administration of the law during the first year and a half of its operation. Missouri extended the provisions of its law to include women whose husbands were in insane asylums or State colony for the feeble-minded. California, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin enacted new laws. (Massachusetts had in 1912 appointed a commission on the support of dependent children of widowed mothers.) Two States, California and New York, passed laws creating commissions to study the question of mothers' pensions. Oklahoma reenacted the "school-scholarship" provision in its revised school law. In six other States-Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, North Dakota, and Tennessee-bills were under consideration but failed of passage.

SUMMARY OF THE LAWS OF THE VARIOUS STATES.

The purpose underlying all these laws is that of preventing the breaking up of the home when on account of death or disability the support of the natural breadwinner of the family is removed. But the methods adopted to secure this end vary widely in the different States, as will be seen from the following summary of the laws:

Persons to whom aid may be given. The law applies to any parent who on account of poverty is unable to care properly for a dependent or neglected child but is otherwise a proper guardian, in Colorado and Nebraska; to any parent or grandparent in Nevada; to any parent or guardian in Wisconsin. In the other States it applies only to mothers. In California, New Jersey, Oklahoma (and also in St. Louis) the mother must be a widow to receive the benefits of the act. In the remaining States not only widows but the following other classes of mothers with dependent children are included: mothers whose husbands are in prison in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington; mothers whose husbands are in State insane asylums in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington; mothers whose husbands are totally incapacitated, physically or mentally, in Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington; deserted wives in Michigan, Ohio (if deserted for three years), Pennsylvania, and Washington (if deserted for one year). In Michigan are included also unmarried and divorced mothers. In Colorado, Oregon, and Wisconsin, if the person having custody of the child is not regarded as capable of expending the aid wisely, the court may order it to be paid to some other person for the benefit of the child.

Conditions on which aid is given.-(a) Degree of poverty.-The condition of receiving aid under these laws is uniformly that of poverty, with certain definitions added in some of the laws. In Washington the mother must be destitute; in New Hampshire and Utah she must be dependent entirely on her own efforts for support; in Oregon, wholly or partly dependent; in Illinois she may not own real property or personal property other than household effects. In Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Dakota, and Utah the aid must in the judgment of the court be necessary to save the child from neglect; in New Jersey, from becoming a public charge.

(b) Home conditions.-In most of the laws the requirement is made that the mother is a fit person, morally and physically, to bring up her children and that it is for the welfare of the child to remain at home. In Idaho, Illinois, Missouri New Hampshire, Ohio, South Dakota, and Utah it is made conditional that the child or children be living with the mother and that the mother shall not work regularly away from home. In South Dakota she may not be absent for work more than one day a week; in Illinois and Ohio the amount of time is left to the discretion of the court.

(c) Residence.-In Washington and Minnesota one year's residence in the county is required; in Idaho, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Utah two years' residence; in Illinois and Pennsylvania three years' residence. Some of the States require "legal residence" in the State; Minnesota, two years' resi dence; California and Massachusetts, three years; California and Illinois require, in addition, that applicant be a citizen of the United States.

Age of child.-The maximum age of a child on whose account an allowance may be made is 14 years in California, Illinois (may be extended to 16 years if child is ill or incapacitated for work), Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; 15 in Idaho, Utah, and Washington; 16 in Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Oregon; 17 in Michigan; and 18 in Nebraska and Nevada. The legal working age is the limit in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Amount of allowance.-The maximum allowance for one child is $2 a week in Iowa, $3 a week in Michigan. It is $9 a month for one child, $14 for two chil dren, and $4 for each additional child in New Jersey; $10 a month for each child in Minnesota and Nebraska; $10 a month for one child and $5 for each additional child in Idaho, Missouri (i. e., Jackson County), New Hampshire, and Utah; $10 for one child and $7.50 for each additional child in Oregon; $12 for one child and $4 for each additional child in Wisconsin (amount may, however, be temporarily increased in case of sickness or unusual conditions); $12 for one child, $20 for two children, $26 for three children, and $5 for each additional child in Pennsylvania; $12.50 for each child in California ($6.25 a month by the State and a like amount by the city or county); $15 for one child and $5 for each additional child in Washington; $15 for one child and $7 for each additional child in Ohio and South Dakota; $15 for one child and $10 for each additional child in Illinois (not to exceed in all $50 for any one family). In Colorado, Massachusetts, and Nevada no maximum is set, but the amount must be sufficient to care properly for the child, with the restriction in Nevada that it may not exceed what it would cost to maintain and educate the child in a county or State home. In Oklahoma the "school scholarship" is the equivalent of the wages of the child. In the city of St. Louis the maximum is $3.50 a week, which may be increased temporarily on account of sickness or other exceptional conditions.

Administration.-The law is administered by the juvenile court or some other county court with similar functions in Colorado, Illinois, Idaho (probate court), Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey (common pleas), Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin; by the county commissioners, upon advice of the school board, in New Hampshire; by the city or town overseers of the poor in Massachusetts; and by an unpaid board of five to seven women residents of each county, appointed by the governor, in Pennsylvania. In Ohio, Nebraska, and South Dakota the order granting aid is good only for six months unless renewed. In Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Mis souri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Utah, and Washington the court may at any time modify or discontinue the allowance. In California supervisory powers are given to the State board of control, which can appoint three State

children's agents, with an unpaid advisory committee of three persons in each county; in New Jersey all cases granted aid are under the supervision of the State board of children's guardians. In Massachusetts certain supervisory powers are given to the State board of charity; in Wisconsin to the State board of control. In Illinois and Ohio the law requires that visits shall be made to the homes from time to time by the probation officers; in Massachusetts that the overseers of the poor shall visit the families at least once in every three months and reconsider each case at least once a year.

Source of funds. In all the States except California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin the funds for carrying out the provisions of these laws come out of the county treasury. In Illinois these are raised by a special tax of not exceeding three-tenths of a mill on the dollar of the taxable property of the county, and in Ohio by a tax not exceeding one-tenth of a mill. In California reimbursement to the extent of $75 a year is made to the local authorities by the State; in Massachusetts one-third of the amount in settled cases and the whole amount in unsettled cases. In Pennsylvania and Wisconsin the State bears one-half of the expense within the limits of the appropriation, which is apportioned according to the population of the counties. Penalty for fraud.-Penalties are provided for procuring or attempting to procure an allowance fraudulently in Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington.

THE DANISH AND NEW ZEALAND WIDOWS' PENSION LAWS.

The laws of both Denmark and New Zealand, while having the same general purpose as the laws of the various American States, illustrate somewhat different methods of dealing with the problem.

Under the Danish law, which became effective January 1, 1914, every widow who is the mother of a child or children under 14, whose property and income is less than a certain amount, proportionate to the size of her family, is entitled to a public grant toward the support of such children. The amount of the allowance is graduated by the age of the children, the highest rate being paid for children under 2 years of age. In exceptional circumstances the aid may be extended until the child is 18 years old. Certain requirements are made as to the fitness of the mother and the home conditions. The aid is expressly stated to be nonpauperizing and its continuance is t made conditional upon the mother keeping off the poor relief. Half of the expense of the aid is borne by the State, the remainder by the commune in which the widow has permanent residence.

The New Zealand law, which went into operation January 1, 1912, provides a pension for any widow of good moral character with dependent children under 14. (Extended in 1912 to include also wives of inmates of insane hospitals.) The law, while general in terms, is made to apply only to those who need assistance by providing for the deduction from the pension of £1 for every pound which the widow's income exceeds a certain amount. The aim, as in the Danish law, is to prevent destitution instead of making this condition a requirement for the granting of assistance. Applications for pensions are made

to the registrars of old-age pensions and are granted or refused upon hearing before a magistrate. Each grant is for a period of 12 months, at the end of which the circumstances of the pensioner are reviewed. The whole expense of the pension is borne by the State, and payments are made monthly through the post office. Upon the death of the widow application may be made for continuance of the pension to the guardian of the children. The National Provident Fund Act of New Zealand, passed in 1910, a year before the Widows' Pension Act, also makes special provision for the support of dependent children by providing for the payment, on the death of a contributor, of a weekly allowance to the widow so long as any child is under 14 years of age, due after contributing for five years (not therefore yet in operation).

LAWS RELATING TO “MOTHERS' PENSIONS" IN

UNITED STATES.

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CALIFORNIA.

[Constitution, Article IV.]

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SEC. 22. The legislature shall have the power to grant aid to the institutions conducted for the support and maintenance of minor orphans, or half orphans, or abandoned children, such aid to be granted by a uniform rule, Provided, further, That whenever any county, or city and county, or city, or town, shall provide for the support of minor orphans, or half orphans, or abandoned children, such county, city and county, city, or town shall be entitled to receive the same pro rata appropriations as may be granted to such institutions under church or other control. An accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of public moneys shall be attached to and published with the laws at every regular session of the legislature.

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For many years under this provision the State has been paying to institutions $100 a year for the care of orphans and $75 a year for half orphans and abandoned children. Such payments are authorized also to any city, town, or county providing for such dependents.

[Laws 1913, chap. 323.]

An Act To amend sections 2283, 2285, 2286, 2287, and 2289 of the Political Code relating to the support and maintenance of orphans, half orphans, and abandoned children.1

The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 2283 of the Political Code of the State of California is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

2283. Appropriation for care of dependent children—Aid to mothers.-There is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State treasury not otherwise appropriated, to each and every institution in this State conducted for the support and maintenance of needy minor orphans, half orphans, or abandoned children, and to each and every county, city and county, city, or town maintaining such orphans, half orphans, or abandoned children, or any or all of such classes of persons, aid as follows: For each whole orphan supported and maintained in any such institution, not in excess of one hundred dollars per annum; and for each half orphan or abandoned child, not in excess of seventyfive dollars per annum; but each abandoned child must have been an inmate thereof for one year prior to receiving any support as provided in this chapter: Provided, That in addition to the amount paid by the State for each half orphan maintained at home by its mother, the county, city and county, city, or town may pay for the support of such half orphan an amount equal to the sum paid by the State: And provided further, That in any case where any such half

1 For a discussion of the provisions of this act see paper by W. Almont Gates, secretary of the State Board of Charities, in the Proceedings of the National Conference of Charities and Correction, 1913, pp. 306-311.