day of By of her marriage, her residences and places of abode, and of the property interests belonging to her and her children are true, except that This board has found the efforts of the petitioner to support her children have been as follows: This board reports that as the result of its investigation it finds that the said petitioner is able to support her said children, and they are likely to become one thousand nine hundred and THE STATE BOARD OF CHILDREN'S GUARDIANS, General Agent. public charges. Name of petitioner, Residence, Previous residence, Character of residence, Place of birth, How long, (Procure previous residence and length of each, for five years. Inquire of landlords or agents.) Name of husband Date of marriage, By whom married, Date of death of husband, Place of marriage, husband is buried, Children: Name, baptized, where? Church attended by petitioner, Name of pastor, Husband's relatives: Name, Relationship, Personal property owned by petitioner, money in bank, building and loan shares, etc., Personal property owned by children, money in bank, building and loan shares, Remarks, etc., LETTER TO PETITIONER WHEN PETITION IS READY FOR COURT HEARING. DEAR MADAM: Your petition for relief under chapter 281, Laws of 1913, known as the widow's pension law, will be heard by Judge at courthouse, in o'clock. on at Please be at the courthouse at that time and bring with you the following: Marriage certificate; husband's death certificate; birth certificates of all children under 16 years of age. You can obtain these, without any expense, by mailing the inclosed blanks after you have filled them out to the bureau of vital statistics, statehouse, Trenton, N. J. Also bring bill of your husband's funeral expenses. If you are under the care of a physician, get a certificate from the physician stating what he is treating you for and how long he has been treating you. Also get certified letters from the landlords where you have resided for the last five years or bring your rent receipts covering the last five years. Bring two witnesses not relatives who know you and can vouch for your statements in your petition. Unless you can produce these certificates for the date set for the hearing of your petition, your case will not be heard on that day. An Act To establish a commission to inquire into the subject of pensions or other relief for widowed mothers, and making an appropriation therefor. The people of the State of New York, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Duties of commission-Report.—Within thirty days after this act takes effect there shall be appointed in the manner hereinafter provided a commission whose duty it shall be to make inquiry, examination and investigation into the practicability and appropriate method of providing by statute for pensions or other relief for widowed mothers, including such an investigation of the circumstances affecting such persons as may show the necessity or propriety of providing for such pensions or relief, and for the purposes of such investigation the commission may inquire into conditions and statutes in any State or country. Such commission shall submit its report on such matters, including such recommendations for legislation in the form of a bill or bills, or otherwise, as in its judgment may seem proper, to the legislature of nineteen hundred and fourteen. SEC. 2. Membership.-Such commission shall consist of three senators to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, five members of the assembly to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, and seven other persons, not members of the legislature, to be appointed by the governor. Such commission shall elect from its number a chairman and may appoint a secretary. SEC. 3. Expenses.-The members of such commission shall serve without compensation, but each member shall be entitled to his actual necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his duties under the provisions of this act. SEC. 4. Powers.-For the purposes of its investigation such commission is hereby authorized to send for persons and papers, to administer oaths and to examine witnesses and papers respecting all matters pertaining to the subjects referred to in the first section of this act and to employ all necessary clerical and other assistants, within the appropriation therefor. If such commission shall appoint from its members subcommittees to make inquiry into one or more of such subjects, such subcommittees shall have the same powers in respect to sending for persons and papers, administering oaths and examining witnesses and papers, as are herein conferred upon the commission. SEC. 5. Appropriation.—The sum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the State treasury not otherwise appropriated for the expenses of such commission and its members under the provisions of this act, to be paid by the State treasurer upon the warrant of the comptroller upon vouchers approved by the chairman of such commission. SEC. 6. This act shall take effect immediately. Approved May 17, 1913. Members of the commission: Aaron J. Levy (chairman); Frederick S. Burr, E. Frank Brewster, Hannah B. Einstein, Anthony J. Griffin, William Hard, John D. Lindsay, Sophie Irene Loeb, Martin G. McCue, Henry W. Pollock, James M. Rozan, William I. Sirovich, Thomas K. Smith, Ralph W. Thomas, Ansley Wilcox. Secretary, Richard M. Neustadt. Director of inves tigation, Robert W. Hebberd. The commission made a preliminary report to the legislature March 20, 1914 (Senate No. 53), and submitted a bill providing for relief to children of widowed mothers. The bill fixes "allowances" of not more than $20 a month for widowed mothers with one child under 16 years of age, $15 for a second child, and $10 for each additional child to a monthly maximum of $60. The entire administration of the pensions in each county is placed in the hands of a county board of child welfare of seven members, appointed by the county judge as follows: The county' superintendent of the poor, ex officio member; one representative each of the county education authorities, the public health authorities, and the juvenile or county court; and three additional members, two at least of whom shall be women. For New York City the board of child welfare is increased to nine members, appointed by the mayor, with the commissioner of public charities ex officio member in place of the county superintendent of the poor. The entire cost of the pensions is to be borne by the local authorities, whose action in making appropriations is, however, optional. The bill recommended by the commission passed the assembly, but did not come to a vote in the senate before the regular session of the legislature came to an end on March 27, 1914. OHIO. [Laws 1913, p. 877-9.1 Part of Children's Code.2] SEC. 1683-2. Allowance to poor mothers.-For the partial support of women whose husbands are dead, or become permanently disabled for work by reasons of physical or mental infirmity, or whose husbands are prisoners or whose husbands have deserted, and such desertion has continued for a period of three years, when such women are poor, and are the mothers of children not entitled to receive an age and schooling certificate, and such mothers and children have been legal residents in any county of the State for two years, the juvenile court may make an allowance to each of such women, as follows. Not to exceed fifteen dollars a month, when she has but one child not entitled to an age and schooling certificate, and if she has more than one child not entitled to an age and schooling certificate, it shall not exceed fifteen dollars a month for the first child and seven dollars a month for each of the other children not entitled to an age and schooling certificate. The order making such allowance shall not be effective for a longer period than six months, but upon the expiration of such period, said court may from time to time, extend such allowance for a period of six months, or less. Such homes shall be visited from time to time by a probation officer, agent of an associated charities organization, a humane society, or such other agents as the court may direct, provided that the 1 See also General Code, 1910, section 7777, which provides for relief (books and clothing) to be furnished out of the contingent funds of the school districts to poor children to enable them to attend school. (Laws 1902, sec. 4022-9.) A similar provision was passed in Indiana in 1913. 2 The commission to codify and revise the laws of Ohio relative to children, which made its report to the legislature in 1912, was not agreed as to the desirability of enacting a "widows' pension law at that time. The bill drafted by the commission as the form recommended should the legislature desire to pass such a law was that enacted in 1913. person who actually makes such visits shall be thoroughly trained in charitable relief work, and the report or reports of such visiting agent shall be considered by the court in making such order. SEC. 1683-3. Conditions of allowance.-Such allowance may be made by the juvenile court, only upon the following conditions: First-the child or children for whose benefit the allowance is made, must be living with the mother of such child or children; second-the allowance shall be made only when in the absence of such allowance, the mother would be required to work regularly away from her home and children, and when by means of such allowance she will be able to remain at home with her children, except that she may be absent for work for such time as the court deems advisable; third-the mother must, in the judgment of the juvenile court, be a proper person, morally, physically and mentally, for the bringing up of her children; fourth-such allowance shall in the judgment of the court be necessary to save the child or children from neglect and to avoid the breaking up of the home of such woman; fifth— it must appear to be for the benefit of the child to remain with such mother; sixth-a careful preliminary examination of the home of such mother must first have been made by the probation officer, an associated charities organization, humane society, or such other competent person or agency as the court may direct, and a written report of such examination filed. SEC. 1683-4. When allowance shall cease.-Whenever any child shall reach the age for legal employment, any allowance made to the mother of such child for the benefit of such child shall cease. The juvenile court may, in its discretion, at any time before such child reaches such age, discontinue or modify the allowance to any mother and for any child. SEC. 1683-5. Partial relief.-Should the fund at the disposal of the court for this purpose be sufficient to permit an allowance to only part of the persons coming within the provisions of this act, the juvenile court shall select those cases in most urgent need of such allowance. SEC. 1683-6. To whom law does not apply.—The provisions of this act shall not apply to any woman who, while her husband is imprisoned receives sufficient of his wages to support the child or children. SEC. 1683-7. Penalty for fraud.-Any person or persons fraudulently attempting to obtain any allowance for a person not entitled thereto, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than fifty dollars, or imprisoned in the county jail, for a period of not less than two months, or both. SEC. 1683-8. Motion to set aside allowance.-In each case where an allowance is made to any woman under the provisions of this act, a record shall be kept of the proceedings, and any citizen of the county may, at any time, file a motion to set aside, or vacate or modify such judgment and on such motion said juvenile court shall hear evidence, and may make a new order sustaining the former allowance, modify or vacate the same, and from such order, error may be prosecuted, or an appeal may be taken as in civil actions. If the judgment be not appealed from, or error prosecuted, or if appealed or error prosecuted, and the judgment of the juvenile court be sustained or affirmed, the person filing such motion shall pay all the costs incident to the hearing of such motion. SEC. 1683-9.-County board to levy tax.-It is hereby made the duty of the county commissioners to provide out of the money in the county treasury such sum each year thereafter as will meet the requirements of the court in these proceedings. To provide the same they shall levy a tax not to exceed one-tenth of a mill on the dollar valuation of the taxable property of the county. Such levy shall be subject to all the limitations provided by law upon the aggregate amount, rate, maximum rate and combined maximum rate of taxation. The county auditor shall issue a warrant upon the county treasurer for the payment of such allowance as may be ordered by the juvenile judge. Passed April 28, 1913. Approved May 9, 1913. Filed in office of secretary of state May 13, 1913. OKLAHOMA. [Laws 1907-08, p. 394-5, as amended by article 13, chapter 219, Laws 1913.] 66 SECTION 4. Scholarships" for wage-earning children of widows.-If any widowed mother shall make affidavit to the effect that the wages of her child or children, under sixteen years of age are necessary to the support of such widowed mother, then the county superintendent of public instruction shall after careful examination, upon the recommendation of the school district board, or board of education, furnish such child or children a certificate called a scholarship" stating the amount of wages such child or children are receiving, or so much of such wages as shall be deemed necessary so long as such child or children shall attend the public school in accordance with the provisions of this article, which aid shall be allowed and paid upon certificate of the county superintendent of public instruction to the child or children holding such scholarship, by the county commissioners. 66 No reports available as to the aid being given widowed mothers with young children by the counties under this provision. (Letter from E. A. Duke, assistant superintendent of public instruction, Dec. 24, 1913.) OREGON. [Laws 1913, chap. 42.] An Act To provide for the assistance and support of women whose husbands are dead or are inmates of some Oregon State institution or who are physically or mentally unable to work and who have a child or children dependent for support wholly or partly upon their labor. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. Allowance to poor mothers.-Every woman, who has one or more children under the age of sixteen years and whose husband is either dead or is an inmate of some Oregon State institution, or by reason of physical or mental disease is wholly unable to work, and whose support and the support of whose child or children is dependent wholly or partly upon her labor, shall be entitled to the assistance as provided for in this act for the support of herself and of her child or children. SEC. 2. Amount of allowance.-Subject to subsequent provisions of this act, every woman, as provided in section 1, who is herself, and all of whose children are wholly dependent upon her labor for support shall receive from the public moneys of the county in which she and her child or children reside the sum of ten dollars per month for one child, and if she have more than one residing with her, seven dollars and fifty cents per month for each of such additional children. SEC. 3. Subject to subsequent provisions of this act, every woman, as provided by section 1, who is herself and all of whose children are, partly dependent upon her labor for support shall receive from the public moneys of the county in which she and her child or children shall reside, such a sum per month as, added to her other income (other than that derived from her labor), shall be equal to the amount which she would receive if she was subject to the provisions of section 2 of this act. |