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Show Uncle Satrn's.Children's Bureau ' 6y Cdvaard 0. Clark k ' Li If Hott the government has fl j I taken up the task of im- I If proving living conditions I Jk for boys and girls in all f parts of the country J!j T TTTTASHrNGTON. In one sense F"A at least the United States !;!' sV government Is paternal. There have been objections, political, economic, and per-J per-J haps sentimental to giving Uncle Sam paternalistic powers along niany lines of legislation for the public need, but little objection was raised to giving our great and good Uncle the power through the children's bureau to look after the interests in-terests of the llttlo ones of the country. , Julia C. Lnthrnp, who for a gs; long time was Interested in benefl-cent benefl-cent work in a great social center in the city of Chicago, was appointed by President Taft as chief of the children's chil-dren's bureau, which is an integral part of the department of labor. The law relating to the bureau is simple and short In its phraseology, but it is all Inclusive. It nrtikes it the duty of the children's bureau to investigate and report upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of children. I The children's field is broad. It includes in-cludes virtually everything which can tend toward and promote a policy which has for its object the securing of good citizenship for the United States. It is an old saying and the flippant would call it bromidic, but "as the twig is bent the tree is inclined." In the last report on the work of the bureau made by Miss Lathrop the" juestions are asked, "Why are there 10 many deaths among country babies ind country mothers?" and "What should the federal government do ibout It?" Recently studies of material mater-ial and child welfare have been undertaken under-taken in rural communities for the first time. It is said that they are more Inclusive than the city studies of infant mortality, and that the method meth-od of approach necessarily has been different, although, of course, the primary pri-mary purpose Is identical. The desire has been to secure a statement of the social and economic factors which affect Infant welfare. In addition, the work Is so planned as to Becure information concerning maternal mater-nal welfare and the welfare of chll-I chll-I dren under school age and to bring out certain facts relating to all the children chil-dren In the family. The cost of carrying carry-ing on these studies in country areas has been much greater than in thickly populated towns. The children's bureau takes cognizance cogni-zance of the argument sometimes brought forward against the importance impor-tance of studies In rural communities, that the death rate of children in the country Is lower than the death rate for city communities. There is a general gen-eral belief that rural conditions are more favorable to the health of children chil-dren than city conditions. But Miss Lathrop asks if we can afford to rest contented In this belief' even If It appears ap-pears to be confirmed by figures of the census tables without intensive study of rural conditions. It has been shown conclusively by Investigation that In certain parts of the cities of .the country the death rate among Infants Is very much lower than the death rate among Infants In many of the country districts. Today state and other public agencies are seeking the co-operation of the children's bureau bu-reau and are urging rurtl studies. This co-operation the United States government believes Is highly desirable desir-able and It vy.l be given as rapidly as the bureau's resources permit. "It may well be said that such co-operation will lead to permanent local centers cen-ters of maternal and child welfare and to better local provision for all the needs of growing children. In any case such rural studies as the bureau has under way and desires to develop further fur-ther cannot fail to throw some light on the question raised In regard to the welfare of rural children, nor can these studios fall to aid In making clear the Imperative need of raising the level of maternal and infant care." A summary has just been prepared hy the children's bureau of Miss La-throp's La-throp's report as It affects the welfare of children and mothers in the country districts. This summary follows the two questions which already have been given, but which here are repeated : "Why are there so many deaths among country babies and country mothers?" and "What should the federal government govern-ment do about It?" The census figures show a markedly high death rate among country women 9f child-bearing age for which a large lumber of preventable deaths from nnternal causes appears to be rospon-jlble. rospon-jlble. It is estimated that more than n, f ,tvJe t-TL wotaw uwvuu uwch ditions I J T-"!) ryOyv whV" f I 15,000 women die year by year in the United States from conditions incident to maternity, while the extent of unnecessary un-necessary ill health is at present unknown. un-known. "The sickness or death of a mother inevitably lessens the chances of her baby for life and health, and It is plain that the question of maternal care in rural districts is of genuine public Interest." An argument for better care of rural ru-ral childhood is based on the high percentage per-centage of physical defects among children in rural schools given in reports re-ports of state boards of health. Miss Lathrop concludes : . "These comparisons compari-sons are a strong indication that there Is room for great permanent Improvement Improve-ment In maternal and child-welfare work in rural districts. The day when all rural children shall be well born and well cared for Is far ahead, but surely that day should dawn first for the country." In connection with the bureau's rural ru-ral studies a child hygiene expert holds a children's health conference, to which parents bring their children for examination and advice about daily care (but not for medical diagnosis or treatment). Parents have shown great eagerness for this kind of help in the counties already visited, bringing their children often long distances, over bad roads, and even sacrificing farmwork for the journey. State and other local officials are iH'glng the bureau to co-operate with them In similar studies and demonstrations demonstra-tions in many states, and a number of rural units to extend their work are among the items for which the bureau asks a larger staff and appropriation. Miss Lathrop believes that such federal fed-eral studies, making plain the necessity neces-sity and suggesting a method are bound to lead toward adequate local provision for maternal and child welfare. wel-fare. The children's bureau has prepared many publications concerning the general gen-eral questions of child welfare. They will be sent free of charge to parents and to others who are Interested in the subject. There are several series of these publications. They concern themselves with virtually every phase of the great subject to which It is the bureau's duty to give its consideration. It Is possible that few persons have an adequate knowledge of the breadth of the work which the children's bureau bu-reau is undertaking. It has within its scope of study, suggestion and action not only the care of Uabies and of children of a little larger growth, but of mothers before and after the births of their children ; of feeble-minded children; of training-school efforts; of labor problems ; and, in fact, of everything every-thing which will tend to conserve the life, mentality, physique and happiness of the little folk of the United States. Comparatively recently the children's chil-dren's bureau started out on what It calls "Baby-week campaigns." "Baby weeks" have been held recently in many of the large cities of the country. coun-try. These "weeks" can be held successfully suc-cessfully In communities of all sizes. The form that they take, however, will vary greatly In different places. As Miss Lathrop says, "A rural community commu-nity will not wish to carry out the elaborate elab-orate program which will seem necessary neces-sary In a big city to reach the people. On the other hand, many large cities may not be ready at a certain time to carry on an elaborate program which will demand considerable expense and the constant labor of many people, but may be anxious, nevertheless, to bring the subject of babies to the attention of the public to an extent which will achieve substantial results." There have been "Baby weeks" held In New York, Pittsburgh, Washington and many of the other large cities of the country. They have been uniformly uniform-ly successful. The object of the "Baby week" campaigns is to give the parents of the community the opportunity to learn the facts with regard to the care of their babies ; second, to make known to the community the Importance of its babies, the special facts relating to the babies of the community, and the need of permanent work for their welfare. A pamphlet published by the children's chil-dren's bureau called "Baby Week Campaigns" Cam-paigns" contains minute instructions concerning the methods of starting the "Baby weeks" and of conducting them in communities of various sizes. This pamphlet of suggestion can be had upon application to the bureau in Washington. The children's bureau concerns itself with the maternity side of the great work which it has in hand. "Remember "Remem-ber the mothers. Well-cared-for, healthy mothers are necessary for the health and happiness of their babies. Find out what your community is doing do-ing to Insure to every mother skilled advice and adequate care before her baby Is born and during her confinement, confine-ment, and give the Importance of protecting pro-tecting the mother a permanent place In the educational work of the campaign." cam-paign." Recently congress passed a child-labor child-labor law which places a heavy penalty pen-alty upon the introduction into Interstate Inter-state commerce of goods made or prepared pre-pared In factories where little children are employed. The question of child labor has been a crucial one for many years. Congress was asked time and again to pass a law which would protect pro-tect the little ones compelled by their parents or by the very force of hard circumstances to work before their strength could bear the hardship of toll. The children's bureau has for one of its concerns the safeguarding of American children from the evils of hard, confining employment while they are of tender years. WThen the real basis of things Is reached, the high death rate among Infants In-fants is an appalling picture. Perhaps it would not he too much to say that to reduce the awful rato of Infant mortality mor-tality In this country Is the highest aim of Uncle Sam's children's bureau. The question of infant mortality in urban ur-ban and suburban regions is discussed at length In pamphlets Issued by the bureau. It is almost a platitude to say that the citizenship of the country depends upon the welfare of Its children. The United States wants Its children to be healthy, morally and physically. The government takes It for granted, doubtless, that its desire Is the desire of nil parents. The wish Is to help the parents and all others In the work of safeguarding the little ones of these United States. |