Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-08-06

REGIONAL BILLETS
FOR WAR ORPHANS

With the dedication recently of the
American Legion's children's billet at
Otter Lake, Mich, the Legion has
gotten under way with a nationwide
program of child welfare. Specifically,
the Legion intends to care for all the
children whose fathers were killed in
action or who died as a result of serv-
Ice In the American forces during the
World war.
There are at present, according to
experts, 5000 waits of war who are
being denied childhood privileges be-
cause their fathers died in service. By
the creation of regional billets the Lee
glon intends to care for all of these.
The plan outlined by the national
child welfare committee of the Legion
allows for expansion to meet the re-
quirements ten years hence, when the
peak load will be reached-35, 900 of
them.
The billet at Otter Lake, Mich, is
typical of the Legion's method OF
handling this important phase Of serv-
Ice work. 1t is neither an institution
nor an orphanage. 1t approximates a
home as far as 1t is humanity possible.
Instead of having one big dormitory,
the way most institutions are run, the
Legion has small cottages of from
four to six rooms. Nine children at
the most are housed in one building,
where they are looked after by
Rouse mother The children dress as
other children, with no semblance of
uniformity. They attend public school,
leaving in the morning taking their
lunch, and returning about five o'clock
In time to play until supper time.
The Otter Lake billet, which Is the
first regional billet, now cares for %
children, with three houses built and
ground broken for two more. These
children are of every extraction-Hun-
garian, Polish, French, Italian and the
like. Many of them came to the billet
in extremely poor health, emaciated
and undernourished.
Overlooking Otter lake, one of the
prettiest of Michigans thousand lakes,
the billet Is ideal for health purposes
and, under the guidance Of Mrs. Eva
1ngersoll, supervising mother, the food
prepared is based on bodybuilding
needs. DR.. o. Johnson, the superin-
tendent, looks after the health of the
children and not one case Of serious
illness has been reported since the
billet got under way.
The need for more room to handle
the fatherless children Is manifested
by the constant requests for permits
sion to send children to the billet.
waiting list ample in size has con-
vinced he Legionnalres that they
need more space AS fast as the
| money is avassd1e such expansion Is
taking place.
The Michigan billet was first begun
as an activity of the Michigan depart
ment of the Legion, with help by the
legislature. However, when the ma
tional organization of the Legion went
into the problem, Michigan graciously
turned over her billet to the national
body.
The second child billet Is now under
way at Independence, Kans. John r.
gion, recently dedicated a 400-acre
tract of land, where the second series
of cottages will be erected. Kansas
raised 100000 to insure completion
of the project by a statewide drive
for funds. The tract of land was the
gift of Daniel Dabney, whose two. sons
were killed in action while serving
n,,{A mi IN Tror
Not only does the Legion care for
children in regional billets, but it also
cares for them in childless families.
Following precedents established by
social workers, the Legion seeks about
| for ex-service men who have no fami-
lies and who wish to rear one Of the
waits of war, and allows them to
adopt one. The Legion takes excep-
tional care in investigating circum-
stances so that the child will get the
tender care rightfully due.
| | In other instances the Legion has
found that the mother does not wish
| to be separated from her child. In
such an event the Legion furnishes
cash support.
| The need for such welfare work Is
proved when it Is known that the
government does not compensate
widow sufficiently to insure adequate
support. A widow with no children
receives but S25 a month. With one
child, she gets $35, and Sc for each adj
ditional child. AS result, 1t Is neces-
sary for her to work to support her
self, and If her child is very young she
must place 1t in nursery. If the
| child is but a few years of age the
Legion has found that it runs wild
and, in many cases, the environment
Is such that 1t becomes a gamin.
The child welfare activities of the
| Legion are the most important, next
to the care of the disabled, on the Ise-
| 80 national