The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-04-26
Uncle Sam Loves His Children
And His Children Bureau
Crops and Cattle and Things in General Command Big
Money! but Citizens of Tomorrow Have the
Call on Congress, Too.

the publication of q bulletin containing
practical suggestions from 100 cities
where such campaigns had been sue
cessfully carried out.
The most remarkable public interest
was shown in a pamphlet on prenatal
care. which was prepared at the request
of the National Congress of Mothers
The latest reports of the Census Bureau
show that e per cent of babies dying I'M
der one year of age do not live even
one month, and that seven-tenths of
these die as a result of prenatal condi-
tons or of injury and accident at birth.
No less than 5000 individual requests
| came to the bureau for this pamphlet.
Its inestimable value is indicated by
such instances as that reported in a
letter received from a physician, saying
that in the case of a family remote from:
medical or nursing care the simple di-
rections contained in the pamphlet en-
abled the husband to do all that was
needful for his wife at the time her
| child was born and doubtless saved the
lives OF both. The great Parsee firm OF
| Tata & Co, Bombay, purchased 500
| copies and requests have been received
for its translation into foreign language.
One commercial concern with a large
welfare department desirei 5000 copies.
which the bureau was unable, on account
| of limited resources, TO send. For public
health officers, social service nurses at
tached to hospitals, settlements, and
others in a position TO make discrimi-
| mating use of the pamphlet only small
proportion OF the quantities requested
could be sent.
The government appropriation last year
for seed distribution. often to people who
neither request nor want seeds. was $685.
900. II would seem that 1854, $40 is a con-
sentative appropriation for a bureau sup
plying information urgently wanted by
people at work in lettering the race.
The bureaus handbook of Federal Sta
tistics of Children is the first installment
of a compilation giving in convenient
| form data concerning children from the
census, hitherto largely unavailable be-
cause scattered through many bulky vol
tunes.
The work thus far done by the bureau.
necessarily exploratory in character.
points the way to future needs The in
vestigation OF infant mortality in one
small city offers only the beginning of
an adequate study of the conditions I'M
der which children thrive and perish in
this country" according to Miss LathrOn,
who urges that the results Justify ex-
tending the inquiry so as to cover fifty
typical communities. Child labor investi-
cations are greatly needed. Thus far,
owing to insufficient funds, they could
not be undertaken. The problems of
transition from childhood to a useful &C.
cupation are of prime Importance. and
the bureau should study industrial and
vocational training.
There is an urgent public demand for
information concerning the best ways to
care for exceptional children-the Grip
Piled. blind. deaf and feeble-minded.
President Wilson. according to press dis
patches. has recently emphasized the
very great need OF governmental scientific
study Of feeble-minded children. 1t is
this helpless class which in later life fur
nishes a large proportion of the problems
of criminality and prostitution.
The passage of mothers pension laws
by many States indicates the great value
which would accrue from a careful study
of the various measures and methods in
volved. II promptly done. this should
aid in avoiding waste and the misappli-
cation of a sound principle. Similarly the
varying provisions of Juvenile court laws
throughout the country show the need
for a study in this field of legislation.
putting its results at the disposal Of
the large numbers of people who are in
terested in the most humane and en-
lightened care of delinquent children.
These are only a few of the undertake
ings which the Children's Bureau. in &C
cordance with the scope of work laid
out for II by the law creating 1t, should
carry out. In its success. and in the
appropriation of adequate funds to enable
it to render its highest service to the
country. the people of the United States
have the very greatest OF concern.