LAWS RELATING TO "MOTHERS' PENSIONS" IN

THE UNITED STATES.

ALASKA.

[Laws 1917, ch. 16]

An

AN ACT to amend chapter 32 of Alaska session laws for the year 1913, entitled act to establish juvenile courts, to provide for the care of dependent children, to create children's guardians in Alaska, and for other purposes."

SEC. 6. That the said board of children's guardians shall be the legal guardians of all children committed by the juvenile courts as hereinbefore provided, and shall have full power to board them in private families, or in institutions willing to receive them; to bind them out or apprentice them; or to give them in adoption to foster parents.

Whenever a white child is brought before a juvenile court and it appears upon the examination that the mother thereof is a widow, or that her husband is either divorced, an inmate of some penitentiary or insane asylum, or crippled to such an extent as to be unable to work for a living, and it further appears that the mother has no other means of supporting the child except by her earnings and is unable to properly support such child, and that she is a fit and proper person to have the custody of such child, the judge of said court shall report the facts of the case to the board of children's guardians, who shall proceed to further examine into the matter, and shall have the power and authority to award to the mother of such child a monthly allowance of not more than fifteen dollars ($15) for a single child and ten dollars ($10) additional for each additional child, which shall be paid by the treasurer of Alaska out of the funds appropriated for the care of dependent children on warrants drawn by the board of children's guardians and approved by the governor.

The allowance herein provided shall not continue for more than one year, unless the same is renewed after reexamination into the circumstances of the beneficiaries by the judge of the juvenile court in conjunction with the board of children's guardians.

Approved April 30, 1917.

The juvenile court act of 1913, of which this is an amendment, provides for the creation in each of the three judicial divisions of Alaska of a board to be known as the board of children's guardians, composed of the judge of the district court and United States marshal of the division and one woman citizen, to be appointed by the governor and to serve without compensation. (Laws 1913, chap. 32 §5) Section 2 of the act, as amended 1917, gives the court jurisdiction of children under 17 years.

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ARIZONA.

[Laws 1917, ch. 701]

AN ACT To provide for the establishment of local boards of child welfare empowered to grant relief to children of widowed mothers.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

SECTION 1. County boards of child welfare.-Provision is hereby made for the appointment of local boards of child welfare, which, subject to the provisions of this act and through the vote of public moneys by local authorities for such purpose, shall be empowered to grant allowances to widowed mothers with one or more children under the age of sixteen years in order that such children may be suitably cared for in their own homes by such mothers: Provided always, That such allowances shall be made only when the mothers are suitable persons mentally and morally to bring up their children properly and require aid to enable them to do so.

SEC. 2. Appointment.—Within sixty days after the passage of this act the judge of the superior court of each county shall appoint a board of child welfare for such county, and the clerk of the board of supervisors shall be secretary ex officio of such board.

SEC. 3. Membership.—Where the appointment of the board of child welfare is to be made by the judge of the superior court as herein provided, such judge of the superior court shall appoint a board of child welfare composed of seven members, with the county superintendent of the poor of the county or other officer exercising the duties of county superintendent of the poor, a member ex officio of such board. The said judge of the superior court shalı also appoint as members of such board, a representative each of the public schools, and the public health authorities and of the juvenile court, or in case there be no juvenile court, of the superior court, in such county. He shall also appoint three additional members of said local board of child welfare, two at least of whom shall be women. The judge of the superior court shall appoint the members of the said board of child welfare, with the exception of the county superintendent of the poor or other officer exercising like powers in the county who shall continue to serve during his entire term of office, for definite terms of six years each: Provided, however, That the places occupied by the representatives of the public school and the public health authorities as well as the representatives of the juvenile court or the superior court, shall become vacant upon their retirement from such public school, public health or court work, whereupon the vacancy so created shall be filled

1 The initiated old-age and mothers' pension act adopted in 1914 was declared unconstitutional by the Arizona Supreme Court in 1916. (State board of control V. Buckstegge, 158 Pacific Reporter. 837.) The law which was loosely drafted made the pension system hinge on the abolishment of all almshouses. The court in its decision touched upon mothers' pensions only to the extent of stating that it could not sustain an act requiring the support by pensions of mothers of dependent children regardless of their financial condition.

for the balance of the term by some other representative of such authorities: And further provided, That the judge of the superior court shall appoint the original members of the board of child welfare, except the county superintendent of the poor or other officer exercising like powers in the county, for one, two, three, four, five, and six years, respectively, and shall thereafter when their terms expire appoint them or their successors for terms of six years each. In the event of a vacancy occurring before the expiration of a term of a member, the appointment to fill such vacancy shall be for the balance of the term.

SEC. 4. Expenses.-The members of the board of child welfare, as herein provided, shall receive no compensation for their services as members of such board, but shall be allowed the necessary expenses incurred by them in the discharge of their official duties.

SEC. 5. Allowance to widowed mothers-Conditions.-The said boards of child welfare shall in their discretion have authority and be empowered to grant an allowance to any dependent widow resident in the county wherein she applies for an allowance, provided such allowance be approved by the board of supervisors of said county, who is of good habits and character, and is at the time of such application for an allowance the mother of one or more children under the age of sixteen years, living with and dependent upon her, provided such widow is a citizen of the United States and has been a resident of the county where the application for an allowance is made for a period of one year immediately preceding such application, and whose husband was a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the State of Arizona at the time of his death, such allowance may by a majority vote of all its members, duly entered upon the minutes of any regular or special meeting of such board, be granted, directly by the said board of child welfare, subject to the approval of the board of supervisors of the county, through its duly appointed visitors, agents, or other representatives. Before aiding any mother to care for her children at home, the board of child welfare shall determine that the mother is a suitable person to bring up her own children and that aid is necessary to enable her to do so.

SEC. 6. Amount of allowance-Application.-The allowance made to such widowed mother shall not exceed $20 per month when such mother has but one child under the age of sixteen years, and if she has more than one child under the age of sixteen, the allowance shall not exceed $15 per month additional for the second child, and $10 per month additional for each such other child. It is further provided, That in no event shall the allowance granted to any one mother and her children exceed the sum of $60 per month. The allowance granted by the said board shall be paid out of any moneys appropriated by the local authorities empowered by law to appropriate moneys for such purposes, or as provided by law for meeting prospective deficiencies in the expenses of any county. Applications for allowances may be made directly to any member of the board, or through the public school which the children of the applicants for allowances are attending. A full and complete record shall be kept in every case coming either directly or indirectly within the jurisdiction of the said department.

SEC. 7. Duties of boards of child welfare.-Each of said boards of child welfare shall:

1. Meet and organize within ten days after appointment, and fix the dates for its meetings, which shall be held at least monthly.

2. Elect a chairman who shall hold office subject to the pleasure of the board. 3. Establish an office.

4. Establish rules and regulations for the conduct of its business, which rules shall provide for the careful investigation of all applicants for allowances and the adequate supervision of all persons in receipt of allowances. Such rules shall further provide that no grant of an allowance shall be made by the board for a longer period than six months without renewal by the said board and that reports shall be filed at least quarterly by the agents, visitors, or representatives of the board with respect to the families in receipt of allowances granted by the said board.

5. Report annually in detail, to the board of supervisors, the result of their transactions for the preceding fiscal year, with such conclusions and recom mendations as may be deemed wise and expedient.

6. Submit annually to the proper fiscal authorities an estimate of funds required to carry out the purposes and intent of this act.

SEC. 8. County supervisors to provide funds.-The boards of supervisors of the several counties affected by this act shall appropriate in each year such sum or sums as, in their judgment, may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act. In the case of the counties affected by this act all the expenses for administration and relief shall be paid by the respective county.

SEC. 9. When act takes effect. This act shall take effect October first, nineteen hundred seventeen.

Approved March 19, 1917.