A state campaign of much interest to social workers in general is
being waged by the Associated Charities of Duluth, Minnesota, for the
enactment by the Minnesota legislature of four laws pertaining to the
four related social evils of vagrancy, desertion of family,
drunkenness and poverty. A state labor colony for tramps, vagrants and
deserters, a general stiffening of the punitive, reformatory, and
other features of the law against desertion of destitute families, the
establishment of boards of inebriety, and a commission on the causes
of poverty, are, respectively, the specific measures by which the four
enumerated evils are to be met.
At the time of our going to press, those fighting for the hills were
hopeful for the passage of all except that creating boards of
inebriety. All of the bills had been referred to their appropriate
committees in both house and senate, and the wide-spread discussion
given to them by newspapers throughout the state, most of which was
favorable, was expected to aid materially in their passage.
The bill dealing with drunkenness provides that in every city having a
population of over 50,000 the common council or city council may
determine that there shall be a local board of inebriety, to consist
of five persons, appointed by the mayor, two of whom shall be
physicians, and one of whom, if practicable, shall have had experience
in social or charitable subjects. This board of inebriety, or one of
its field officers, may direct the dismissal of any complaint charging
a person with intoxication or the use of any habit-forming drug. If
the complaint be not dismissed and the accused be found guilty, the
court may release the person so convicted under the supervision of a
field officer of the board of inebriety for a period of from six
months to one year. The court may impose conditions upon the person
supervised and upon the violation of any of these conditions further
penalties may be imposed. If the accused be sentenced to hard labor in
a jail or house of correction, fifty cents for each day’s work shall
be paid over for the support of his wife or minor children.
The chief objection raised to this bill is that the State of Minnesota
does not yet require such boards of inebriety, and that the work which
it would do can be accomplished through an extension of the probation
system.
The proposed commission on causes of poverty would consist of five
citizens of the state, three of whom must be experts in social,
charitable, or sanitary matters, and two of whom must be lawyers. The
duties of the commission would be “to investigate causes of, or
factors in, promoting undesirable living conditions, ill health or
pauperism, such as poor and unsanitary housing, overcrowding in
tenements, methods of dealing with minor offenders and juvenile
delinquents, and such other kindred subjects as the commission may
elect.” It shall also study the adequacy of the present laws of the
state on these subjects, the experience of other states and countries,
and shall frame laws embodying the results of its investigations. Thus
the bill aims to “eliminate the causes of poverty instead of dealing
only with the effects.” The members are to be unpaid except for
reimbursement of travelling expenses. A salaried secretary may be
employed. The bill appropriates $6,000 for the purposes of the
commission, whose report must be submitted to the legislature on or
before January 15th, 1913.
The purpose of the proposed state labor colony for tramps, vagrants
and deserters is thus stated by the Associated Charities: “To make
useful citizens out of tramps and beggars, instead of the rounders
from jail to jail, and city to city, created by the present system. To
eventually eliminate tramps and beggars and vagrants, which has been
largely accomplished in Germany, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland and
to a considerable extent in Massachusetts.”
Detention, humane discipline and instruction are to be the functions
of the colony. Any court may, in lieu of other lawful commitment,
commit to the colony any male over twenty years of age who shall have
been adjudged by such court to be a tramp or vagrant, or a deserter of
a wife or child in necessitious circumstances. The sentence must be
indefinite in length and parole or discharge may be made at any time
after commitment, except that in no case may detention exceed two
years.
The colony is to be under the supervision and management of the state
board of control. Its buildings are to be designed for not less than
three hundred inhabitants, and $100,000 is appropriated for the
purchase of a site and the erection of buildings. Educational and
industrial training are to be provided for.
The problem of wife desertion is declared to be an extremely serious
one in Minnesota. The new bill aimed at this evil is based largely on
the “model law of the District of Columbia,” as well as upon a study
of every desertion law in the United States. It follows also
recommendations of the commission on uniform state laws. The bill
makes a misdemeanor of any desertion of, wilful neglect of, or refusal
to provide for, a wife or a legitimate or illegitimate child under 16
years of age, in necessitous circumstances. In case of conviction it
provides for a fine of not more than $100, or imprisonment at hard
labor for not more than ninety days, or for both. The court may direct
the fine to be used for the support of the wife or child.
Some prominent features of the law, which are declared to be
advantages over the present law, are as follows: It provides
specifically that when a deserter of a destitute family is sentenced
to confinement, he shall be employed at hard labor. This tends to
prevent desertion, saves the value of the man’s labor to the
community, braces him up and makes him a more useful citizen who is
more likely to support his family after release.
It requires the payment of the proceeds of the man’s labor where it
most sorely is needed, to his deserted wife and children. Under the
present law, the convicted deserter is supported in jail, while his
family often become paupers.
It specifically allows any person to make the complaint and makes both
husband and wife compellable witnesses in all relevant matters.
Members of the family are reluctant to complain in the most flagrant
cases of neglect and desertion, or else withdraw their complaint
before conviction and then the desertion is repeated. If convicted
upon complaint of members of his own family, the man is very apt “to
take it out on them” when released.
It applies to the non-support of illegitimate as well as legitimate
children.