Racing Mothers

While the U. S. Congress was kicking over its traces, refusing to pass the Sales Tax (see p. 12), Ontario's Legislature moved last week to snatch a rich reward from the fruitful mothers of Toronto. On Oct. 31, 1926 wealthy Charles Millar of Toronto died without heirs and left his $500,000 estate in trust for that Ontario mother who should bear the greatest num-ber of children between the date of his death and midnight Oct. 31, 1936.

Ontario women went to work. Indefatigable Mrs. Henry Brown and Mrs. Grace Bagnato have brought forth steadily, evenly, one babe per year for the past six years, though some of them have died. Mrs. Brown has had 27 children in 22 years (13 surviving). Mrs. Bagnato has produced 21 (eleven surviving).

The contest has been painful to the more sensitive citizens of Toronto. Last week Attorney General Price introduced a bill in the Ontario Legislature to declare the Millar will invalid, award the Millar fortune to Toronto University. Mother Brown swore that if such a bill were passed she would fight it to the House of Lords if necessary. Mrs. Bagnato was more philosophical:

"I knew there was a possibility of my family not gaining the bequest and so I did not build greatly on the expectation. . . . But at the same time it seems incredible that the bequest can be set aside."

On second thought it seemed incredible to the Ontario legislators too. The bill passed its first reading almost without comment. On its second reading, legislators who had had time to read newspaper editorials pounded their desks and cried, "Shame, shame!" "Disgrace!" Attorney General Price hastily withdrew the bill.

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