The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-01


 New York section did this with the prison reform question in New York state, and
 representatives of 150 different organiza-
 tions and committees were brought to- gether and schedule worked out that was agreeable to all. These conclusions will be erected Into law within the year,
 and conditions brought about that have been desired for many years, but never
 brought to pass because no one group of advocates had sufficient influence to effect the legislation"
 What has the country life commit tee on it's Alabama programmed" asked Mrs. Owen, and was told that there were four activities to be undertaken in this state, all in connection with the other agencies working for them, viz: best health conditions vocational educa- ton. socialzation of the schoolhouse for community purposes, and the dissemina- tin of practical knowledge through the
 printed page and by lectures.
 "As regards health matters, it may be news to some that 30O,000 infants died in America last year." Mrs. Owen said. Miss Julia Iathrop, head of the chill dren's bureau of the government, is au- thorty for the statement. The greater part of this slaughter of the innocents is due to improper feeding and impure
 milk. One of the preventive agencies of this mortality rate is a widespread cam paign of information on the subject. The American Red Cross association has es- tablished town and country nursing service, and the country life committee of the woman's department of the Ma tional Civic Federation is working with this great life saving organization in it's new activities.
 "It has already been found that there : is a greater demand for Red Cross nurses for community service than the associa- | ton can supply. There are nurses aplenty, but they are untrained in rural conditions, and 1t is to remedy this de- ficiency that our country life commit tee has undertaken to establish in the its new country life department, a chair for the instruction of Red Cross nurses for this new social service. In our own state Chiffon county already has a Red Cross community nurse supported by the county health and education departments supplemented by private subscription. It is the avowed policy of the state health department to have an all-time health officer, for each county, but so far Wall
 ker county is the one shining examples of this fine ideal. Walker county has a capable young physician who is giving his entire time to the health problems of his county, and our country life conn mittee is corresponding with him and the county commissioners with the hope that he may have the assistance of Red Cross nurse in his work, need he keenly 1 feels"
 'Inasmuch as the death rate in the rural districts is greater than in the cities,' Mrs. Owen said, ''in proportion l to population, it has seemed to the coun- try life committee that slogan we | should add to our programme is A hos s&.l fr ~r yx.xx. has passed a model law looking to this
 end in her bounds, allowing a half mill I tax in those counties that vote it on | themseves for the establishment and main tenance of a county hospital. Dr. E. F.. Munger of Spencer, Ia., fathered the oill, and is most generous in helping our com mittee with literature that is helpful to I law makers in other states. There is l every argument for county hospitals, es- pecially in those sections remove from the> cities. No family, because of pow ertY should be allowed to suffer and lose its loved ones when medical skill and trained nursing can be furnished through hospital service that is accessible. County hospitals in every county is one of the great rural bettermert needs that Secre- tary of Agriculture David F. Houston l urges also. Health inspection in the rural l schools has disclosed most interesting con- uItiOHS III OTdHSe county NTSlHld, WneTc l the model has been well worked out for the work in other localities. This sort of Inspection should be thoroughly done | in every school in the country The coun- | try life committee will use it's influence | to this end in Alabama"
 ''What will your committee undertake in the matter of vocational education"
 I asked.
 Have you read the Smith-Lever bill. l ,r;o state for agricultural and home economies
 extension education" she answered.
 Well, that $l0,000 is only the beginning. According to the provisions of the bill.
 $4.000,000 year will inay be expended by | the government, to be met dollar for dol-
 lar by each state, according to its rural population in proportion to the rural pop ulation of the whole country. I don't
 know what Alabama's share will finally
 be. but several hundred thousand each year, no doubt If we get that from the
 government we have to meet 1t from our l own treasury, and that means the people pay for it. That great sum will pro- vide lecturers, demonstrators, and teach
 CTS. all of which. by the law. must be
 expended in this way, none going to build- ings land, etc. The part the country life
 committee. woman's department National
 Civic federation. will take in this move.
 ment throughout the country Is to helr
 to popularize the movement in the rural
 districts. This Is one benefit of govern
 ment that the country people particularly will receive In short while it will be
 a legislative question. and the rural voter
 shoud be made to realize that the vast sums to be expended in this mode of edu' action is to help his home and family especially.''
 l But this is only one phase of our com l mittees work in regard to the home al the source of National wealth." Mrs LOwen continued. "We will assist in rass- ink prises to encourage the canning club