Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-08-02
C1H0
AMERICAN
oL-I:5GONo
Copy for This Department Supplied by
the American Legion News Seryice.)
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
gion 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 win be reached-35,0O0 of
them.
The billet at Otter Lake, Mich, is
typical of the Legion's method of
handling this important phase of serv-
Ice work. II is neither an institution
nor an orphanage. 1t approximates
home as far as it 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 a
house 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 90
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, emaclated
and undernourished.
Overlooking otter lake, one of the
prettiest Of Michigan's thousand lakes,
the billet is ideal for health purposes
and, under the guidance Of Mrs. Eva
Ingersoll, 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
WINGED he Legionnaires that they
need more space AS fast as the
money is available 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.
Quinn, national commander of the Lee
gion, recently dedicated a 40O-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
with the American forces in France.
Not only does the Legion care for
children in regional billets, but it also
cares for them in childless families.
Following presidents established by
social workers, the Legion seeks about
4 for ex-service men who have no fami-
J 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-
j stances SO thar the child viii 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 il is known that the
+ governm ent does not compensate a
widow sufficiently to insure adequate
support. A widow with no children
+ receives but S25 month. With one
+ child, she gets $50, and Sc for each adj
+ ditional child. AS a result. it is neces- +
sary for her TO work TO support her
self and if her child is very Young size
MIST pla-e il in "a 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 sach that # becomes a Eamln.