Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-29
The Children's Bureau Bill.

The United States government has been
for some time busy in all sorts Of studies
relating to crops. natural resources and
other possibilities for the production of
wealth. but it has seriously neglected the
subject Of human conservation, and to-
morrow the Senate will vote upon a bill
which aims to correct this fault and
tardily start the process of a national
study of children. This bill proposes to
establish in the Department of Com
merce and Labor bureau for children.
to investigate and report upon all mat
| tiers pertaining to child life, and especial
ly the questions of infant mortality, the
birth rate, orphanage, juvenile courts,
desertion, dangerous occupations, acct
dents. employment. legislation affecting
children in the states and territories, and
in short everything bearing upon the well
fare Of the rising generation. For this
purpose the small sum Of Sc, 400 is to be
appropriated. covering all expenses.
Some opposition Is manifested in the
Senate to the organization of this bureau,
although in the last Congress 1t passed
a precisely similar measure without a
dissenting vote The only reasonable
argument advanced against the organiza-
ton Of the childrens bureau is that it
tends to multiply the administrative or
CARNATIONS. This is true but it is also
true that there is no existing branch of
the government which does a more i'm
portant work than that proposed to be
done by the new bureau. The conserva-
ton of child life. morally, mentally and
physically. is surely a matter of vital
concern to the nation. quite as much so
as the dissemination of knowledge con-
corning pigs and alfalfa. tree culture and
the checking Of insect pests. the discov-
cry Of minerals and the protection of
navigation. OF late years this subject
has been recognized by earnest citizens
seriously concerned for the welfare of
the country as of the utmost Importance
ties. but to the country at large. Or
CARNATIONS have been formed to advance
the subject of child study and child
protection and much ground has been
covered. Yet the United States, po-
tentially the most useful agency for the
solution of problems affecting child life,
has made no move in this direction.
Only through the studies conducted by
the children's bureau can systematic
advance be made toward correcting the
evil COnQltlOES from WHICH tne CNlluTeIl
of the United States are now suffering.
The prevention of Notwithstanding occu-
pations, the establishment of uniform
standards of education for the children
| of the poor, the best means of correcting
Juvenile faults and Furnishing offenses,
the elimination of vile sluns which breed
| generations of unhappy. ill-developed,
evilly disposed people, these are some OF
the urgent needs of the country today
and they can only be accomplished
through some such agency as fedora
bureau organized to conduct researches
| and to suggest remedies, and by dis
semnating knowledge of conditions
arousing a national public sentiment II
| favor of childhood conservation. The
passage of the bill by the Senate tomor
row may not lead at this session to the
| enactment of the necessary law, but i
4 will at least advance the project an Inn
portant stage toward that end.