The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-06
PEOPLES FORUM
A letter TO All Patriotic Virginians
Editor Virginisn:

Editor Virgnan:
Sr,-Last year the Federation of Mothers
Clubs naugurated a work of constructive pre-
tentative hygiene of far-reaching and much
under estimated public significance in its BET
ter Babies Exhibit and Contest at the State
Fair. The importance OF this was nowhere so
fully appreciated as by the State Board of
Health. which. under the devoted and capable
superintendent of the heads of It's several de-
partments, is struggling with public ignorance
and lethargy to raise the standard of public
health. These gentlemen realize that the mother
Is the key t. the whole situation, by virtue
c. her large control over the early years OF the
child, when the foundations laid for both
physical, mental and moral health Realizing
the duty of the State to take a leading part
In this work, they co-operated with the feder-
alton last year in it's first feeble and tentative
efforts in this direction, and have this year made
themselves officially responsible for its con-
tinuance. provided the federation would do in
this instance they did in the case of the
public playgrounds-that IT. furnish the funds
and large part of the labor to carry on the
work until pablo sentiment be educated
to the point OF demanding State appropriations
for the purpose The Instructive Visiting
Nurses and the medical profession are also
pledged to do very large and important part
OF the work. as Will always be necessary.
Now am venturinS to ask for space to re-
count these facts and their significance in the
columns of this paper. largely because 7 believe
its readers to be especially interested In DEM
onstrating to the people or Richmond and OF
the State that they made no mistake either
from an ethical or business point Of view when
they voted against the saloon, and turned the
State Fair dry" It IL emphaticaIly s'up TO
them to show that State fair can be profit
ably managed, and made genuine asset to the
city and the State, educational and humanf-
tartan and entertaining lines, without liquor
The Better Babies Exhibit and Contest held
| on the State Fair grounds last year regarded
by its promoters long step in that direc-
ton. We want the understanding the sym
pathy and the support of all who capable
| OF appreciating this point OF view We want
TO help ourselves, the public school mothers of
the State. to realize that the work done by the
day school, the Sunday school and the COM
munity generally. toward turning out healthy,
the smallest part of what needs to be done to
of the responsibility still rests. and always will
rest. upon the mothers themselves. We know
tthose of us who have heen so fortunately stu
ated as to have chance to know that mothers
as class need TO investigate themselves their
motives and their conduct for the purpose OF
reforming the same. as much any other part
OF the city State and nation--and we are de-
termined 1T shall be done, And We know Mr.
Editor that when the press and the public know
that this is our chief aim and object, they will
come forward with hands outstretched to help
ny Everybody likes to help those who help
themselves,
Now, 1t has seemed to us that the occasion
Of Mothers Day inaugurated for the purpose
Of giving public recognition to the beauty and
sacredness of ideal "nother-love" is the most
appropriate time in the world for us to call
public attention to the fact that motherhood
can never. by any possibility be genuinely hon