Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-22
CHILDREN'S BUREAU
HELPED BY IOWANS|
coNGREssMEN FROM HAWkEYE
STATE INSIST ON RAISE IN
APPROPRIATIONS.
Especial Correspondence

Especial COrreSpOndence.)
Washington, d. c., Dec. 20. Rep
resentatives Good and Towner of Iowa
took leading part the other day, in
defending the right Of the children's
bureau to the appropriation asked for
by Miss Julia Lathrop, it's chief, for
the coming fiscal year. Rep. Fitzgerald,
chairman of the appropriations COM
mittee, with Reps. Byrns of Tennessee,
Sisson of Mississippi and Stafford OF
Wisconsin, speaking for the subcom-
mittee which had in charge the legis-
lative, executive and judicial approp-
ration bill, tried to prevent any devel-
opment Of the bureaus work. They
ruled out even an increase in salaries
of clerks and denounced estimates as
extravagant.
Mr.. Good, who is a member Of this
subcommittee, offered the amendment,
which was finally adopted by 141 to
80, increasing the salary fund from
$1O6,640 to $17S,76O. He offered also
an amendment raising from SIS, 900 to
$95, 900 the fund for the maintenance
expenses of the bureau. This also was
adopted.
In Offering the first amendment,
which met the estimates Of the bureau
chief, Rep. Good said: "The chldren's
bureau was established by an act OF
congress approved April 9, 1912. For
the first three years we appropriated
annually $25,640. That provided for
force of-ffteen persons. For the last
three years we have appropriated 1906
GAO, which provided for force Of
seventy-six persons. do not think
there is any bureau in the government
that is really doing greater work for
all the people than the children's bu-
reau is doing.
'It is not altogether to our credit
that we are tagging far behind much
smaller countries than ours in the mat
ter of the protection of the lives OF our
children. Information upon this ques-
ton varies in different localities. In
some communities, among children of
certain class, as many as twenty
seven per cent of these little babies
die before they attain the age of one
year; and the investigation that the
bureau has already made leads up to
discover certain fundamentals which.
if carried to the homes of these people.
will save the lives of great many OF
these children. Think of it! 1t is esti-
mated that last year more than 100000
little babies under one year died in the
United States. In 1910 in the city OF
New York, out of every five deaths
one was an infant under twelve
months of age. More deaths are oc-
curing every day of infants under
twelve months than from tuberculosis
in all forms and of persons of all ages.
Where the fathers and mothers OF
these children have been told how to
take care of them, how and what to
feed them, and how to house them,
the death rate has been materially de-
creased.
Little New Zealand is far ahead OF
us. She commenced the investigation
before we did and when her death rate
for children under twelve months was
9 per cent. Since that investigation
they have reduced the death rate OF
infants of all ages in New Zealand to
per cent and they have reduced the
death rate of infants under twelve
months to 3% per cent, while in the'
United States the death rate of babies
is more than thirteen per cent
Eulogizing the work of the children's
bureau, Mr.. Towner said: Miss Julia
Lathrop, in my Judgment. is the wo-
man best fitted for this work in all the
world today. Her fame is not bounded
by this nation by any means. because
the result of her work and the sugges-
lions of this department have gone in
to every civilized nation in the world
because of the remarkable ability and
practical value displayed under the
present management. All of the as
sistants, those immediately engaged
with Miss Lathrop seem inspired with
a like spirit and work with the highest
aims
81 know that men sometimes object
to this class of legislation because they
say it is an undue extension of the
powers. but in this and
similar instances there is no possible
way in which this work can be done
except by the general government, and
we all know that there is continually
coming from the people mere of de-
mand for service in the social better
ment of the citizens OF the land. We
all know that this is the class of legis-
lation that most directly appeals to the
hearts and consciences of the Amer
can people, ana SO SlHCeTciy nope
that the membership OF the house will
understand that IL there can be any
possible increase justified in any ap.
preparation or in any bureau of the
it is most certainly justi-
fed in this instance"
AS result of the overthrow of the
committees recommendation, Miss
Lathrop and her staff will be enabled
to study the condition Of the children
taken out of industry next September
by the operation of the child labor law.
and will also be enabled to send
throughout the country demonstra.
ton car for the instruction OF mothers
in the care Of babies-the sick and the
well. The result of this campaign will
be the decreasing OF the baby death
rate-the saving Of the lives of tens OF
thousands of babies in American
homes next year
MANY PIGEONS ARE
CATICHT IN RELFRY