{"@context":{"@language":"en","AIPUUID":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/terms#identifierAIP","AggregatedSourceRepository":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/dataProvider","AlternateTitle":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/alternative","CatalogueRecord":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isReferencedBy","Collection":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isPartOf","Creator":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/creator","DateAvailable":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued","DateIssued":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued","DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/aggregatedCHO","FileFormat":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/elements\/1.1\/format","FullText":"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2009\/08\/skos-reference\/skos.html#note","Genre":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/hasType","Identifier":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/identifier","IsShownAt":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/isShownAt","Language":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/language","Provider":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/provider","Publisher":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/publisher","Rights":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/rights","SortDate":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/date","Source":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/source","Title":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/title","Type":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/type","Translation":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/description"},"AIPUUID":[{"@value":"63563123-d91b-4097-815d-1777ed9f1a51","@language":"en"}],"AggregatedSourceRepository":[{"@value":"CONTENTdm","@language":"en"}],"AlternateTitle":[{"@value":"REPORT ON NEGLECTED CHILDREN. ","@language":"en"},{"@value":" REPORT ON MOTHERS' PENSIONS.","@language":"en"}],"CatalogueRecord":[{"@value":"http:\/\/resolve.library.ubc.ca\/cgi-bin\/catsearch?bid=1198198","@language":"en"}],"Collection":[{"@value":"Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia","@language":"en"}],"Creator":[{"@value":"British Columbia. Legislative Assembly","@language":"en"}],"DateAvailable":[{"@value":"2016-02-17","@language":"en"}],"DateIssued":[{"@value":"[1921]","@language":"en"}],"DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":[{"@value":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/collections\/bcsessional\/items\/1.0226000\/source.json","@language":"en"}],"FileFormat":[{"@value":"application\/pdf","@language":"en"}],"FullText":[{"@value":" PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA\nFIRST ANNUAL REPORTS\nOF   THE\nSUPERINTENDENT OF NEGLECTED\nCHILDREN\nAND\nMOTHERS' PENSIONS\n\\4\nFOR  THE   TEAR   ENDING\nNOVEMBER 30th, 1920\nPRINTED BY\nAUTHORITY  OF  THE   LEGISLATIVE  ASSEMBLY.\nVICTORIA, B.C.:\nPrinted by William H. Collin, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.\n1321.  To His Honour Walter Cameron Nichol,\nLieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia.\nMay it please Your Honour :\nThe undersigned has the honour to present the first Annual Keport of the\nSuperintendent of Neglected Children, also the first Annual Keport on Mothers'\nPensions, for the year ending November 30th, 1920.\nJ. W. de B. FARRIS,\nAttorney-General.\nAttorney-General's Department,\nVictoria, B.C., February 8th, 1921.  REPORT ON NEGLECTED CHILDREN.\nVancouver, B.C., December 23rd, 1920.\nThe Honourable J. W. de-B. Farris,\nAttorney-General, Victoria, B.C.\nSir,\u2014I have the honour to submit herewith my first Annual Report as Superintendent of\nNeglected Children for the year ending November 30th, 1920.\nAs this office was only opened in December, 1919, the year has been spent largely in the\nwork of organization, and even yet is only in its initiatory stages. The first month was spent\nin securing offices, drawing up and having printed the necessary forms, etc., and conducting an\neducational campaign throughout the Province.\nThis had just been commenced when, at the first of the year, I was asked to take charge of\nand reorganize the Boys' Industrial School, which to a great extent interfered with the work of\nthis Department.\nThen in April, 1920, the \" Adoption of Children Act\" was passed, entailing further work for\nthis office, as notice must be served on the Superintendent of Neglected Children in all applications\nfor adoption. At the same time the \" Mothers' Pensions Act\" was approved, which necessitated\nreorganization and entailed a great deal of work, as shown in the report on same included herein.\nNeglected Children.\nOne of the difficulties we had to contend with in this connection was that many had the\nmistaken idea that it was the duty of this Department to follow up all complaints and reports\nof alleged neglected children and to apprehend same and bring them before the Judge for\ncommitment, for they did not understand that this was the duty of the cities and municipalities\nand that our responsibility did not begin until after the child had been before the Court and\nhad been proved to be neglected. Of course, we acted in an advisory capacity and suggested\nwhat action to take in the various cases that were reported to us.\nDuring the year ninety-two cases have been reported to the office, involving a total of 148\nchildren. Of these, twenty-six children were committed to a Children's Aid Society, the other\ncases being satisfactorily settled without Court proceedings.\nSince January of this year the per capita grant to Children's Aid Societies talcing care of\nchildren committed from unorganized districts has been paid through this Department. The\namount paid is $2 per week per child.   Below is a statement of the amount expended:\u2014\nMonth.\nChildren's Aid Society of Vancouver.\nChildren's Aid Society of the Catholic\nArchdiocese of\nVancouver.\nChildren.\nAmount.\nChildren.\nAmount.\nTotal.\nChildren.\nAmount.\nJanuary  \t\nFebruary  \t\nMarch  \t\nApril\t\nMay\t\nJune  \t\nJuly\t\nAugust \t\nSeptember\nOctober\t\nNovember \t\nTotals\n31\n30\n30\n28\n28\n30\n31\n30\n33\n36\n40\n347\n269 71\n248 57\n252 00\n240 00\n248 00\n236 57\n269 72\n265 72\n287 42\n317 14\n320 00\n56\n56\n56\n60\n59\n59\n60\n61\n61\n57\n53\n496 00\n464 00\n496 00\n483 71\n522 57\n505 71\n531 43\n544 28\n516 28\n504 85\n454 28\n$2,954 85\n638\n$5,519 11\n87\n86\n86\n88\n87\n89\n91\n91\n94\n93\n93\n765 71\n712 57\n748 00\n723 71\n770 57\n742 28\n801 15\n810 00\n803 70\n821 99\n774 28\n5,473 96\nY 21 Y 22\nReport on Neglected Children.\n1921\nThe actual number of children paid for during the year from the above were:-\nSociety.\nBoys.\nGirls.\nTotal.\n31\n35\n19\n29\n50\n64\nTotals  \t\n66\n48\n114\nOver and above this amount grants to the amount of approximately $13,000 were made to\nsocieties taking care of orphan and destitute children.\nInspection of Institutions.\nI inspected the home of the Children's Aid Society of Vancouver on Wall Street, and also\nthe Providence Orphanage, New Westminster, in which the wards of the Children's Aid Society\nof the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver are placed, and found that the children there were\nbeing well taken care of by those responsible.\n\" Adoption Act.\"\nSince the passing of the \" Adoption Act\" in April, 1920, there have been filed at this office\nforty notices of application for adoption.   Fourteen of these were boys and twenty-six were girls.\nThis Act will be of great value and protection to children, as the child, once it is legally\nadopted, has the same rights as a natural child.\nWhen the papers are properly filled in there is, as a rule, no difficulty in putting through\nthe order.\nI would like to point out that the \" Adoption of Children Act\" and the \" Mothers' Pensions\nAct\" will provide for many children who would otherwise have to be dealt with under the\n\"Infants Act.\"\nThe \" Mothers' Pensions Act\" will enable mothers, who because of their inability to provide\nfor them would have had to place their children in an institution, to care for these children at\nhome.\nThe \" Adoption of Children Act\" will do away with the difficulties we have had to contend\nwith in the past in regard to foster homes, as before the foster child was not protected in cases\nwhere the foster parents died without making a will in which the child was specifically mentioned. REPORT ON MOTHERS' PENSIONS.\nThe Honourable J. W. de B. Farris,\nAttorney-General, Victoria, B.C.\nSir,\u2014I have the honour to submit herewith the first Annual Report on the Work ol Mothers'\nPensions up to November 30th, 1920.\nMovement.\nThe movement for the enactment of a mothers' pension law in British Columbia began\ndefinitely as early as 1911 by the various women's organizations interested in social reform\ncalling attention to the justice of the principle of such a law and passing resolutions in favour\nof it.\nPrinciple.\nThe principle is simple. It is the recognition of a widely held and deeply rooted conviction\nthat home-life and a mother's care are of such value in the proper rearing of children that no\nchild should be deprived of their benefits on account of poverty alone.\nHistory of Movement.\nThe very rapid growth of the movement in a very brief period of years shows what a long-\nfelt want it has supplied. Like many great movements, it has been to some extent a matter of\nevolution.\nCompulsory education laws had made it necessary to make State provision in the way of\nclothing, books, and, in some cases, of money for the children of indigent parents to attend school.\nThe Oklahoma law, enacted April 10th, 1908, provided for a \" school scholarship \" equivalent\nto the earnings of a child to be paid to the widowed mother when such earnings were regarded\nas necessary to her support.\nIn Ontario in 1914 the Local Council of Women requested permission to create a fund to\nbe known as the \" Mothers' Pension Fund,\" to he dispensed to mothers who felt obliged to take\ntheir children from school before they were 1-1. The advent of the war prevented this being\ncarried out.\nThe placing of orphan and neglected children in foster homes instead of institutions was a\nstep in the right direction and worked untold -benefit to the children.\nPublic opinion in the matter of providing help in some better way than by the older forms\nof poor relief or the uncertainty of private charity had been steadily growing, and since the\npassing of the first definite \" Mothers' Pension Act\" in Missouri on April 7th, 1911, followed by\nthe Illinois \" Funds to Parents Act,\" also of 1911, the enactment of mothers' pension laws has\ngone forward by leaps and bounds. Almost every State in the neighbouring republic has passed\nsuch laws.\nIn Canada, Manitoba was the first Province to pass a \" Mothers' Pension Act\" in 1916.\nSaskatchewan followed in 1917, Alberta in 1919, and British Columbia, April 17th, 1920.\nOntario has passed an Act to come into force in October, 1920, and Nova Scotia has one under\nconsideration.\nPreparation-work.\nIn British Columbia, after much education and publicity-work, it was realized that the time\nhad come when the Legislature would have to be approached.\nA Committee was appointed by the New Era League of Vancouver, composed of Mrs. J. Allan\nClark, Mrs. H. G. Taylor, and Mrs. Jean K. Macken, who were assisted by Mrs. John Forrester,\nof New Westminster; Mrs. Gordon Grant, of Victoria; Mrs. J. H. MacGill and the late Mrs.\nW. H. Griffin, of Vancouver.\nThey organized a large deputation of representative .bodies, and through the Attorney-\nGeneral, the Hon. J. W. de B. Farris, the Government was approached during the session of\nY. 23 Y 24 Report on Mothers' Pensions. 1921\n1918. Mrs. Ralph Smith, M.L.A., who had ever championed and ardently worked for the cause,\nintroduced the delegation. The following list of delegates and organizations shows how widely\nspread the realization of the necessity of such a law had become:\u2014\nLeader of delegation, Mrs. J. A. Clark, New Era League; National Council of Women, Mrs.\nR. S. Day; Provincial W.C.T.U., Mrs. Spofford; Victoria Local Council of Women, Miss Mary\nLawson; New Westminster Local Council of Women, Mrs. J. Forrester; Vancouver Local Council\nof Women, Mrs. A. U. de Pencier; Nanaimo Local Council of Women, Mrs. John McMillan;\nWomen's Institutes, Mrs. Ralph Smith; Canadian Club, Mrs. J. White; Child Welfare, Mrs. T.\nHarold; Daughters of the Empire, W.B.A. Maccabees, Mrs. Hugh Wilson; American Woman's\nClub, King's Daughters, Mrs. George W. Beattie; New Westminster W.C.T.U.; New Westminster\nLiberals, Mrs. John Forrester; Nanaimo W.C.T.U.; Vancouver Liberals, Mrs. Stanley Brown;\nWoman's Independent Political Party, Mrs. Gordon Grant; Citizens' Union, Mrs. A. Borland;\nWoman's New Era League, Mrs. H. G. Taylor; Trades and Labour Council, Miss H. Gutteridge;\nUniversity Women's Club, Vancouver, Mrs. J. H. MacGill; University Women's Club, Victoria,\nMrs. (Captain) Clark; Prince Rupert, Revelstoke (proxy), Mrs. Ralph Smith; Equal Franchise\nAssociation, Mrs. W. H. Morrow; Reconstruction League, Miss McLeod; Daughters of Scotia,\nMrs. I. Rose; Vancouver Ratepayers' Association, Mrs. J. K. Macken; Benevolent Association,\nNew Westminster, Mrs. Chas. Welsh; Woman's Forum, Mrs. John Dixon; W.C.T.U., Vancouver,\nMrs. Wm. Bryan; Chilliwack, Miss Barrow; Victoria City, Mayor Todd; Vancouver City, Mayor\nGale; New Westminster, Mayor Gray; Vancouver City Relief, Rev. George Ireland; Ministerial\nAssociation (Lower Mainland), Rev. Mr. Stevens; Salvation Army, B.C., Commandant Jaynes;\nProvincial Child Welfare, Mr. Dougan; B.C. Great War Veterans, Captain Whittaker; Fraser\nValley Institutes, Mrs. Fadden; Kaslo, Mrs. John Keen; B.C. Federation of Labour, Mr. D.\nMcCallum ; Ministerial Association, Victoria, Rev. H. S. Osborne; the Community Home Service;\nAmerican Girls' Club; North Vancouver. Suffrage Societies; Federation of Parent-Teachers'\nAssociations; South Vancouver Women's Forum ; Victoria Order of Nurses ; Provincial Graduate\nNurses' Association ; Local Graduate Nurses' Association; Widows, Wives, and Mothers of Great\nBritain's Heroes, Mrs. J. Kemp.\nThe Premier, the Hon. John Oliver, in eulogizing the delegation, said it was the most\nbusinesslike and representative delegation that had ever appeared before the Government.\nSo convincing were the arguments in favour of the Act that the Government appointed a\nCommission to report on the advisability of bringing down legislation in the matter. This\nCommission, composed of Mr. E. S. H. Winn, Mrs. C. E. Spofford, Mr. Duncan McCallum, and\nMr. T. B. Green, was called the Health Commission, and reported on the following questions:\nHealth Insurance, Public Health Nursing, Mothers' Pensions, and Maternity Benefits.\nThe report of this Commission was received by the Provincial Parliamentary Session of\n1919-20, and in it the necessity for mothers' pensions was so strongly emphasized that the\nexisting \" Mothers' Pension Act\" was passed on April 17th, 1920.\nTerms of Act.\nUnder the Act the following are included as properly being qualified to receive assistance:\u2014\nAny mother who is:\u2014\n(a.) A widow;   or\n(&.) A married woman whose husband is an inmate of the penal institution or public\nhospital for insane;   or\n(c.) A woman whose husband is unable to support his family by reason of sickness or\naccident arising while his wife was residing in this Province;  or\n(<?.) A deserted wife;  or\n(e.) Any other person whose case, in the opinion of the Superintendent, is a proper one\nfor assistance under the provisions of this Act.\nIt will thus be seen that it is very broad in its scope and application.\nAdvisory Boards.\nFollowing the passing of the Act, Advisory Boards to deal with cases making application\nhave been appointed by an Order in Council to co-operate with the officials of' the Mothers' 11 Geo. 5 British Columbia. Y 25\nPension Department, which was placed under the supervision of the Superintendent of Neglected\nChildren.    The existing advisory committees are as follows :\u2014\nVancouver\u2014Judge Helen Gregory MacGill, Mrs. Robert MeNair, Mrs. J. A. Clark, Mrs.\nJoseph Sheasgreen, Mrs. J. C. Kemp, and Judge Shaw,\nVictoria\u2014Mrs. C. E. Spofford, Mrs. Stewart Henderson, and Mrs. Robert Dinsdale.\nNanaimo\u2014Mrs. G. B. Brown, Mrs. Margaret Neave, and Mrs. Maude Woodcock.\nNew Westminster\u2014Mrs. Christina Forrester, Mrs. Helen Smith, and Mrs. Ma*ud Dorgan.\nRevelstoke\u2014Mrs. J. B. Ward, Mrs. Alex. Honson, and Mrs. W. J. Dickey.\nFernie\u2014Mrs. Lome Workman and Mrs. Annie Duthie.\nCranbrook\u2014Mrs. Gertrude Miles, Mrs. Verna Constantine, and Mrs. Louisa Roberts.\nNelson\u2014Mrs. Elesa McCulloch, Mrs. Annie Rutherford, and Mrs. Marion Crease.\nRossland\u2014Mrs. Margaret York, Mrs. Isable Stephens, and Mrs. Sarah Pitt.\nTrail\u2014Mrs. Lillian Thom, Mrs. Jessie Walker, and Mrs. Teresa Martin.\nPenticton\u2014Mayor Chambers, Albert H. Huntley, Mrs. Agnes Smith, Mrs. Maud Burtch,\nand Mrs. Veila McGregor.\nVernon\u2014Mrs. D. D. Lockhart, Mrs. Mary Knight, and Mrs. Elsie Richards.\nArmstrong\u2014Mrs. Frances Groves, Mrs. Jennie Hall, and Mrs. Susie Inglis.\nKelowna\u2014Mrs. Mary Cameron, Miss Minnie Reekie, and Mrs. Jennie McDonald.\nKamloops\u2014Mrs. D. B. Johnstone.\nAdministration.\nVery shortly after the passing of the Act applications began to pour into the office from all\nparts of the Province. Up to the end of June, 1920, 390 names and addresses were placed on\nfile, and as soon as the printed forms were available they were mailed to the applicants. Ending\nwith November 30th, 1920, there have been 1,182 applications placed on file and they still continue\nto be received in large numbers.\nEarly in July six temporary investigators were appointed to visit and report on the\napplications received. At present there are two investigators for Vancouver and the surrounding\ndistrict; one for the unorganized districts of the Mainland; one for the City of Victoria and one\nfor the other parts of Vancouver Island.\nThe Local Advisory Boards visit and report on the cases in their own districts.\nThe Advisory Board for Vancouver was formally inaugurated and the Act declared operative\non Friday, September 3rd, 1920, by the Hon. the Attorney-General, Mr. J. W. de B. Farris, under\nwhose Department the Act is administered and to whose sympathetic attitude towards the cause\nmuch of the credit of the passing of the Act is due.\nIn addition to the members of the Board, there were present Mr. D. B. Brankin,\nSuperintendent of Neglected Children; Mr. G. F. Pyke, Assistant Superintendent; Mrs. Ralph\nSmith, M.L..A., who is now joyfully realizing the culmination of her efforts on behalf of the\nmothers' pensions; Mr. M. A. Macdonald, M.L.A., and Mr. J. S. Cowper, M.L.A., who had assisted\nwith the measure before the Legislature.\nA \" movie \" film of the proceedings was taken by Photographer Kean and appeared in due\ncourse on the screens of this and other Provinces.\nEnding with November 30th, 636 pensions have been granted in the whole Province.\nDuring the month of September, 1920, there was paid out for mothers' pensions in British\nColumbia the sum of $55,227.50. This included in many cases pensions for the months of July\nand August as well, for those who had applied before July 15th, 1920. In October $28,750.50\nwas expended and in November $34,511.50, making a grand total of $118,489.50.\nIt was a great boon to many of the mothers to receive the pension for three months in a\nlump sum In September. They were enabled in many cases to take their children out of the\norphanages, rent little homes or rooms, purchase furniture, and provide for the winter clothing\nand fuel.\nLetters of Appreciation.\nMany were the letters of appreciation and gratitude received from the mothers who were\nbenefited. To many who had struggled on for, deprived of the rightful bread-winner, with failing\nhealth, due to the double burden of providing for the family and caring for the home, as well as\nin some cases nursing invalid husbands, it seemed, as they said, \" too good to be true.\" Y 26 Report on Mothers' Pensions: 1921\nThe following letters will give some idea of the gratitude of the mothers:\u2014\nMr. D. B. Brankin.\nDear Sir,\u2014I beg to acknowledge the receipt of cheque in October, also the one from your office\nof November 2nd. ,\nWords fail to express my gratitude for same, which certainly has been a great help to us.\nThanking you and all concerned in this good work,\nI am,\nYours gratefully,\nMr. Brankin.\nDear Sir,\u2014I hardly know how to begin to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to you\nin allowing me the mothers' pension. It has been such a blessing to me in getting us warm clothes\nand fuel, but words fail me; all I seem to be able to say is many, many thanks and may God bless\nyou all in the good work you have undertaken.\nI beg to remain,\nYours very sincerely,\nMr. Brankin.\nDear Sir,\u2014Thank you for the mothers' pension check I received this afternoon, for which I am\nindeed grateful. It will enable me to care for my children in a better way than I have been able to\ndo this last three years, and no one knows how heavy a mother's heart is when she has to leave her\nchildren to look after themselves while she goes to work to keep them, and a mother is very dear to\na child when it is left alone all day, but I am so thankful that this pension will give us the chance\nof giving what is every child's birthright, a mother's love and care.\nYours very gratefully,\nClassification of Applications.\nThe large number of applications has been due to various causes. Many cases were those\nwho had been receiving help from the various cities and municipalities for some time and who\nwould now come under the Act.\nThe \" flu \" epidemic had' caused a very large number of necessitous cases. War conditions\nhad largely increased the number of deserted wives and families. Many of the men lived with\nother women and even married other wives overseas and are beyond the jurisdiction of this\nProvince. The proximity of the United States has enabled many deserting husbands to shirk\ntheir responsibilities and cross the border.\nIn classifying the applications that have been filed, investigated, and considered by the\nvarious Boards, we find that out of 1,000 cases 665 are widows, 203 are deserted wives, 76 have\nhusbands who are incapacitated from various causes, tuberculosis, paralysis, arthritis, and other\nforms of rheumatism predominating. Those confined in mental hospitals number 24 and in\nprison 6.    Divorcees number 15, unmarried mothers 7, and 5 have remarried.\nThe children number 1,075 boys and 1,013 girls; in all, 2,068. This number does not include\nchildren over 14 and under 16 who are earning wages.\nClauses which render Applicants Ineligible.\nThe number of cases not granted come under sections 4, 5, and 7 of the Act, which state\nthat :\u2014\n\" 4. No mother shall be entitled to apply for or receive an allowance under this Act unless:\u2014\n\"(a.)  She is a British subject; and\n\"(6.) Has been a resident of this Province for at least eighteen months prior to making\napplication for assistance under this Act; and\n\"(c.) Has a child or children under the age of 16 years living with her; and\n\"(d.)  Is without the necessary means with which to support this child or children.\n\"5. No application for an allowance under this Act shall be granted unless the Superintendent is of the opinion :\u2014\n\"(a.) That the applicant is a fit and proper person to have the custody of her child or\nchildren;  and\n\"(&.) That it is in the best interests of her child or children that the applicant should\nhave the custody of them. 11 Geo. 5 British Columbia. Y 27\n\" 7. Payment of the allowance granted under this Act in respect of any beneficiary shall\ncease:\u2014\u2022\n\"(a.)  Upon the beneficiary ceasing to reside within the Province;  or\n\" (6.) Upon the remarriage of the mother.\"\nClassification of those Ineligible.\nCases coming under these heads may be classified as follows:\u2014\n(1.) Not indigent number 69 and include cases where there were other sources of income\nsufficient to maintain the family either from investments, property, rentals, boarders, or older\nchildren who were contributing.\n(2.) Those who were not eligible under the terms of the Act included the following:\u2014\n(a.) Those in receipt of military pensions number 13;  of workmen's compensation, 18.\n(6.) Those who had not completed the eighteen months of residence number 28.\n(c.) Those whose husbands were not British subjects number 27.    In many of the latter\ncases the wives were themselves of British birth and even native-born British\nColumbians.    They felt the hardship of the Federal Act that made them of the\nnationality of their husband, especially when he had not taken out papers of\nnaturalization after years of residence in British Columbia.\n((Z.) In some cases the mother felt that she could not give up her salary when it was\nlargely in excess of the pension.    Some, indeed, thought they should get the pension\nin addition to a fairly large salary,\n(e.) In some cases it was felt that the children would not be benefited by the pension\nbeing granted.\n(\/.) In one case a widow  and four children  were  deported  by  the  Immigration\nDepartment.\n(3.)  Pensions lapsed or were withdrawn from the following causes:\u2014\n(a.)  Five cases of remarriage of the mother.\n(6.)  One case of the death of the mother receiving pension,\n(c.) Two cases of the death of children.\n(d.) One case of the child reaching the age of 16.\nThese latter cases will, of course, increase in number each month.\nOne application was happily withdrawn when the husband, who had been a prisoner of war\nin Germany, was able to get in touch with his family.\nSome applicants withdrew of their own accord when they understood they were not eligible\nunder the terms of the Act.\nWork of Advisory Boards.\nUp to November 30th, 1920, tlie Vancouver Advisory Board has held twenty-one sessions\nand the members have devoted themselves assiduously to deciding each case on its own merits,\nalways keeping before them the oue principle of what is best for the child in all of the varying\nconditions that are presented.\nIn the District of Kamloops Mrs. D. B. Johnstone has carried on the work up to the present\nalone. She reports having investigated twenty-three cases, .and is glad to state that where the\npension has been granted the children are more suitably clad, look healthier and happier, and\na great burden has been lifted from the shoulders of the mother.\nIn Revelstoke the Advisory Board held its organization meeting on August 25th, 1920. It\nhas held eight meetings up to November 30th, 1920, and dealt with nine applications. The Board\nnotices a marked improvement in the home conditions of those who have received pensions and\nstates that a general feeling of appreciation prevails among them.\nIn Armstrong the Board did not receive its official appointment until October 28th, 1920.\nSome applications had been dealt with before it was organized. Two cases were dealt with up\nto November 30th, 1920. Mrs. Susie Ingles writes of one case: \" A more grateful little mother\nyou could not imagine. She often says that the pension of $50 a month takes her off ' worry\nstreet' and places her where she can give her little ones what they need.\"\nThe Nelson Advisory Board held its first meeting on September 2nd, 1920. It has held six\nmeetings up to November 30th, 1920, and has investigated eighteen cases, of which fourteen were\ngranted.   Mrs. Crease for the Nelson Board writes: \" The beneficiaries in Nelson are most grate- ;\nY 28 Report on Mothers' Pensions. 1921\nful and we think that as an economic question it will eventually pay the State an hundredfold.\nThe mothers will be able to keep their children at school longer and better fit them to care for\nthe mothers themselves later. One said: \"Now I shall be able to put my girl through for a\nteacher, and look what that means. She'll help us all later for she is a good girl.\" In several\ncases the mothers were working too hard and for them the grant is a great boon.\"\nThe Westminster Advisory Board held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, September 7th,\n1920, and has investigated forty-eight cases, recommending thirty-four for pensions. Ending\nwith November 30th, 1920, the Board has held nine meetings. Mrs. Dorgan, the Secretary,\nwrites: \" All recipients, as far as we are able to investigate, are making good use of the funds\nand in some cases the pension is nothing short of a blessing. Owing to the large number of\ncases that are continually coming in the Board cannot carry on the follow-up work systematically.\nThe Board would suggest that clergymen who recommend applicants should familiarize then>\nselves with the terms of the \" Mothers' Pensions Act,\" as the Board receive many cases where\nthe applicants do not in any way come under the Act, which makes unnecessary work for them.\"\nThe Trail Advisory Board since being organized has held two meetings, the first on\nSeptember 17th and the second on November 5th. At the first meeting six cases were brought\nup and it was decided to interview these at once. Of the six, five have been granted the pension;\nthe other one is still in abeyance. At the second meeting three more cases were discussed, and\nof these three, one has been granted a pension, the other two not being indigent. In general\nthe people of the district appreciate the benefits derived from the Act and consider that so far\nit has been quite satisfactorily administered. It has proved a great boon to those mothers\nactually in need of help and probably next to the \" Workmen's Compensation Act\" is the most\npopular piece of legislation of recent years.\nThe Rossland Advisory Board since its appointment in July has held meetings from time\nto time \u25a0 as the applications have been received and has kept in touch with applicants since.\nTwelve cases have been investigated; ten of these are now in receipt of the pension, one has\nproved not indigent, and one is now being dealt with. The amount distributed in Rossland up\nto the end of November is $1,943.10. Twenty-three children under the age of 16 have been\nbenefited not only by having their mother with them, but by her ability, through the means\nof mothers' pensions, to procure the necessities of life more readily. The general feeling,\nparticularly where there are a number of very young children, is that this assistance is a\ngodsend.\nAs some of the mothers now receiving help from the Patriotic Fund automatically cease to\nbe eligible for that.relief, they may be expected to apply for mothers' pensions,\nToo much praise cannot be given to the various Advisory Boards throughout the Province.\nTheir work of visiting, investigating, and keeping in touch with the various families has been\nwholly a labour of love for public welfare. They will reap their reward in the knowledge that\nthey have so infinitely bettered conditions among the many widows and children.\nThe happier and more contented mother has a different outlook on life and can approach\nthe questions that confront her in the care and upbringing of her children with a stouter heart-\nThose of us who have been in close personal touch with the mothers themselves cannot but\nexpress our great admiration for the kind of women who are receiving pensions. Nowhere could\na better type of mother be found than these brave women who have in their times of adversity\ntried to do double duty to their children, in many cases causing permanent detriment to their\nhealth.\nProblems.\nMany are the difficult problems that concern the Advisory Boards in the decisions they reach\nregarding each application.\n(1.) For example, what constitutes indigence in the mother? Some hold property assessed\nat a value over and above the amount stipulated have it heavily encumbered or for other reasons\nit is not revenue-producing. Where there is no will it cannot be disposed of during the minority\nof the children.\n(2.) Where there are older children contributing to the support of the home there are\ncircumstances which prevent their giving what would be sufficient for their board; they may\nhave incurred debts for their education which have to be paid.\n(3.) Where there are children over the school age of 14 and under 16 employed are earning\na little money, the question arises, should they be granted pensions? 11 Geo. 5 British Columbia. Y 29\n(4.) Where there are relatives in the home who are not able to contribute sufficient for\ntheir support, would the granting of the pension assist them instead of the children?\n(5.) Should provision be made for children in utero or those conceived while the husband is\nincapacitated for work and the family receiving a pension?\n(6.) A rather remarkable situation is met with in the case of deserted wives who have\nsecured legal separations with orders not sufficient for the support of themselves and their\nchildren, but whose papers have been drawn up with a clause barring them from taking further\nlegal proceedings against the deserting husband and father. The question arises, should the\nman be free to throw his responsibility upon the State?\nIn the outlying districts of the towns and cities many of the mothers own their own little\nhomes, in some cases free from encumbrances, in these cases the problem of living is somewhat\nreduced.\nHousing conditions in the congested districts of the cities are serious. It is especially\nnoticeable in rooming-houses, where the overcrowding of families and inadequate sanitary\narrangements are a menace to health.\nMothers whose pensions are so insufficient that they work part of the time are obliged to\nlive near their work to save time and car fare. These conditions, coupled with the street\nenvironment, are detrimental to the children.\nMore stringent enforcement of the laws, especially those relating to housing and health\nconditions, and also the \" Deserted AVives Act,\" would assist the Advisory Board materially in\ntheir decisions.\nSpeaking generally, the administration of the \" Mothers' Pensions Act,\" even for the very\nshort time it has been in force, has accomplished what its most earnest advocates hoped it would\ndo in the cause of social reform.\nI have the honour to be,\nSir,\nYour obedient servant,\nDAVID B. BRANKIN,\nSuperintendent of Neglected Children.\nVICTORIA, B.C. :\nPrinted by William H. Cullin, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.\n1921. ","@language":"en"}],"Genre":[{"@value":"Legislative proceedings","@language":"en"}],"Identifier":[{"@value":"J110.L5 S7","@language":"en"},{"@value":"1921_V02_18_Y17_Y30","@language":"en"}],"IsShownAt":[{"@value":"10.14288\/1.0226000","@language":"en"}],"Language":[{"@value":"English","@language":"en"}],"Provider":[{"@value":"Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library","@language":"en"}],"Publisher":[{"@value":"Victoria, BC : Government Printer","@language":"en"}],"Rights":[{"@value":"Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia","@language":"en"}],"SortDate":[{"@value":"1921-12-31 AD","@language":"en"},{"@value":"1921-12-31 AD","@language":"en"}],"Source":[{"@value":"Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia","@language":"en"}],"Title":[{"@value":"PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF NEGLECTED CHILDREN AND MOTHERS' PENSIONS FOR THE YEAR ENDING NOVEMBER 30TH, 1920","@language":"en"}],"Type":[{"@value":"Text","@language":"en"}],"Translation":[{"@value":"","@language":"en"}],"@id":"doi:10.14288\/1.0226000"}