The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-03-23

of Care and observation-disclosures
Sance of Parents to Blame in Most
Cases.
An interesting feature of the war
work, for it can no doubt be included
in the various activities in behalf of
the national government at the pres
ent time, is the determination of the
children's bureau in the department of
labor to save babies and young chill
dren. Preparation for what is called
a drive" a word very much used in
connection with all war work, has
been in progress for several months
and "Children's Year, is to begin
April 6, the anniversary of the entry
of the United States into the world
war. The bureau announces that its
campaign is to save 100000 babies and
young children during the year, but
this is only a part of a big program
for the welfare of 10000. 900 children
under fifteen years of age in the
United States.
Investigation by the children's blu.
reau has shown a lack of care and con
sideration for the children, and that
many babies die from lack of care
and nourishment due in many cases to
the poverty of the parents, but in most
rases to the ignorance of the parents
n the care of children.
Children Best Crop.
Brigham Young, the noted Mormon
prophet, once remarked that "Utah's
best crop is children" He and the
other Mormon pioneers went on the
theory that population created wealth
and that population was necessary
particularly in a new country. Scien
lists of Germany have become alarmed
IN account of the decrease in the birth
ate in that country and have pre-
iicted that a long continuation of the
war will work Germany's ruin, moi
birth rate, but because the lack of care
and attention will result in the death
Of babies and young children.
While it is true that a few thinkers
and writer's believe that the present
war was caused by the over-pOpula'
ton of the earth, and hat a check tc
the increase of population was neces'
sary in order to prevent future starry
alton, the general run of scientists and
publicists are of the opinion that the
more population a country has the
richer it becomes, and that its wealth,
prosperity and grandeur are measured
largely by the number of people with
in it's borders. Consequently the en-
ergies of the people who interest
themselves in the subject at all are
bent toward preserving population,
hence the children's year inaugurated
in the department of labor for the
purpose of saving the lives of 100000
children for the future of the country.
DR.. f. TRULY King, a physician who
has had a great deal to do with the
development of the New Zealand So
ciety for the health of women and chill
dren, was in Washington a short time
ago and stopped to confer with the
welfare experts of the children's bur-
eau in the department of labor. DR..
King is on his way to England to take
charge of special work in the English
campaign for saving the lives of ba-
bies and he has visited a number of
places in the United States for the
purpose of making inquiry into the
conditions and methods of work in
American cities.
Most Could Be Saved.
ST see no essential reason why the
United States should have an infant
mortality rate twice as high as thai of
New Zealand" he told the officials Of
the children's bureau. II fancy that
with you, as with US, most of the ba-
bies who die could have been saved
by proper care. You r losing, as 1
understand it, about one baby in every
ten under one year old. 1t is not
many years since we had in New Zea-
land an infant death rate almost as
high as that, but we have brought 1t
down until now we lose about one
baby in twenty during the first year of
age, and we fully expect to reduce it
still further.
"The method is after all very simple.
We have a corps of nurses who are
specially trained in the principles Of
child care and who are at the service
of all mothers who wish to learn how
to take care of themselves and how
to take care of their babies. We
have consultation centers to which
mothers of all classes, come for adj
vice, and we have hospitals where
mothers and babies who are slightly
ailing stay a week or more for closer
observation and special instruction.
"And then we have managed to
make the care of children a topic of
general interest and discussion. Our
work is now subsidized by the govern
ment but its success depends largely
on the widespread popular support 1T
has had from the beginning.
Instructions in Hygiene.
"Your plans for a children's year