Evening star., 1913-04-13
FOR THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN

,lish statistician. in speaking of infant
mortality, has put significance upon the
| matter which causes 1t to strike home to
He has said: Infant mortality is the most
| sensitive index we possess Of social
welfare If babies were well born and
well cared for, their mortality would
be negligible. The infant death rate
measures the intelligence, health and
| right living OF fathers and mothers.
the standards of morals and santa
! ton of communities and governments,
the .s essney nasla saa OF physeans
| And. although it is most probable
| that DR.. Newsholme was not aiming at
any country in particular. it neverthe-
less remains a fact that the United
States loses 100000 babies annually
and. SO far as estimates can determine
all during their first year. That means
500 babies every day or 100000
babies every ten years. This country
was plunged into grief at the Titanic
| disaster only year ago, and more re-
Gently at the horrible flood disasters in
Ohio and Indiana. Yet, when compared
with the baby statistics they pale into
insignif1cance. And, furthermore. both
certain extent. unavoidable. the latter
| absolutely so. Yet physicians say that
| at least ene-half of the infant NOR
tally Is preventable; All that is
| needed to decrease the number of
babies which die annually is to put into
practice some of the simple methods of
saving lives well known to any intelli-
gent member of a community
The United States children's bureau
should have deep sympathy for or
phan children. for, like a
Bureaus homeless child itself. 1t
/ u. found no Office room in a
~ parent" government struc-
| ture. but had to seek space in an office
building. It Is located in the Victor
| building, 9Th street and Grant place.
Perhaps the work which this baby
! bureau is doing can be illustrated best
by something connected with these Of
fees. New and clean. the rooms occu-
pied by the bureau yet lack all of the
essential comforts which are character
| istic of so many government Offices.
The furniture is good as far as it goes,
but 1T includes merely the barest ne
cessitfes. relieved by none of the rugs,
bronze clocks. paintings. ETC., which give
some offices such an attractive appear
ance But there is one thing that is
worthy of mention. In the bare little
reception room," If it can be so called
hangs picture. both cheap and small
| 1t Is the picture of a woman holding a
child In her arms such a woman as
one may see in the cheapest district OF
any well populated city. That picture
hanging there gives one the feeling
that those who make UP the bureau
stan are not mere statistical machines
or Investigators, but men and women
VINO feel the Importance of their work
not SO much from the side of its ma
! tional character as from the standpoint
OF the Individual mother who may have
only the primal instinct of mother love
to Keep her child from joining the
sonal element which lifts any enter
prise out of the level of mere routine
mechanical labor
Although the force which represents
the ch1ldren's bureau Is small, those
who hold executive posi-
woman tions have been chosen
Chief on account of special
qualifications which fit
them for the work to be DONE Miss
Julia Lathrop, chief of the bureau. is
a graduate of Vassar. Her father, at
one time member of Congress from
Illinois. was a lawyer. and for years
Miss Lathrop was his private secre-
tary and office assistant Added to this
training Miss Lathrop spent long
residence at Hull House, Chicago,
where. by working with Miss Jane
Adams. she received training which
perhaps fitted her better than could
any other for the work she is under
taking now. In addition, for twelve
years she was member of the Illinois
state board of charities. A story is
told of Miss Lathrop during her mem
bership on this board which illustrates
those qualities which have won the
success which today is accorded her
At the time of the terrible Shawnee
town flood the governor of the state
gave the state board of charities
Charge of the situation. Miss Lathrop
was the sole member of that body able to
answer the call. and she Immediately
set out for the stricken district, wait
Ing only long enough to secure a pair
of long rubber boots.
Miss Lathrop was instrumental in the
campaign which resulted in Illinois
passing the first juvenile court law
and helped materially in placing the
Chicago court on a sound foundation
Other movements in which she has
been interested include the Chicago
School Of CiVics and Philanthropy, a
professional school for training men
and women for social service, and or
ganizing the first school in this coun-
try for teaching attendants in state in
stitutions for the insane how to re-
educate the inmates. And, incidental
ly. Miss Lathrop Is an ardent advocate
of woman suffrage
The assistant chief of the bureau is
man, Lewis Merriam. Mr. Merriam is
graduate of Harvard and
Other for six years previous to
n&o.rs his present position was
employed in the census
bureau. where he steadily advanced
from the position of clerk to the posi-
ton of chief of division. Ethelbert
Stewart. chief statistician, comes to
this bureau after having served for
many years with the bureau of labor,
and later with the tariff board, in both
of which positions he was known as
statistical expert. The librarian
reader of the bureau is Miss Laura M
Thompson. a graduate of Chicago Uni
versity. Miss Thompson has had ten
years experience in the Library Of
Congress, and was recommended for
her present position by Herbert Put
nam, librarian of Congress. Besides
reading Latin, Green. French. German,
Italian and Spanish fiuently. Miss
Thompson also Is well versed in sey-
eral other languages. She is also a