Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-29

tional vitality recently prepared for the
National Conservation commission, all
humans, big and little, are given a fair
showing and a financial rating. In the
past, the estimates of political economists,
the reports of insurance companies and of
industrial concerns have gratified the
curiosity of anybody who was Interested
in the money value Of the grown-up wage
: Garner. But it is slightly different where
the baby is concerned. He has not fig
ured extensively in the records. But, ac-
cording to the conservation report, his or
her value, at birth is $50. BY the time he
has reached the age of 5 years his net
worth is $3.50 and by the time he is 80 his
value is 81, 100. After that his net value
begins TO decline and at so, it is 1890,
while at so II is 500. These figures repre-
sent the capitalization Of the earning power
of the individual. In the case OF the baby,
the $50 represents the discounted value of
his future earnings, taking into account,
also, the cost OF the care given him until
he is able TO look out for himself, and the
cost of the care which may have to be
accorded him in old age.
Fifteen Per Cent Die I'm Infancy.
It Is estimated that about $500. 900 babies
were born in the United States last year,
and that 5000, or 10 per cent of that num-
Der died within the year. To find the
value In dollars and cents OF this appalling
loss of human life you only have to null
tiply 80 by $4,000. 1t amounts to So, s75, 900.
Add to this an average of S25 a piece spent
for medical care and other attention and
you pile a few more millions on to the
total loss.
! Physicians who have gone straight to the
heart Of the matter, believe that 50 pei
cent, II not more, OF this tremendous waste
1 of 1Tn pon1d he prazyaufad Tbav F{v fba
blame partly on social conditions and partly
on the Indifference or negligence of health
officials, They declare that the problem
could be solved by the registration OF
births. and, in connection with that, the
instruction of the mothers in the proper
care of the babies; the enforcement Of the
regulations which prevent the contamina.
ton of the food and the water supply ant
OF those which secure improved housing
conditions, with an adequate supply Of
fresh air and sunlight for rich and poo
alike. These physicians who work among
the babies say that II a pestilence we're t
carry off only One-tenth as many babies
as die from the ordinary" illnesses every
year, the entire country would clamor TO
remedial measures. But people are useC
10 seeing the little hearses on the stree
and nobody gets excited over them.
BRby's vitality Greater Than Adults
There is another feature that emphasize
the extravaganza OF this waste Of bah,
life. When an adult RECEIVERS from an IN
ness. "a usually leaves him with lowere,
vitality. A baby's recuperatve powers ar
much greater. A baby may he draggot
down TO deaths very door by summe
complaint but the disease leaves no weak
ening handicap. II ne RECEIVERS he is likel
10 be in the running the next year 70
the prize for the %plumpest. healthies
youngster In the baby show.
The total amount spent by the Unite
States government TO protect cattle froT
disease counts up into the millions. Bias
| ing the estimate on the A,4Z7,S50 az
] proDriated for the bureau OF animal indus
u Try OF the Department Of Agriculture 10