Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

ply IN Oroef to prevent un9avOf2ble health
| reports reaching the attention OF the
| public.
| Surgeon General Blues instructions,
which have just been issued, call for the
sampling of water
| Semi.Annual and art fl cial ice
| from each and every
4estS Elanned. source Of supply, and
make It necessary that the samples be
subjected to meteorological and chemical
tests at least once in every six months
| by the proper state or municipal health
authority in whose jurisdiction the sup
| ply is obtained. A common carrier de-
string a certificate of the state or mu-
nicipal health authority within whose
Jurisdiction the water ice is obtained
must make application therefor. This pro-
vision does not apply to ice when 1t is
| used on the outside of jar or coil pipe.
and does not come in contact with the
| water. After the examination is COM
pleted three copies of the report are
made. one of which is delivered to the
| railroad. one to the surgeon general of
the public health service. and one copy to
be retained by the state or municipal
i health officer making the examination.
/ This makes possible a triple check on re-
ports on water supply in all parts of the
country.
! Another important provision of the reg
ulation for pure water supply for the
| travelling public is that which compels
the railroads to clean and scald thor-
oughly water coolers with live steam at
least once in each week that they are in
! operation. Officers of the public health
service think that the regulation to COM
pei the steaming and sterilizing of coolers
| is one of the most important parts of the
new rule, and they believe that the prac-
| tice Of keeping water coolers thoroughly
situations where large quantities of water
are kept in containers for public use.
| The idea goes out very often that much
Of the work in the government depart
/ ments is not done by
Experienced practical people. The ba-
u1x.+..~. sis of this idea, If there
1AoSAeA' is any basis for it. seems
to be the old-time suspicion which some
people in the earlier days held against
scientists and all people engaged in re-
search work or statistical Investigations
New evidence of this suspicion came to
the director Of the childrens bureau sew
eral days ago in the following post card
mailed from small western town:
Dear Madam: 1 would like some in
formation about raising children from a
woman of experience. / don't care to
have the views of an old maid school
| teacher, or a person that has not raised
a family, as 1 think their knowledge is
too limited MRS. -"
| The attitude of the western woman
writing for Information on child raising
was not considered unreasonable by chill
dreh's bureau officials Few people real
| ize more than the bureau chiefs them
selves that all the science in the world
will not entirely take the place of prac-
tical experience. Miss Julia c. Lathrop,
the director of the childrens bureau
must have had the same idea herself. be-
cause the series of government bulletins
| on the care of young children has been
made the special work of Mrs. Max West
the mother of five growing children. Mrs
West is a university woman. who has
| been in government service since the
is considered one of the most able mem
| bers Of the children's bureau stan.
The case of thirteen-year-old Georgia
boy who. according to report. received a
sentence of ele n
/ Incorrigible years for stealing a
| fve-cent bottle OF pop
Atlanta hoy. will not down. The
juvenile court decision on which the re-
port was based has aroused nationwide
interest. and almost every day Director
Julia C. Lathrop Of the children's bureau
| receives protests in the form Of letters
or editorials which urge an investigation.
Many pathetic stories have gone out tell
ing of the boys predicament. and only
during the past week one Of the leading
| txrif article to
the effect that the child had been sen
fenced to eleven years hard labor for
stealing a fve-cent bottle of soda
| While in recent attendance at the
Southern Sociological Congress. at At
| lanta, Miss LathrOp made personal m
| vestigatiOn of the case and visited the
boy at the institution where. through q
decision of the court, he had been placed
until he reaches his majority. The facts
gathered by her are of interest. The
/ boy had been arrested on various proven
charges of purloinfng edibles and various
] other articles from stores and OF jump
/ ing on and of moving trains. When
| brought before the juvenile court of At
lanta he was placed on probation. but
the experience failed to reform the lad
! and his father complained that he coulo
do nothing with his son. he committed
! a number of other offenses. among which
| was the theft Of five-cent bottle of soda
pop, and when brought to juvenile court
again he was committed to the reforma-
! tory and school during the remaining
years of his minority.
/ After his commitment the boys father
| changed his mind about the lads in
! corrigibility and tried to have the de-
/ cision set aside. The recent adverse de-
| cision of the courts started the stories
! that the boy was imprisoned on the sole
| charge of stealing five-cent soda drink.
| *
Miss Lathrop found on her investi-
cation that the lad had not been SEN
fenced to hard labor
Miss IathrODsS in prison, as was at
Investigation. that he had been
/ committed to a refOrmatory Dy the
Juvenile court. The reformatory is not a
penal institution. but is a boys industrial
| farm school whose superintendent reports
to the state board of education. The 1OJ
I boys at the institution are taught in
| school one-half of the day, and learn to
work at useful farm occupations the
other half Miss Lathrop was convinced
/ after her investigation that the boy was
receiving proper care. and systematic
| training which should correct his early
| This boys case has brought out the
| fact that people of the country are
vitality interested in children's welfare,
and that an investigation Will be de-
manded in every instance where there is
| a suspicion that the child is not getting
RAYMOND W. PULLMAN.