The Washington times., 1926-01-11
OVER
CON TR(Q
IN DC.

The second clash between the
New York idea and the Washing
ton idea of what a model mothers
aid bill for the District Of Colum-
bia should be, came before the
Senate District Committee today.
The same lineup of forces, one
contending that separate board
of mothers assistants be created
to administer the bill, the other
holding that the work should come
under the proposed new board of
public welfare, as urged before
the House District Committee last
week, appeared today.
Aid Not q Charity
The New York point of view was
presented by Miss Sophie Irene
Loeb. Senator wadsworth and Rep
rasentative Odgen Mills. The Wash
inpton case was presented by Mrs.
LYMAN B. Swornstedt and John
Ihlder.
The New Workers emphasized the
fact that mothers aid is not a
charity and that the effect OF con
solidating 1t with activities, ADMIN
istered for the criminal, the de1ec'
tive and the destitute. would Dc Z?
cut off from the benefits or the pro-
posed subsidy many motners 100
proud to accept charity.
a
mothers aid bin administered by
hoard of charities or public welfare
undoubtedly would be subject 10
political influence whereas an I'M
maid board of mothers assistants,
composed Of public-spirited citizens
chosen by the President OF = the
United States would not be subject
to such influence.
n. Y. Expense Small
No additional expense would be
involved in the creation OF the
board of mothers assistants. Miss
Loeb declared A small staff OF
workers is required to administer
the New York City law, and the ad-
noinistrative expense involved is less
than 3 per cent of the total amount
appropriated by the city for suosl-
dizing poor mothers.
I'VE want to make distinction
between the mothers who are SIM
oIv moor" said Miss Loeb. land
those who are involved in other is
sues which force them to seek
charitable aid from the public cof'
fers."
A spirited reply to Miss Loeb was
made by Mrs. Lyman B. Sworn.
stedt, who said the local bill had
been prepared on the advice of ex-
nerts of the Russell Sage Founda-
ton.
1.-THE District is not State, and
we have little politics here" said
Mrs. Swornstedt. "The members
of the public welfare board viii
serve without compensation. We
have been working on thls OIL Tor
a long time, and it seems strange
that outsiders should come here
now to show us how TO write it,
WadswOrth Claims Authorship
Senator Wordsworth interrupted
to aav that, with Representative
Mills, he started work upon his
measure last spring and that he
had no knowledge Of what was
being done by local interests.
Every social agency In Wash.
ington is in favor Of our BILL said
Mrs. Swornstedt.
I'm New York, we have the same
situation" replied Miss Loeb. All
Of the old line of social agencies
opposed our bill bitterly when it
was enacted II years ago, but
they are for it now"
Miss Loeb referred to the fact
that much criticism has ben aroused
in Washington because New Workers
insisted upon telling the local in.
terests how a proper mothers aid
bill should be written.
She said the President had sug
gested in his annual message to
Congress that the District bill
should " made a model bill, and
that she had been delegated by the
National Child Welfare Associa ton
to try to obtain the enactment OF
such a measure in the District Of
Columbia.
1--WE feel we have the right 10
come here" said Miss Loeb, "be.
cause II will be the Senators and
Congressman from the forty States
which have already enac. ed
mothers aid Legislation who will
give Washington this bill"