenerate found along the coast.
Il - surprising 10 mo the ,arge
number OF lIgh school Bows anC
girls n taIs lass; there are more
than the public 5 aware The birth
certificate does not say II he enid Is
born n OF out Of wedI0ck. Miss
Macdonald said that she wanted to
give The high minded PHYSICIANS Of
the Stale credit of The manner In
which they handled this. ~ealizlnr
that IN many cases AIling out the
birth returns 5 under high pressure.
For the year ending. September 20.
1920, 700 babies were born in Maine
out Of wedlock. The emphasis upon
thls question IN the past mas been On
the moral Importance now ne value
OF the Child 10 the state 5 beng con-
sldered. Effort should he mace that
the child should have every benefit
N It's formative years. Insra ability 4
the lot Of most OF these cnildren 1t
costs money 10 BRING ID children.
What me chance 0f Mary Jones
ana her offspring? She nav 90 %
the justice ~ the peace ana make
cath IS 10 he father Of her children
He may he arrested + he can be
caught If ne gone out Of the
state e cannot DC extradItated BE-
cause 4 IS q civil case. If he vs.
found ne can he obliged 20 pay anv-
where from $50 $500. He nay
pay The money for awhile ana hen
ne Gets tired N L He ran recourse
10 SIX months n All ana graduate
with 4 poor debtors title.
A lst 0f questions were sent out
recently BY Miss Macdonald 20 20
lawyers ana I'D 10 the THURSDAY
morning mai she mad received 20 re-
soIles and she said she felt sure that
all the 10 would answer IN time
Her first question was L they
thought the present laws on has
tardy we're sufficient ana satisfac.
tory. Fifteen answered YES and
eight answered no. Three said thew
had mad no experience ana little
knowledge OF the avs and three re-
piied The avs were fairly sattsfac-
tory
The second question vas VIVA;
further Legislature or change would