The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-06-24
Better Farms and Better Babies.

In an interesting editorial in the
July number of the Woman's Home
Companion there appears a striking
contrast between the expenditures
made by the federal government to-
ward providing better farms and
those made for providing better ba-
bies. During visit to Washington,
when on inspection of the two de-
partments through which the dis
bursements are made, the editor as
certained that the government is
spending $17,00O,OOO a year on bet
ter farms and only 100000 year on
better babies.
The discrepancy is due, in a large
measure, of course, to the fact that
the government, being operated by
the direct representatives Of the peo-
pie is responsive to the peoples de-
ands, and the people became awak-
ened to the Importance of improved
methods of agriculture before they
did to the Importance of raising ba-
bies.
But in spite of the newness of the
children's bureau of the department
of labor and the meagerness Of the
for it's conduct Miss
Julia c. Lathrop, its head, and her
assistants have been accomplishing
a great deal of work and the country
is at last beginning to wake up to
this most important of all phases Of
conservation-the conservation of
babies. Miss Lathrop's duty, as pre-
scribed by statutes establishing the
bureau, is to Investigate and report
On all matters pertaining to the well
fare of children and child life, and
to questions of infant NOR
-ality, the birth rate, orphanage, |
Juvenile courts, child desertion, dan
yerous occupations, accidents and dis
eases of children, employment and |
legislation affecting children in the
several states"
For the accomplishment of this
task Miss Lathrop re-
elves a salary of $4,000 year. She
las fourteen assistants, whose sala-
les aggregate nearly $4,000 a year;
or office rent she pays $4,000 a year,
eaving only $4,000 a year for sup
lies, postage, printing and the vari-
us expenses incident to the conduct
f an important bureau. Yet with the
andicap Of small means the bureau
as awakened public interest in the
of child life until in the
anger centers like New York, Chi
ago, Philadelphia and other crowd
d cities the death rate among babies
as been reduced from 80 to 40 per
emit. A very interesting discovery
lade by the bureau is that a child {
ursed by it's mother has ten times
S good a chance to live as the bot
e-fed baby.
Summer is the great enemy of
hid life, or at least the evils which {
feet the little ones are allowed to {
row rampant during that season of
lie year. And it is to the eradication S
{ evil conditions that prevail in the
1mmer time that this children's bu- {
eau has given a great deal of at |
ention. The organization urges that !
very community wage an active
each summer to save the
YES of the babies. {
This is a work that is einently
orth while, and while we would not {
lvor a cent less for our agricultural Y
apartment we would like to see a !
lore ample appropriation for the S
lildren's bureau, for 1t is infinitely
nportant that we cease to let babies
lie through ignorance and careless
ess. knowledge is the antidote for
lie evil, and the sooner this knowl-
1ge becomes generally disseminated !
lie better it will be for this and sue
seding gnerations. +
I,o4 - RoEo