Evening star., 1925-02-14

Washington, the Capital of the Ma
ton, is the only large city in the
country which has no provision for
aiding poor mothers in the support
of their young children without sep
arating the family ties.
Our laws permit the Board of Chill
dren's Guardians to pay for the sup
port of -orphans-children whose
fathers are dead or incapacitated-
provided the pay does not go to the
children's natural guardians, the
mothers, whose only fault may be
that in the struggle of life they are
having difficulty in earning enough
to be independent of help. For many
years there have been efforts to in
duce Congress to provide that the aid
as now given by the Board of Chill
dren's Guardians, to board the de-
pendent children among strangers
might be given directly to the moth
ers that they might keep maternal
hold upon their children. Scarcely a
voice has ever been. raised, either in
Congress or out of 1t, in opposition
to that proposal, yet session after
session adjourns without action.
Minor details of the proposed plans
have been the only points of differ
ence between supporters of the de-
sired reform.
Two forms of legislation are now
pending. both supported by practi-
cally all organizations interested in
the need of adjusting the work and
consolidating the agencies Of relief.
One is a mothers pension bill, which
has been under consideration of the
Bureau of the Budget for several weeks.
The other, which Aims only to abolish
the need Of separating mother and child,
consists Of an amendment to the bill es-
tablishing board of general well
fare which will take over the func-
tions of the several boards hitherto
controlling different charities and
oenal institutions. This amendment,
nuDmitted by Representatives Blan-
ton and Moore, provides: Where a
child would otherwise be taken from
the custody of it's parent or parents
because they were financially unable
to care for the child, the mother shall
be paid the same compensation for
its care as would be paid an outsider
under the practice heretofore pre-
vailing." .
The bill, as amended, has already
passed the House. and. at present
writing, is expected to pass the Sem
ate without opposition.
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But, while that amendment elimi-
mates what Is held by many to be the
inhumanity Of the former situation
requiring the separation OF children
from their mothers without the moth
ers, consent (even when they have
made no application for financial
help, It does not add one dollar to
the funds for the relief of poor moth
ers and the support of their children.
The present funds OF the various
iboArds amount to a total of $l60,000
I d year. The new law, establishing
the {bokrd OF public welfare, would
not affect that sum, but 1t is esti-
mated that q suitable mothers PEN
stun law, such as exists in AZ States,
would require about 100000 a year
additional -
Both the Blanton amendment to
the General welfare bill and the
mothers' pension bill are indorsed by
all the old boards. which would be
consolidated and succeeded by the
new welfare board: also approved by
the Board of District Commissioners.
;s - - 4 -
The mothAfs pension bill provides
that. whenever parent of a child
under Is years of age Is unable to
provide for the proper care of such
4 child in his home. the mother may
make application to the board of
public welfare, provided she has been
a resident OF the District for one
year and Is citizen of the United
States.
The board then is Ito ascertain
whether the mother is a suitable per-
son, morally, to have the care of a
child, and whether there is@a father
or other relative, or any Institution
under legal obligations to care for