The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-13
Research Bureau Has Been Estab-
lished In Iowa City Through
Last Legislature Ap-
preparation.
NORMAL YOUNGSTERS
Iowa viii be rne First Stare TO Try
to Better Conditions OF Those
Who Are Not IN Any
Way Defective.

Iowa's leadership over all the other
states in the United States will not
be limited to its agricultural inter
ests in the future. An appropriation
by the last state legislature for the
establishment of child welfare ana
research station may be the means
| of making Iowa the peer OF other
states in a product which has hlther-
to been neglected generally-the
normal child.
Thousands Of dollars have been
spent on detectives. but Iowa under
taking in opening child welfare re-
search station is the first case In
which state has made any well de-
fined attempt to better the condition
of it's normal children who consti-
tute well over 80 percent of the
child population. The work has be-
gun. Prof. Bird T. Baldwin, a noted
child welfare expert, has been made
director and he has already made
plans for the work of the unique
lresearch station.
Normal Child Neglected.
The normal child is capable OF
much greater mental and physical
DEVELOPMENT than exists today, in the
| opinion of DR.. Baldwin. By making
detailed scientific study of the fac
tors in the physiological. mental.
pedagogical, social and moral ele-
ments of child it will be possible, he
asserts, to raise the standard OF Iowa
children just as the standards OF
grain and live stock have been ele-
waited by scientific methods. Unused,
unframed and undiscovered physical
and mental resources will be devel-
oped in children by this new work
The station will be situated at the
| university. 1t will be Independent.
vet it will cooperate with and CO.
| ordinate the work of the colleges of
m edicine, education, and dentistry,
the departments of philosophy and
psychology, sociology, home econon,-
| les, the extension division, and the
public health service. There will be
| a clinic in connection with the re-
search station, but great deal OF
the work will be done In the homes
of the children by members of the
staff or other specially qualified per-
sons.
No slIpshod Methods.
The subjects of the work will be
normal children, children who are
not defective in their mental or
| physical condition. They will be
studied from the time of their birth
until they pass out Of childhood, but
greatest stress will be laid in their
development before they reach the
age of seven, according to Doctor
Baldwin He has already achieved
notable results in this type of work
and the undertaking cannot be
viewed as an experiment.
| The research station will find by
scientific methods just what condi-
lions aid or hinder development in
all Of the phases of child life. Up
to this time the work in this field
has been sporadic and poorly ar
ranged for the most part. Iowa's
station will follow the individual
child from year to year whereas the
children in other places have been
forgotten after one test, thereby
eliminating the opportunity to note
the development in the individual.
To BE Of Public Service.
There will be close connection
between the station at the univer-
sity and all of the other agencies Of
the state interested in child welfare.
A dissemination Of the findings at the
university's station and other
authoritative information on the sub
| 1ect will be one OF the features Of
the work The station will also give
professional training for child well
fare workers, as a means of educat-
ing and helping the public.