The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-03-06


rs baby week the business of Q
government bureau?" The observing
Taxpayer is perhaps asking this ques.
ton.
Ever since last October when the
General Federation of Women'F
Clubs announced It's plan. an. iucrcas
ing proportion of the bureaus ofhct
force has been detailed to the core,
spondence required by the CROWN
interest in the nationwide obsery'
ance OF baby week.
The sociologist and the statfsticla1'
will remind US that the bureau waa
created to make Investigations per
tanning to the welfare Of children and
the baby week is not an Investigation
and Is not statistics.
To all these groups we are ac-
countable. What Is our reply?
For the three years the bureau has
been in existence It has put a con-
siderable share OF It's energy into n
statistical study of the social and
economic causes of infant mortality,
planned with the greatest care and
with all possible precision. The re-
suits OF this inquiry are being pub
llshed as the law requires In ser
les OF reports which consist of stats
teal tabulations accompanied by de-
scriptive text.
There are mnny million fathers and
mothers in the United States. hclud-
ing many of the bert educated fathers
and mothers, who have never read a
statistical table and never will. Yet,
hidden within the figures of the bu-
reau's reports on infant mortality,
the reading of which they will sue
cessfully evade, lie stern facts about
the dangers which beset American
babies.
These figures give clue to the
reasons why, on the great average.
one baby in eight dies before the end
of the first year of life. 1t shows
that this average obseures a wide
gamut with comparative immunity
from infant loss at one end aud with
fearful infant waste at the other.
II the bureau is to investigate and
to report az the law directs. then II
must try to find ways OF reporting
which will be heard by the whole
public. which 1t was created to serve.
The popular methods of the baby
week, which are those of all astute
advertisers. form an invaluable meth
cd OF reporting to the parents OF this
nation those standards OF infant well
fare which experts are endeavoring
to make clear.
The baby week emphasizes the con-
structive side OF infant care. It adj
dresses not only Individual parents.
but communities.
The best test of its value will be
the work that follows 1t.
Undoubtedly, every state board OF
health should secure what only six
states have at present. special d.
vision of child hygiene. No city or
town should fail to provide instruc-
tive nursing service and TO pay con-
slant heed to the problems Of hygiene
and sanitation, Of proper housing. and
OF recreation spaces. since all these
Immediately affect the welfare Of In
fants.
There are 1908 counties in the
United States. In every county seat
there should be a center for the
health work of that county, sta
ton for examining babies. and older
children, and for furnishing expert
advice for keeping them well--in
short. a notwithstanding center.
We must have complete birth regis
tration.
All these will be institutions for
the common use-no more revolu-
tioaary, no more eleemosynary. than
public schools and weather bureaus
and agricultural experiment stations.
The New Zealand Infant mortality
! rate IL iess-than ohe-half OF our and