Denver labor bulletin., 1916-12-09
Low WAGES CAUSE
HIGH DEATH RATE
Facts Disclosed by Report of
Children'S Bureau
One Baby Out Of Every -Four Dies
Where Fathers Earn Less Than
$3.50 Per Year
Especial Correspondenee.)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-That chill
dren's welfare from babyhood to Adde'S
cence is bound up with industrial condi-
tions, is emphasized by the recent work
OF the federal children's bureau of which
the chief Miss Julia C. Lathrop, tells in
her fourth annual report made public
today
A study of infant mortality in Man
chester. y. H, completed this year, adds
new evidence that when the fathers
earnings are low or the mothers work
out of the home, the infant mortality
rate is exceptionally high. In Manche.-
ter it varies from one death among every
four babies where fathers earn less than
$3.50, to one death among every sixteen
babies where fathers earn 81 ,o50 or more.
Mothers Must Be Protected.
Miss Lathrop's report refers to the
and points out that the sickness or death
Of the mother lessons the baby's chance
for life and health. The bureau has pre-
pared statistical study OF maternal
mortality and finds that 1900 mothers
die year by year in this country from
largely preventable causes incident to
maternity and that the death rate from
maternal causes has not decreased since
1900.
Miss Lathrop says, in commenting
upon this fact: "The means of preven-
ton are the instruction of the mother.
skilled supervision before the birth OF
her child, and suitable care during con-
finement But she must have also nour-
ishing food and sufficient rest and free
dom from anNiety-in other words de-
cent living conditions"
National Child Labor Law
Then the bureau has been concerned
with the protection OF the child himself
from premature employment. It has
published all the child labor laws in the
United States and has completed a re-
port on the administration of the en-
plovment certificate system in New York
state.
In commenting upon the new federal
. child labor law as marking a distinct ad-
vance in the attitude of this nation to-
7 ward that one-third of its population
which is under sixteen years OF age,
I Miss Lathrop says:
Merely keeping the breath of life
| in children is valuless to the nation un-
/ less they are brought on to adult life
I trained masters of their full powers of
/ body and mind. The law is a national
measure and all attainable information
I for a better understanding of the ways
3
I labor may be started in life should be
/ furnished by national study"
Dependency of Children
at is matter of speculation as to
I what proportion of children at work are
! dependent upon their own earnings or
support families in whole or in part.
Also the number of dependent children
now supported by public and private
funds is unknown. In fact" Miss Lath-
rop saws. "our ignorance OF the whole
field OF dependency is great" The re-
port gives figures about Philadelphia in
dicating that the majority of dependent
children are members of families and
the question of protecting them is
question Of family structure and sup
port. Preliminary work toward a study
Of dependency has been done by the
bureau and Miss Lathrop expresses the
hope that congress may direct the chill
dren's bureau to make a special inquiry
into the condition of the children to Be
affected bv the federal law