Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-26
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the benefits Of the fund. the Legislature
taking the position that this presented a
different problem. the solution of which was
to catch the man and bring him back to
.he giving of pension TO deserted mothers
looked like putting n premium on desertion
''As rule it is the mother who is
willing TO sacrifice herself to keep her chill
dren with her who applies for assistance
from the fund.- The selfish woman who puts
her own ease ahead of the welfare of her
children generally does not apply: she pre-
f"rs to let relatives raise the children or
to put them in institutions.
The Pension Principle
Every pension granted is supplemented
by the earnings of the mother. if she is
physically able 10 work part time The
pension is simply the difference between
what she earns and What She needs to main
tain her family in the home with her. Each
pension is matter of individual adjust
ment. and the trustees have jurisdiction US
To the amount granted.
AS the earning power Of family in
creaScS the pension decreases until il IS
Cancelled. Last year we granted pensions
in Philadelphia to Sj7 widows and can.
celed DIG. most of til" latter by reason Of
the earning capacity of the family becoming
sufficient to maintain il. The pensions are
also Cancelled on the death of the mother.
ON her remarriage. on removing from the
county and. very rarely. because the mother
d""S not give satisfactory care TO the chill
drcn.
I'm Pennsylvania fifty one of the sixty.
seven counties have availed themselves of
the Mothers Assistance Fund.- the sixteen
which no not DO so being chiefly rural coun-
ties. The money set aside for these sixteen
counties is redistributed among the fifty
one counties 50 that none Of the grant is
lost.
No Danger Of Pauperization
'The danger Of paupcrization ,f = f,,,i,,
~ rtdLc"d to minimum by tL. ,,r,I,n,
decrease OF the pensions as the family no.
comes "e'f-SuStaining. Thus the grant
does not continue until every child of tho
fam'lN Is OF working age. hut only until
""n" @ un" US enough members Of family
are WORKING 10 support the others
our aim is to make the who'll, ,,.r,o
lion as buSinrSs-like ny possible and ,o
max" III" mothers and children f.rl ,baI
tue money ~ gwen under certain obllpa,inns
on 'h'Ir part which will be Insisted u,on
~ ~ ~ lntN would be by any other en-
Fl"A ing agency, In P"nnsylvani, thn .romt
run from 81 m"nlh. which reprcssnrs -,
l"ihiIV nearly self. supporting. ,o SKI
h"h'h, Wh'h represents n marian n.i,i
S"H"n small children. The mrgnst n,,,, ".,n io'
o' ~" grants ar" from SO 10 Sl1 q mnn,I
rurh aPpnrafIon is taken up strirtjv II,
'nin ana the money is distrihm,oL "i "i ~
rs II holds out: when it ,runs w. a. "hs
''''r 10 80 on IT," waiting list. Tho rn",narS
'ohsi"er themselves az einDlCycs mil \" ",
.,u!' u' !" q" their work as mothers ,,,J ri,r i,r
,n''r hc'p we try TO show that ,L. a,'',i m"'
,'ap'n', .ar, ~ ne pest and the rheuncS, c,,r,
'hh'r 'hat ~" State can find for "a, ,I, '"i''
ch'!dr"n, They are made to foo, ,hh.n'tieSS
".e ~ III" end responsible and i, I.,'If a.'f
"p"i' ,'''n Whcther til" public and ,Lp p'a'S
riniS nave confidence in tho mnvnn,nr ,mr ON
VIII ALLOW tn" fund to grow ''''''n' ana