The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-12
That It Is the Chief Cause for
Infantile Mortality
Is Maintained by DIR. Woods
Hutchinson of New York.
CURE, HIGHER WAGES.
High Birth Rate Means High
Death Rate, He Says.
Declares Mothers Should Be Paid
to Rear Children.

New Haven, Conn.,, Nov. 12-'Let
US establish homes for mothers and
their children, where both can receive
proper care
This was the plea made by various
speakers at todays session of the con-
ference on the prevention of infant
mortality. The session was devoted to
discussion of the institutional pre-
yention of death among babies.
Several rather popular ideas were
given severe jolt in the address of
DR.. Woods Hutchinson on Results of
Philanthropic Experiments in Increas-
ing and Decreasing Infant Mortality"
DR.. Hutchinson remarked that the SUBJ
ject had been assigned to him as the
Devils Advocate of the section. ''The
general progress of modern civilization
has markedly diminished infant NOR
tality,'' he said, together with all
other death rates, though not in the
same proportion. How far have the
well meant experiments of philan
thropy assisted. and how far have they
h4ndered?" Answering his query, he
said that one of its first and most nat
rral attempts. the institutional care of
children, had been weighed and now
imost unanimously found wanting.
Another experiment which he said
was of doubtful value had been that of
preaching contentment with their
wages and that station to which it has
pleased Providence to call them, to
the poor. The better way would have
been to encourage them to fight for
higher wages and fairer share of the
Iroducts of their toll.
Poverty the Chief Cause.
1.-The chief cause of infant mortal
ity,' he continued, lis poverty; the
second and third are its children, ig-
norance and dirt The only radical
cure for poverty is higher wages.
Philanthropy has not addressed itself
yet to the positive side of it's problem
raising wages and shortening hours.
Poverty is not permanent or neces-
sary state; still less a desirable one
and means of grace. It is an acct
dent-a disease and preventa BILE
positive side toward preventing pow
erty will prevent disease, infant NOR
tality, dependency, pauperism and
crime in double ratio.
Another experiment of doubtful
value is that of encouraging mothers
to go on working UP to and directly
after child birth, and to neglect the
nursing of their own children. Any
thing that helps to make this easier
such as creches and day nurseries.
ten days old, ought to balance very
carefully the good they may do
against the harm they certainly do.
Ward of the State.
THE child is the ward of the state
just as certainly before he becomes
an orphan as dILeTWdrQ. Inc DoSI
and most paying job that the COM
munity can set any mother at is that
of raising her own child to the high
est pitch of efficiency and intelli-
gence. Some day we will have sense
enough to pay her to do it and feed
herself well in the process; though
the ultimate, most desirable and per-
manent solution would be to give
higher wages to the father.
Lastly, it is to be doubted whether
the habit in philanthropic circles of
encouraging mothers of the working
class to bear large families, or offer
ing prizes or exemptions from taxes
for all children above a certain num-
Der, and at the same time discourag-
ing any deliberate attempt to limit
the number of children, is either a
helpful or an intelligent one. A high
birth rate practically always means a
high death rate and high infant
mortality. The production of larger
number of children than can be ade-
quately and properly reared and
trained is one of the most serious
complications of poverty and obstacles
to social progress. The quality of
children reared is vastly more impor-
tant than the quantity. A large
amount of human raw material is re-
quired for purposes of selection, but
some of that selection had better be
made before birth instead of after.'