Show FOR CHILDREN much new legislation enacted in past year commissions appointed to study and prepare for future legislation social betterment the general alm aim Lawmaking in ln washington porty forty five state and territorial legislatures and the con gross of the united states in 1916 passed laws affecting children according to the childrens bureau which has just completed its survey of such legislation during the current acar car special reference la Is made to tho impressive bulk of childrens laws iud aud to the number of commissions appointed to study and prepare tor for tu fu turo legislation arkansas florida an and utah have commissions to report on the needs of tile the feeble minded now jersey a commission to prepare a state program for the reorganization of public care car of defect lyes dependents and delinquents missouri and now hampshire commissions on the needs of the blind delaware a commission on oil vocational cat ional education idalio idaho a commis commie ston elon to report on the need for ft a minimum kageta w florida and indiana commissions on the need tor for mothers and california a commission to study social insurance the bureau says that the appointment of these commissions indicates a growing realization that benevolent intent cannot safely be accepted as a substitute for the careful formulation of statutes for social betterment the subjects to which study Is directed aro re all of immediate concern to children and the states are thus fairly committed to tile the policy of selecting and harmonizing provisions which load lead plainly toward the collection and codifying of all laws relating to children As show showing ing the great amount of 0 child childrens relis legislation tap ali p bureau says that twenty seven states have amended their provisions for dependent chil dren eighteen have improved their treatment of juvenile delinquents sixteen have strengthened their child la bor law fourteen have concerned themselves with the needs of the mentally detective pr feeble minded three states and the district of columbia were added to those specifically permitting the use of public school build ings as social centers and nine amended or tor foi the first time passed a playground law and four states passed a model vital statistics law in which the childrens bureau Is interested because it considers complete birth registration of fundamental importance to child chila welfare work A few of the foi arty five states made notable advances alabama for example whose legislature meets only once in tour four years enacted a new child labor law a compulsory school attendance law an excellent desertion and nonsupport non support law and a statewide state wide juvenile court law florida remodeled its treatment of juvenile delinquents recognized tho the principle of compulsory school attendance passed the model vital statistics law and appointed two of tile the state commissions already referred to kansas lashed an industrial commission to regulate hours wages rind and conditions of work tor for women and minors and a division of child hygiene in the state elate board ot of health it also enacted a playground law and a mothers pension law tho childrens bureau has in its review the outlying mies toa 0 of t the united states and reports that alaska has forbidden tile tho mi ei of boys under sixteen underground der ground in mines hawaii hau hag passed a curfew law for girls dundei sixt sixteen een in honolulu the philippines havo aye provided pro vidad for dental clinics in the schools and created a public wel faro fare board to establish and maintain social centers and porto rico has passed a modern juve juvenile nile court court law |