Evening star., 1923-11-20
N0N-SUPPORTLAW
PROPOSED
Monday Evening Club Com.
mittee Recommends
Amendments.

Desirability Of amendments to the
present non-support law in the Dis
trict were discussed before the Mon
day Evening Club. at a meeting held
last night at the Cosmos Club, by
Louis Gutenberg, chairman of a spe-
cial committee recently appointed to
investigate the matter.
Mr.. Gutenberg said that the COM
mittee, which was comprised Of him.
self and George c. Shinn, believed
that the general plan of the act is
good. but suggested four amend
ments, which would be helpful"
The amendments were as follows:
1. To make non-support an ex-
traditable offense.
2. To strike out the words "hard
labor" wherever they appear.
8. To permit the family of the
convicted man "$2 a day as the re-
suit of his servitude, instead of the
SO cents now allowed"
4. To make the second conviction
felony instead of a misdemeanor,
punishable by indeterminate SEN
tence.
Only Partial Relief Effected.
1T has been the experience of
courts thiI4 at the expiration of one
year during which man may be
confined or for which period he may
be required to make weekly pay
nIents he again refuses to support
his wife or minor children and only
partial relief is therefore effected"
Mr.. Gutenberg said.
AN amendment should. therefore,
second conviction under the act
should be felony punishable by i'm
prisonment in the penitentiary with
indeterminate sentence, and with the
same provision as to probation and
weekly support as is contained in
the present act. with the same pro-
vision for payment to the wife of 81
day for each day the man shall
work in the penitentiary.
Your committee believes that
with these amendments the non-sup-
port law could be administered ex-
peditiously and effectively in the
District Of Columbia" Mr.. Gutenberg
concluded.
The report was referred to the
executive committee for considera-
ton.
Discusses "Wayward Minors BILL"
Lawrence WELLER, secretary of the
committee on criminal courts of the
Charity Organization Society of New
York, spoke on "A Wayward Minors
Bill" telling in detail of the work to
get the bill passed in New York, ap-
plying to minor girls over sixteen,
but not to boys.
He said the law had been working
satisfactorily since July l last. after
The speaker declared he expected
that it ultimately will be amended
to include the minor boy over six
teen years old.
"Parental control seems extinct"
He explained how the new law
operates to avoid placing the stigma
of criminal record against the way
ward youth who yet has to find his
bearings in the sea of life. He said
the act had given judges and social
workers the backing they formerly
lacked.
Louis Simon Presides.
Mrs. Nina c. Van Wrinkle, chief of
the woman'S bureau of the police de-
opened the meeting as
president of the Monday Evening
who presided during the discussion.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle, discussing the
wayward minor. said the authorities
here are powerless. almost, In dealing
with wayward girls who actually
necessary to wait until they have
committed crime in order to deal
with them.
DR.. w. L. Darby. reporting for the
dance hall committee, said that he
hoped legislation will be obtained to
license dancing teachers, and then
dance halls, here.
New members were admitted as fol-
lows: Edward H. Gavin, Efin Marie
Ross, Mrs. Edward R. Kalunbach,
Mrs. James w. Byler. Louis and X.
Rosenbaum, Mr.. and Mrs. Oliver
Hoyem, Miss Hettie Anderson, Mrs.
Morris E. Sabin. Mrs. Alice 1. Thorn
ton. Mr.. S. E. Thornton, Miss Eleanor
Vincent, Miss Margaret E. Craig, Mrs.
Lane, Mrs. o. l.. Veerhoff. Miss Bessie
Craney, Miss Laura L. Tracy, DR.. L.
H. Smith and Mrs A. J. Chappell.