New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-27
Letter Tells of Work Per-
formed by Boys to
Help Home.
mitchell POINTS WAY
TO PROTECT INFANTS
CITY Ponders as Baby Week"
Ends with Outing for Mothers
and Children.

Baby week came to a joyous end yes
tetday with outings for 10000 mothers
and babies on excursion steamers and
tugboats. Father Knickerbocker pro-
yided a doctor and nurses for every
boat and his kind-hearted sons and
daughters provided large quantities OF
crackers and milk and candy.
While such things as germs and ten
ement house discomfort were forgotten
for the day by the happy mothers and
babies, back in the city Father knlcker-
booker was bordering over the Things
he had learned during the week about
the needs of the babies. .
At 3 o'clock the baby week commit
tee met at City Hall, where Mayor
Mitchell, after thanking them for their
labors, outlined programme for max
ing every week to come better BABY
week
In his address the Mayor said:
As the result OF the study. OF those inter
ested in the care OF the babies IN the ivy
OF New York Il is apparent that lhpIo W.
ment in their protection against disease Sah
be accomplished only ~ there is hearty CO.
operation between the citizens IN chaIse ~
various infant welfare activities ana tn ss
departments Of the city government "u ia
are In a position TO assist the mothers anu
babies in their homes and in puonc places.
The following needs are felt and should In
some way be satisfied:
Additional milk stations should be estao-
llshed in districts not covered and wheie
the infant mortality has not been materially
reduced since 1911. -
There should be a stimulation and q bring
ing about o. effective cooperation between
citizens OF the outlying districts and the
city authorities I'm the work OF reducing IN
FAINT mortality. This IS particularly needed
ia the borough OF Queens and in certain
sections OF Brooklyn and The Bronx. There
should be increased hospital facilities TOT
the care OF sick infants and children. II
has been estimated that LOCO additional BEDS
are needed.
He then pointed out the need Of
more day nurseries, particularly in
Queens.
Among those present at the meeting
were Health Commissioner GOldwater,
Deputy Health Commissioner Emerson,
| DR.. S. Josephine Baker, Mrs. Clarence
Burns, Mrs. Charles d. Hirst, DR.. Wal
ter Laidlaw, Mrs. Edward ID. Wisely
! Duff G.. Maynard, Mrs. j. Y. Norton,
DIR. Philip Van Ingen, Carrot Smith
and Paul E. Taylor.
One lesson of the week which was
taken much to heart by some Of the
women members of the committee was
| the evidence that there is need for a
Little Fathers Aid Society, to make
life happier for the boys whose young
shoulders are bowed with the burdens
of baby sisters and brothers.
The letter which described the sad
condition of the "little fathers" came
from The Bronx and was signed by
Jerome Van HOven. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
take the liberty to write this letter az
I see in the papers that all honOrs 20 TO the
girls who take care Of their sisters and
brothers. and where are we boys coming In
[ You can see every day in our streets and
parks boys from about my age pushing car
/ riages and taking care Of their little charges
| For instance (and l know lot more), l and
my brother are taking care OF all six chill
/ dren. My brother washes dishes, scrubs
| floors beats carpets and does the busting In
| the house. sometimes washing little odds and
/ ends, while ! battle the children and dress
them and take them out.
My mother just came home from the nos
pital with another addition 10 the family
She was away three weeks. and We were
home all alone. ! had 70 neglect my school
on account Of this.
I am a year behind In school work. We
never had the pleasure to see day in the
country or the sea, but the girls get credit
for everything. They go TO settlements AND
[ churches, crying and bluiiing around what
| they have done but we boys don't 90 such
| things. We can suffer I'm silence, because We
/ think more about ourselves than you may oil
/ ever will know. and these girls are sent C
| summer places to play and enjoy themselves
/ so II you are sensible enough and not mar
row-rninded let some credit come 10 Us
] bDNs.