The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-10-08
Mothers Pension Laws
LAURENCE TODD,

From m al / beginnings a decade
and a half ago the mothers pension
idea has spread across the United
States, taking root according to the
social conscience of the voters, until
now at least 10000 children are be-
ing helped by state funds paid to
mothers in their homes. From the
outset, when Judge Henry Neill of
Illinois began his agitation against
the sending of half-orphans to pub
lie institutions, organized labor has
thrown its support to the program of
enabling mothers to keep and care
for their children. Now the U. S.
Children's Bureau has made a study
which shows that the plan is only
half as expensive to the public purse
as was the old scheme of sending
children to Orphanages.
New York city spent $28.4O month
in 1923, to care for each child sent to
a public institution. Only a little
more than SIS a month was spent in
keeping a dependent child in its own
home
Of the AZ states that have enacted
mothers pension laws, the study in
dicates that only a few have really
tried to afford to the dependent chill
dren a decent standard of living. Only
a minority have appropriated money
enough to help more than a small
number of children. The best that
can be said is that wherever the pen
sion payment is made, child or a
r. oh g.
ruinOus effects of institutional life.
The bureau estimates that there are
between $4,000 and 100000 depend
ent children in need of public support
as compared with the 10000 who now
receive it. The state governments are
thus refusing to save from the pen
alties Of poverty more than 2OO,OOC
children. 1t is not suggested by the
bureau that if these pensions W
paid by the federal government, as
soldier pensions are paid, the entire
$4,000 or 100000 would get a de
cent bringing-up. But that conclusion
cannot be avoided in view of the facC
States that give aid to more thar
200 children in each 100000 of tota
population are New York, Nevada
California Massachusetts,, Wisconsin
Montana, Minnesota, New Jersey, De
laware, Maine and North Dakota u
the order named. Some give this re
lief because the public conscience Il
the state is awake, and some becaus
Industrial poverty is a compelling al
gument. States giving aid TO De
tween 100 and 200 children IN eac
100000 of population are South la
kota, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, lowe
Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, u
ali, New Hampshire, Pennsylvani;
Illinois, Arizona, and Ohio. Betwee
81 and 95 are listed Oklahoma, Wasr
mgtOn, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri
Florida, West Virginia, and Vernon
Less than 20 children in each 1OO,OU
population had state aid in Arkansa
Indiana, Texas, Tennessee and w
ginia. In Texas the ratio was 8.
tennessee "A and Virginia only l.
children to 100000 people.
In Maryland, except in two cou
ties, the mothers pension law do'
not operate because it is defectlV
Several other states consider Ine
laws on this subject a dead lette
The interest taken by legislatures
this reform varies according to u
strength and enterprise of the 0
ganized labor movement in the sCa'
While the cost of living has steao
" risen in the whole country SIN
Missouri and Illinois adapted the III
Of these laws in 1911, the sums apr
priated for the care of each depeh
ent child have not been increased
equal measure. The tendency now
to raise the amount of approprlatl
for each child. Six states give
TO expectant mothers. In Colora
the father of dependent children M
receive aid. Twenty states Tx
maximum of 500 or less, per mon
on the payment to a family with