The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-05-20
State Committee on Child Welfare
Advocate Rule Compelling Birth
Registration and Child Re-
search Station.
OTHER WORK PLANNED
ORGANIZATION Of Each County is An.
other Recommendation Which
Has Been Made by
This Body.


tration law, establishment of child
research station at the state univer-
sity, and encouragement of commun-
ity organization within the county are
advocated by the Iowa Committee on
Child Welfare in the report which 1t
has prepared to be issued soon by the
extension division of the University
of Iowa as the Iowa Handbook on
Child Welfare"
The committee consists Of leaders
in some eight women's organizations
of the state. It's membership is as
follows: Chairman. DR.. Florence B.
Sherbon of Colfax; secretary-treas-
urer, the Rev. Laura B. Caller OF Mt.
Pleasant; Federation of Women's
clubs, DR.. Velura E. Powell of Red
Oak; Mothers Congress, Mrs. Martha
o. Rustic of Charles City; Baby Health
association, Mrs. Mary T. Watts Of
Audubon; Iowa State Medical Women.
DR.. Kate Harpel of Boone; Iowa Child
Research Station association, Mrs.
Cora B. Hills of Des Moines; Iowa
Visiting Nurses association, Miss
Maud Reeder of Dubuque; Daughters
of Ceres, Mrs. Harriet w. Ashby of
Des Moines; Women's Christian Tenn
perance Union. Mrs. Ida B. Wise.
Smith of Cedar Rapids.
THE committee believes that the
passage of an adequate birth regis
tration law which will admit Iowa to
the registration area and permit cur
statistics to become part of the fed
eral census, is the immediate and i'm
perative duty of the state" the report
declares. Figures are given on the
birth registration canvass conducted
11yt I,1 of hn tor a n
of the larger cities These, compared
with the figures of the assessors, rJho
now have the duty OF gathering sta
tistics, show that LOO babies or 81
percent of all those born in the cities
were overlooked in one year by the
assessors.
This subject should be strenuouslv
agitated during the coming year tc
the end that when the next legislature
convenes, the passage of satisfac-
tory law will be a foregone colclu-
sion," is the final appeal Of the conf
mittee.
Apply Animal Husbandry Methods.
Concerning the necessity for estab-
lishment of a child welfare research
station, the handbook points out, The
time would seem to be ripe for the
application of the same scientific
methods to the study Of the hum an
animal that have so revolutioniZed
plant and animal husbandry. To do
this efficiently there must be fixed
point of eparture-normal stand
ards" The plan to determine what
the normal standards are through
special research work is outlined, and
the club women of the state are urged
to impress upon their senator's and
representatives the Importance Of the
proposed institution.
Announcement of comprehensive
plans for encouragement OF commun-
ity organization is an important Tea
ture of the report. The committee
urges form alton of county assoc1a-
lions for the purpose of making child
welfare surveys, establishing child
welfare centers, mothers study
circles, parent-teachers club, intro
ducing nursing service into town and
rural schools, introducing medical
examination into the schools, making
a wider use of the visiting nurses for
prenatal care and instruction, in
struction in child rearing and home
nursing, supervision of school n.y.
giene, intensive education in public
health matters, and employment of
social agent for the county whose
activities shall correspond to those Of
the county crop agent. An extensive
list of sources from which persons
in community betterment
can obtain help is furnished.
The handbook will be ready for dis
tribution within a few days. Copies
of it may be obtained by addressing
the extension division of the Univer-
sity Of Iowa.