The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-04-26

Home Witho ut . Father.

New York, April 22.-Recently
city Official, walking from his Of
flee to the elevator, noticed cou-
pie of small boys sitting on bench
in the corridor. 1t seemed to him
that he Cad seen the same children
patiently sitting there the day be-
fore, and perhaps the day before
that. He beckoned to the office
boy and asked hi4 if he knew why
the two small boys we're there.
Sure" said the Office boy. Its
because she amt got nowhere else
to leave them
Who hasn't anywhere else to
leave them?' persisted the city Of
fetal.
why, your secretary" declared
the office boy in surprise. Didn't
you know they we're hers? She
brings them from Staten island
with her every morning, because
she hasn't anybody to leave them
with over there, and they just sit
here on this bench till she's ready
| to take them home again at night.
Fortunately for this particular
working mother, as well as several
others sharing her predicament,
something has been done just re-
Gently here in New York. A Work
ing Mothers Cooperative Home
club has been opened at 60 West
Ninety-second street, where moth
ers may live at a reasonable board
ing rate with their children, and
/ leave them in the care of trained
specialists while they are away at
work. While the idea was borrow
ed from a somewhat similar enter
prise, known as the Mothers club
of Chicago, this New York club has
many special features which make
/ it unique among institutions caring
for children.
For one thing, while it is now
struggling to its feet with the aid
Of philanthropy, and its prices are
sufficiently high to make it neces-
sary for the mothers who patronize
it to be in receipt of fairly large
salaries. The club charges a min
imum rate Of SIS a week for room
and board for a mother and one
child, with an additional sum OF
81 a week for each additional child.
For the best rooms in the house
$40 a week per mother and child is
charged.
Widows, deserted wives, and d.
vorcees with their children are ad-
mitted to the club. The only stip-
ulations made by the philanthropic
management are that mothers be
self-supporting, and without fam
lilies to help them raise their chill
dren. The club is essentially for
young self-supporting mothers, who
are alone in the world and who
would in all Likelihood have to
place their children in institutions
were it not for the opportunities
thus offered them.
| The clubhouse is an attractive
residence building containing 40
rooms, all pleasingly decorated with
cheerful cretonnes and generously
perfumed with bowls of spring flow
ers. The first floor, with the ex-
ception of a comfortable living
room and reception hall for the
mothers, is devoted to playrooms
for the children. In one bright
sunshiny room the smaller tots
work hard over lovely, complicated
games, under the direction of train
ed workers from the Federation fol-
Child Study and the Ethical Gull
ture society. In another equally
bright room the older children learn
their lessons, some of them study.
ing singing at this tender age from
a well known singing teacher il
New York.
Mothers and children breakfast
together, and at any time wher
mothers are home they have the
entire responsibility Of their of
spring, but during the day the clul
takes charge. The children them
selves are taught to be extraordin
arily self-rehant, and they do theil
small part to maintain the coopera
: tive spirit of the place. There j!
Betty, for instance, who can con
centrate for half an hour at {
time in learning song and wht
is a skilled worker in the prepare
ton of her own toilet, although sh,
is only years old. At this az,
when most little girls are who'll!
dependent upon their mothers O.
their nurses for clean necks an,
ears, Betty looks to herself alon,
for these assets.
At the sound of bell, Bett,
Irushes to her small locker in tn
| playroom, as q fire-engine hors
: runs to its harness; grabs her tin,
: wash cloth and towel and minut