The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-18

nutrition.
4 SCIENTIFIC effort to stand
N ardize the baby is now being
n made. It will be possible In
a years time. 1t is hoped, to put
any baby through series OF simple
tests and measurements and ascer-
tain within Ave minutes just how
near it comes up to standard and In
just what respects 1t falls short.
Almost everything else has been
standardized. The Government sees
to 1t that certain foods and staples.
drugs and textiles, tools and metals.
cattle and hogs, come up to set
standard or they are not allowed
to be sold, but nothing Of the kind
was ever done before for the most
important national asset of all-the
baby.
But now the New York Milk Com
mittee, an organization for the con-
servation of child life in congested
cities, has taken up the matter and
is going to see If the same sort OF
thing cannot be done for the baby
as has been done for years for cattle
and hogs and inanimate objects.
The plan laid out involves the ex-
amining of 100000 babies within the
next twelve months. These exam
nations will be conducted through
the medium of better baby con-
tests" throughout the country.
Money prizes will stir parents up to
the necessary pitch of enthusiasm
and the data obtained in this way.
as recorded on uniform official score
cards, will be used to establish a
scientific standard Of efficiency.
In the search for the standard
baby good looks win count for very
little It is now universally agreed
among those who know anything
at all about the matter that the
pretty baby Is by no means always
the best baby. Indeed. in many Of
the recent scientifically conducted
baby contests 1t has not been the
pretty babies that have captured
the prizes. but the soundest, physi-
calIy and mentally. To impress this
fact upon parents the slogan Of
these contests has been. looks don't
count" and an examination of the
official score card will reveal that
out of a possible perfect score OF
1000 points only Ave points are de-
Quoted by way of penalty for irregu-
lar features. In other words. the
pretty baby Is just half OF one per
cent better OF In that respect than
the baby whose features are irregu-
lar.
The BENEFITS OF the project are in,
estimable..
1t is..intended to bring homo ia
hot fno1, I'M "
babies. The sub-standard baby car
be improved Parents will be shown
not only wherein their youngsters
fall short OF the most desirable
standard, but how the dehciencie:
can be corrected.
Suppose. for instance, Mrs. Jones
Is prevailed upon to enter her littl,
Mary in a Better BABIES Contest
Little Mary is two years and verI
pretty. Although Mrs. Jones is tolt
that looks don't count" she feell
that looks won't hurt, and she rathe
confidently expects her two-yearolt
to bring home the prize money.
When the judges get round I,
Mary they take her score card ant
commence to penalize her for tn
various defects the examination re
veals.
The very first item on the scor
card Is Features" II the feature
are irregular five point penalty
supposed. One look at Mary Is su
fcient to save her from that. Sh
gets the maximum score for he
good looks-fve points.
What a small drop In the buckle
those five points constitute will b
apparent. however. when they ar
compared with the amounts Mar
may be penalized for defects In otht
particulars.
The maximum score obtainab'
for various items is given In the 10
lowing list. and penalties OF frol
five to thirty-fve points may be In
posed for any one Of half q doze
specified defects In the difYeren
divisions: