Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-10

warning countries have shown that
there has been q decrease in both
the legitimate and illegitimate births.
but that the decrease in the former
| has been greater. To smaller ex-
tent than in Europe. the report says,
the problem of wartime illegitimacy
exists here and sin making plans
for government allowances (for de-
pendents of soldiers) the question of
support of illegitimate children of
members of the military forces must
be considered"
The pressing essentials of the pro-
gram which the Bureau considers
necessary to guard the United States
against the aftermath of the war,
are stated in the report. as follows:
List of Instructions
"1-Public protection of matern-
ity and infancy. Last year (15,000
mothers and 100000 children under
five years of age died. Most of the
deaths were preventable.)
"2-Mothers' care for older chill
dren. Essentials: Adequate incomes,
family allowances for soldiers fam
lilies, mothers pensions for civilians,
special provision for extraordinary
needs, so far as required to enable
mothers of older children to afford
the home comfort and protection
which are the best safeguards
against delinquency.
enhancement of all child labor
laws and full schooling for all chill
dren of school age. Standards
should be maintained in spite of war
pressure.
"4-Recreation for children and
youth, abundant, decent, protected
from any form of exploitation"
Permanent success in reducing in
fant mortality can be achieved only
in connection with the protection of
mothers, according to the report,
which adds that Investigations by
the Bureau prove that an adequate
income earned bv the father of
family is essential. Studies made in
eight cities showed that while the
mortality among infants born to
families having less than $3.50 an
nual income was 1925 in each thouS-
and births, the average was reduced
to 1873 when the income ranged
from $3.50 to SS49, and was only
61.7 when the income was more
than $1,050.-
Work For Low Pay
Where mothers were forced to go
into industry by reason of insuffi-
cient other income, the Infant
death rate was more than twice as
great as in families where the moth
ers remained at home. More than
one-fourth, or 25.S per cent, of the
fathers of the families investigated,
earned less than $3.50 a year, while
only one in eight, or 13.1 percent
had an income of $3.50 or more.
The cities investigated were Johns
town, Pa, Montclair, N. j., Manches-
ter, n. H., Brockton, Mass, Water
bury Conn, Akron, Ohio, Saginaw,
Mich, and New Bedford, Mass.
The number of women in industry
has increased since the United
States entered the war and in the
new workers an increase was found
in the proportion of married women
to single women. The high cost of
living was given as one reason for
the rnturn of wives to positions in
the Chicago stockyards which they
held before marriage. The report
adds:
THE employers feel that within
the next few months 1t will be prac-
tically inevitable that this increase
in the number of women employed
and in the proportionate gain of
married over single women will go
still further"
While close studies of maternal
and infant mortality have shown the
superior healthfulness of the country
over cities, as whole, it was found
that isolation and low incomes to-
gether oVerbalance fresh air and
wholesome surroundings. Particu-
larly in western grazing states,
where the population is sparse and
scattered, it was found that lack of
care and medical attention greatly
increased the death rate among
mothers and babies. Welfare work
by industrial corporations in cities
has reduced materially the mortality
among mothers.
"The Importance of the care a
mother receives before and at her
child's birth is being constantly more
fully recognized" the report adds.
Whether or not children released
from labor are obtaining the full
benefits intended for them by the
Child Labor Law will be the sub
ject of future studies by the Bureau,
which will endeavor to find out ifl
they have gone into occupations not
forbidden by law or are in school, or
are both out of work and out of
school, Chairman of the State Coun-
ellis of Defense have been asked 70
report on the number of children
not in school.