Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-06-11
FIRST MEETING
CHILD WELFARE
CONFERENCE:

The first meeting Of the Child We'll
fare conference was held Monday eve
ming in the city government rooms
Hon. William 7. Hanes presided and
introduced Mayor L. c. Wardwell,
who spoke briefly. He said that chill
dren did not come into the world vol
unfairly and had a right to be cared
for. clothed and educated. That mlr-
ried people should have healthy chil-
dren and know how to keep them SO
He said that he believed the chit
Gren Of the poor should DC cared foi
and the rich, childless people should
pay for il iii taxes
In Introducing Coy. Carl Z. Mill
ken. who was the next speaker, ar
Haines referred to the fact that the
, GoNerncr was the father Of SIX emil.
dren.
Governor Millilten said thai this
Is an eoucaaCnai enterprise and mu Il
begin with the few and spread out.
The first business of the country is
TO win the war. said the Governor,
and anything we can do is none tou
great 81 sacrifice.
1--WE are learning that in life i,
suiferirg, N money, III anything our
seheraflHh has, we must give even
though 1t is the whole to see this
thing through. But there is one thing
We mus. not sacrifice and that is iil
children because II is for their sake
mat inns enterprise is set on foor.
This means that because of the war
an educational program challenges
the people 10 give this movement
their attention.
4 believe that the final hurt 10 the
race is going to be what migh.\ue caila |
the nerve strain Of this long continued
Struggle. There will be millions Of peo-
r!e VINO viii never be normal again an /
the strain is greater on the little chill
drcn.
We have two tasks 10 1--we for in th,;
generation, TIE first to WIN this war . :
aooh as :, 'sslhle and the next is 10 turn
over To the next generation a set Of
QUEENS physically. morally and shirt
tally fitted to be trusted to carry on
lhe work Of this nation, and al ythin..
we can DO for the child to the ADVANTAGE
OF being we'll born, we'll cared for. nour-
ished ana looked after, shoull be done
at this time
Mr. flames before introducing the
next speaker poke of the great vor,,
the government is doing for the moth
ers OF the country through bulletins.
ana how little they have been appre-
ciated. But IL they won't read tbav
must llsten,' said he. He then intro
ouced br, l.. u. Bristol of the State
health department.
pr Bristol spoke OF the in1nortance ar
The work OF public health He sail
that everything in these DAVIS has a
war background and the war has ON
phasized the value of public ha.,.b
work and the value of phvsjcal erscian,,.
ana need OF conserving of the health
Of children.
ne spoke of the work of the chiIdro,,s
bureau OF Washington He showed thu,
large percentage of the Young mo,
VINO were found physically unit for cor
vice were found so because of sor,e-
thinZ that occurred in childhood
This he said. showed the need ne
Suits converted eHort on the part Of the
reonle in Maine 10 look .ter the baa,,,
Of the, children. He stated that statis.
tics proved that the soldier in tn,
tyench has better chance OF life than
the baby in the cradle.
Or. Bristol snake IF tho work ~
Governor N''liken along the 1ines ce
health in Marie. He congratulated
the ladies on being at the head of
the procession" in this work for he
believed this is the first concerted
movement for a public health week.
Dr.. Bristol spoke Of several inn
pcstart things in regard to the health
Of children. Among these he smoke
of prenatal care and education of nro-
snecQve mothers. home hygiene and
the employment Of public nurse.
In closing Or. Bristo, omnha s,zos
the Importance Of keeping a child
from having the measles. chicken nov
and other chiidren's diseases es.
peciaily under FIVE years of age.
He also referred to cases 81 -.
ventah'e blindness caused hv ;nfao
ZION at birth. and made a snec,,,
plea OF doing something to prevent a