Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-18
SOCIAL WORKERS
HEAR MIR. MARSHALL
Ballot in District Would Aid
Them, Vice President Tells
Monday Evening Club.
PLEA FOR CHILD WELFARE

PLEA FOR CHILD WELFARE
Declaring that 81 am quite sure that il
you did have the ballot you would accom-
plish things more expeditiously than you
do now" Vice President Marshall, speak
ing before the Monday Evening Club at
the Y. NJ c. A last evening. urged social
workers of the District, pending the reali-
cation of this object, to push their efforts
for betterment of child welfare conditions
in Washington.
The Vice, President said that old-tine
individualism has passed forever, and
from now on the world-old query. Am
my brothers keeper" must be answer
ed in the affirmative. IF gan make my
brother safer and better by my conduct"
Touching on the world war, he said This
is a fight to the fnish-war to the knife
and the knife to the hilt-for all time to
settle whether men are to govern them
selves or whether the divine right of
kings theory is to rule the world
He said his concern for the future is
not concerned with commerce, trade or
industry for there is assurance that men
will work out these problems.
Leadership of Future, Concern.
"But my concern is about leadership
for the future" he continued. Men
either will lead or be led. This dream
of pure democracy. with every one
performing equally, is but dream.
Until the millennial dawn men are
going to be led, and women will be
coaxed to go along.
IF this generation of young men
should be sacrificed in France. then the
form the work of two generations.
That is why I consider it imperative
that the best opportunity for educa-
ton, life, health, training and equip
ington and in the republic.
;"If you wanted to build an asphalt
pavement to the north pole could tell
you how to go about getting the
it for betterment of child life-well,
that I don't know.
Praises Commissioner Brownlow.
The Vice President declared he desired
to pay "a deserved tribute to Commits
missioner Brownlow, and said that II
Congress passes the measures proposed
in the estimates relating to child welfare
the District will be much better off. )"
He urged provision for examina ton of
the teeth Of school children, described
the Commissioners proposals for bu-
reau of child welfare, which should
work in conjunction with such agencies
as the Washington Diet Kitchen and the
Visiting Nurse Society, and asserted
that he believes that 1.-The most impor-
tant work now being done in the Dis
trict Is that Of assuring the children a
fair physical start in life"
D. G. Behind Many Communities.
THE District of Columbia has been
much behind many communities in do
ing things which should be done by
every civilized and Christian people," he
whether the blame rested with Wash
ington or with Congress.
| To bring Washington to what he
termed "a modern standard Of civilized
social progress" the Vice President said
the District should have an institution
for the feeble-minded, separate places
Tor the incarceration of the criminal
and the unfortunate insane, closer SUI
peryision of what he termed "baby
farms" compulsory laws for prophylac-
tic treatment of children at birth to
avoid blindness and better co-ordina-
ton OF all the agencies working for
child welfare.
For the Feeble-Minded.
Capt. Frederick A. Fenning outlined
the eo-called Tinkham bill for a colony
for the feeble minded and Dr. Joseph
B. Wall described the work proposed
under the projected bureau of child
welfare.
DR.. W. c. Woodward said that the
great difficulty in effecting many meas
ures like those referred to by the vice
President is that the people OF the
District have no effective voice. When
the time comes when we shall get rep
resentation in Congress we shall get
what we want more readily"
For Correlating Child Welfare.
Miss Mary Gwynn. who presided, ex-
!, planned plans already under way for
correlating the work of child welfa re
agencies William c. Baldwin, chair
man of the committee on remedial loan
Ilegt4lation. reported that the commit
tee reafnrmed its approval OF the Smith
bill now pending, amending the present
| loan shark" law, which, he said.
would save the poor borrowers in the
District more than $4,000 q year.
r