, 1916-01-22

utH'lpF Ter young cnlldreu, me cause OF TINS
terribly large mortality among children
mus, by preference be ass g,ed to the
want of care in The correct feeding and
tending OF little children, which owing to
the force of circumstances, exists especial
~ among the women of the class Of farm
labOurers.
The Draft of Law aims at introducing
measures for creating an improvement of
the conditions i'll this respect. But mas
much as such measures as those proposed
exceed the financial power Of the Colonial
Treasury Of st. Crotx, it is proposed. that
the State Treasury should defray the ex-
penses.
The following remarks apply to the indi-
vidual sections
nd 1.
As the aim of the proposal is to protect
the child, it is natural, that the protection
should begin already during the period
Immediately preceding the birth of the
child.
This protective period has been fixed at
2 months and it is p ohibii Ell to give he
pregnant woman heavy work, which may
presumably have IN unfavourabIe influence
on the future vitality Of the foetus.
The estimate, as to how far the woman
III question is advanced in pregnancy, will
be based on cooperation between the
matron concerned and the midwife of the
district; compare s 5 Of the proposal.
1t i3 only reasonable, that the women
whose earnings are reduced, should receive
a grant in aid. This has been fixed at 25
Bit daily.
al 2.
The elm of this section is to remove what
is generally admitted to be the chief cause
of the mortality among childlen of the class
Of farm labourers. When the mother, in
order to sustain life, has TO go to work,
shortly after her delivery, away from hom-,
often ut a considerable distance from sam,
the child has throughout the day TO be with
ont the care of the m lther, OF is left in any
care that offers, or Often with no care at all,
and it must necessarily suffer, and on return
ing home from work the mother will often
be SO tired, that the nursing IS neglected.
Besides, the constant absence weakens the
instinct of the mother and creates iudifer-
euce towards the %infunt.
It is therefore proposed to prohibit moth
ers If the class of farm labouIers to under
take any work for seven weeks after their
delivery, IN order that the mother during
that period can devote herself exclusively TO
the cNring of the child.
During the time, in which the mother is
thus forced to abandon all work, a grant
must be given her in aid of herself and the
child, and this grant canros be fixed ut less
than rs Bit daily, one half Of which ceases if
the child dies.
But if the mother has severa, children to
support besides the newborn, there must
also be given her q grant for each of these,
and this grant cannot be fixed at less than
% Bit daily.
ad s 3.
The Significance of this proposal needs
hadly any further explanation.
Od S 4
It is propo ed that thorough supervision
and control should be exercised by women,
who shall each be given q district, which is
only so large, that she is able TO visit each
pregnant .woman and each mother and her
infant in The district froquently-if necessary
daily.
Il is therefore proposed to divide the Is
land into districts and to appoint a matron
for each district. This matron, who ought
to have some training in the feeding of aid
caring for infants, must generally assist the
mother with advice and guidance before and
after childbirth, and during us well as, after
the period mentioned in S 2. The matron.
should therefore live at a central place IN the
district
mi. cL.I- D...1 e uAoILL ~,1;oI, hos