Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-21
EDWIN D. SOLENBEEGER
On Children an Asset, Not a Liability


A LTHOUGH there are thousands of chill.
"A dren who each year must be cared Tor
by the various children's aid societies and
orphanages, still these children are or
should be an asset and not a liability for the
Commonwealth and the community. accord
ing to Edwin d. Solenberser, general Sccre-
tary of the Children's Aid Society of Penn.
sylvania.
The average man or woman said Mr..
Solenberger, 'is apt to wonder why there
are SO many homeless or neglected children
to be cared for by childrens aid societies
and orphanages. 1t is sometimes said that
the parents should be made to care for
their own children or that there is work
for every one and therefore there should not
be the necessity for so much charity for
children.
Every Citizen Interested
EVERY citizen of the Commonwealth
either as taxpayer or as a contributor 10
charity. should be interested IN TINS mater,
because he is affected by it whether he takes
the interest In 1t that he should or not.
The condition of the children Of the State
Is one Of the most vital of all matters relnt-
ing 10 it's welfare. 1t affects the citizens tar
beyond the mere matter Of paying taxes or
giving to charity. because it is these children
who will become the next generation ur
voters and rulers Of the State.
"Therefore the future ot the Common
wealth lies potentially in their hands, and
the present generation cannot do better
work than to see that they nay" the aavah'
tagcs to which they are entitled and which
they must have If they are 10 conduct the
affairs of the State wisely and well in the
future.
''These advantages OF education and
environment manifestly cannot be had unless
the physical and moral welfare OF the child
is safeguarded in its early years. When tho
parents cannot or will not supply these
things, they must be given by some one else
in order that these future citizens shall come
10 their great task fitted a. well as posSi5l"
for the responsibilities which which ss""o@pany s It,
ence of the children's aid societies and the
orphanages--the ultimate good of the Com.
mouwpalth as we'll ns the demands OF COM
mon humanity.
Cases OF Dependence
"The experience of the Childrcn's Aid
Society Of Pennsylvania. which Is undoubt-
edly typical of that of most other similar
organizations, may De OF interest IN tH!s
dren are made dependent upon charity for
the things which their parents should have
given them. but which they must have from
some one il they are to become useful ct,-
zens in later life.
.EIn,rinp the past twelve years our society
bns received an average Of 5l2 homeless and
neglected children each year, or about ten
new children each week. total for tho
twelve years or Ul4S cnlluTtn' ne general
opinion of the public Is that the greatest
number Of cases come to organizations such
ns ours either from the desertion of the
futhar or from his death.
''This. however, Is not the case. Twenty.
seven children out Of every hundred which We
receive have both parents living and mar
ricd and neither desertion nor separation
has occurred. These include cruelty cases.
md those in which one or both parents have
been sent to prison, to hospitals for the
insane. to tuberculosis hospitals and other
cases of physical mental or moral untitness
of one or both Of them.
Where One Parent Has Died
"It is II strange fact that we receive many
moro children only one Of whose parents has
died than where both of them have passed
away. The second largest number which
we receive are the children of widowers,
this classification furnishing almost seven.
teen children out of every hundred. and next
70 that are the children of unmarried par
cnts (13 per cent?. Then there is n de-
cidcd drop to n little more than 3la per
conf these being the children OF widows.
shaving that the mother Is more likely to
keep the children with her than is the
'"'"sNsi "'""Nine per cent of the children who come
n Ms nre the offspring of mothers who have
been deserted by the father and per cen,
are the children of divorced or separated
parents. Next in order come the children
Of unknown parents, these amounting to q
little more than 7 per cent. These include
ioundlinos and other abandoned children.
Finally, the tMn ~ ciassihcations