The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-13
FOrty-Ninth Annual Meeting
Brought to a Close Today.
Prof. Harshbarger and w. w.
Swingle Are Reelected.
DR.. De VILBISS A SPEAKER
She Urges Better Care of Chill
dren of the State.
PrOcreatiOn of Unfit Also Must
Cease, She Asserts.

DIR. F. S. Agrelius, head of the de-
partment of botany of the Emporia
State Normal school, was unanimous
ly elected president of the Kansas
Academy of Science at this mornings
session of its forty-ninth annual meet
ing. l.. D. HavenhiIl, dean of the
pharmaceutical department of Kansas
university, was chosen first vice pres
ident. and DR.. B. NJ. Allen, dean of the
geological department of Kansas uni
versity, second vice president. Prof.
w. A. Harshbarger of Washburn col
lege was reelected treasurer, and w.
w. Swingle, also of Topeka, was re-
elected secretary. Chas. Levy of
Highlands was appointed head of the
executive council, which for 1917 will
consist of the following members: J.
A Shirk and J. A. Yates of Pittsburg;
Alva j. Smith, city engineer of En-
poria. and DR.. J. NJ. McWharf of OF
tawa.
When you have settled the problem
of child welfare you have settled all
the problems there are to be solved"
DR.. Lydia DeVilbiss, head of the de-
her address this afternoon.
For those interested in child well
fare there are two main divisions of
the subject to be considered. First is
to take care of the children already
born and the second is to strive for
the welfare of the generation to be
born.
Many Vital Points.
Tn, IL
many points of vital Importance to
be considered. The first point of con-
sideration,e birth registration, is be-
coming less and less a problem in
Kansas and in the regulation of milk,
food and water supply we are coming
along nicely. Disposal of waste and
garbage is a point to be considered
seriously still. For the house fly likes
nothing better than to lunch off garb-
age and return to the house and wipe
his feet on the baby's milk bottle. In
the education of mot-erS in hygiene
and child welfare we are doing our
best here by distribution of literature
and thru the generous publicity af-
forded by the newspapers Eventually
this subject must be taught in the
schools and colleges.
I'm the vital matter of housing con-
ditions Kansas has accomplished al
most nothing. Child labor is, of
course, a lesser problem here. In the
matter of legislation for mothers pen
sions Kansas may lay proud claim to
being a pioneer, and the legislature is
scheduled to make the present law
even more operative. The broadest
field as far as legislation goes is the
securing of sound economic legislation
for the securing competence for
children Poverty is one of the dead
Hest foes in the matter CT child well
fare.
Birth Control Essential.
"a host of legislative and other
changes is necessary to handle the
second general division of child well
fare-the looking out for the welfare
of the generation to be born Society
must guard itself in not permitting
procreation by the unfit, by measures
CT sterilization and segregation. And
on the other hand, we must increase
procreation by the fit, and that by
legislation securing economic and So
cial betterment to the wage Garner
soon or late the state must realize
that it is a primary duty to provide
free nurses for the parental instruc-
ton. of prospective mothers and faith
ers. 1t must provide hospital facilities
for confinement. This is emphatically
a governmental duty. Society can not
afford to leave the birth conditions of
the coming generation to chance. In
line with this the state should pro-
vide for the elimination of incompe-
tent m1dWlVeS whose name is legion,
in this state as elsewhere"
CongdOn on Food Fight
"Since 1912 there has been an aver
age increase of IA per cent in the price
of foodstuffs." L. A. Congdon of the
bureau of health told the members of
the academy this afternoon in his ad-
dress on The Fight for Food" And
in the matter of meat, which is a vital
necessity for the workers, an even
larger increase is noted, ranging from
a Is per cent advance in pork to %
per cent in the cheaper steaks. Su-
gar has seen an increase of 3S per
cent.
The real cause is still undeter-
mined. Some point to trusts or mo-
nopolies. The housewife comes in-for
management. Others assert that it is
due to the storing of food necessities
in large quantities. There is no sin
gle cause. All these contribute Also
We must not forget that with the ad-
vance OF civilization we have a higher
standard of living. This, together
with the gambling on the stock ex-
change is thought to be partly respon-
sible.''
Other speakers on the afternoon
program which closes the annual
/ on Chronic Diphtheria Carriers" an
address en- sociology by DR.. D. NJ. Fisk
of Washburn college; c. c. Williams
! of Kansas university on THE Manage
ment of Stresses in Railroad Track -
| Factors Influencing the Winter KILL
ing of Grain Crops" by Prof s. C.
! Salmon, and an address by DR. E. H S.
Z Bailey of Kansas university on
''Wasteful Yet Prosperous"