The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-05
INFANT MORTALITY.
New York Has Taken Important Steps
in Reducing 1t.

view YORK has Taken important olepS
in Reducing 1t.
Whatever may be thought or said OF
the politics of New York City, sociol.
ogical enterprises are frequently worthy
| of approval and imitation. The "sys-
tenn" has not put its grip upon them
probably because being altruistie forces
they possess no attraction for it, They
have their origins in the voluntary
movements of citizens or groups OF c.ti-
zens, and sometimes the results are so
encouraging that the city for very
shame's sake feels bound to lend help
ing hand We have called attention on
former occasions to the reduction OF in
FAINT mortality in that great hive OF
homes, and habitations that pass as
such, through the establishment OF milk
stations and other means of extending
healthful influences TO the infant popu-
lation. A few days ago the Babies Well
fare association of Manhattan held its
second annual meeting Its president
pointed out in her address that for the
first time in the history of New York
City its two hundred infant welfare
agencies were working together in organ
ic cooperation with a clearing house for
babies, and to this she attributed the
remarkable reduction in infant mortal
ity during the past two years.
The claim is made that New York
stands second among the ten larger
cities of the country with respect to in
FAINT health. The distinction of holding
the first place is conceded to st. Louis.
The Welfare association looks after
those helpless charges in many ways. 1t
provides temporary shelter; ii sends
them to hospitals when necessary; 1t
gives them outings, medical and day
nursing care and free ice. But the agen-
eies upon which most dependence is
placed are the milk stations. Seventy
nine of these were open during the sum-
mer months and seventy-six continued
throughout the year. AT these there
was an aggregate registration of sixty
thousand babies under two years OF age,
an increase Of one-third over the regis
tration Of the previous year
As these stations have been conducted
under the auspices OF half dozen differ
ent organizations, there has naturally
been considerable overlapping OF effort
with the waste that naturally attends
such conditions. But during the past
year the central committee has readiust-
ed the district boundaries so that each
station has definite territory assigned
to it. Of these eeyenty-nine stations
fifty-fye are under the direction of the
board of health, but it was not the city
,,41 ~ su.@ AnI l..
onstrated their value. That was left for
such philanthropists as Nathan Straus
and Others, whose laboratories have
shining record to their credit. For the
first time in the history of infant well
fare work in that city there has been
reduction in the number of deaths from
congenital causes. But a record even
more significant, if the statistics have
been accurately kept, is that fer babies
under two years of age in the city at
large the death rate from diarrhoeal dis
eases was 1888 per thousand population
at that age, while for the milk station
babies it was only four per thousand.
In addition to these direct ministra-
tions educational work is carried on and
many families among the poorer classes
are taught better how TO care for their
own children. last month Miss Julia
Iathrop, chief of the children's bureau
at Washington, said that of the three
hundred thousand infants who died last
year, "at least half would now be living
had we as individuals and communities
applied these measures of hygiene and
which are known and avail
sble. The vast and unmeasured loss of
infant life is due solely to indipidual
and civic neglect" Comparatively speak
ing, New York may feel that the re-
proach of this indictment falls lightly
upon her shoulders. Boston Transcript.