Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1916 — Should Invoke “Lazy Husband” Penalty. [ARTICLE]

Should Invoke “Lazy Husband” Penalty.

With all due respect for the work that has been done by the local charity board, in some cases it could have done more real and lasting good both to the families helped and to the community by prosecuting some of the family heads under the “lazy husband” law. In helping some families oue is but encouraging idleness, lazyness and loafing. We were told of a case a few days ago where a husband is earning good wages but absolutely refuses to contribute anything except the house rent to the support of his wife and large family of small children. The wife works every day that she can get work to buy groceries and raiment for hqp brood, while the husband “dolls up” each night and comes up town and spends his money in riotous living—or what is riotous living for one in his circumstances. There are other cases perhaps even worse than this, and example should be made of some of these men.