The Washington times., 1919-09-08
a,5OOa Year to Buy
=. Food For Family of Fipe,
Welfare Report ShoWS

Precise estimates Of the cost of
rearing the American child are made
in the hrst section Of q volume en-
titled standards Of Child welfare
"A Report Of the ChiIdren's Bureau
Conferences" now in the process Of
publication by the Children's Bureau
Of the United States Department of
Labor.
Various authorities reported the re-
suits Of their inquiries in this field.
Miss Florence Nesbitt, institute in
structor in dietetics for the AmeTicaA
Red Cross. stated that in cities such
as Chicago and Cleveland at costs
approximately 81 500 q year to buy
the essentials for maintaining. the
average family Of hVe-fatheF, moth
er and three children-at what we
might consider a normal standard
Miss Nesbitt indicated the conclusion
that only q minority Of those COM
pretended by her investigation have
as much as this-minimum income.
Prof. William F. OgbuFn, presented
the results Of his investigation, made
for the national war labor board and
for the United States Bureau Of Labor
Statistics. Professor Ogburn reck-
oned that in rearing a child from
birth to sixteen years, $1,325 is added
to the family budget. Both he and
Commissioner Royal Meeker, of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, concluded
that in order to rear children the
average working man and his wife
must econoH1ize seriously. Commits
sioner Meeker said with the in
crease of the family every item OF
expenditure, except food, declines not
simply in percentage, but In absolute
amounts. This means. Of course, that
comforts, and even necessities must
be sacrificed to meet the need for
food.
SRalI Income BoOsts Deaths.
Dean s. P. Breckenridge, Of the Uni
versity Of Chicago, described the ma
tional consequences due to income in
sufficient to purchase the minimum
essentials Of family life. She empha-
sized the increase in the infant death
rate generally found as the income
Of the father goes down. She recon-
mended the fixing of an economic
level below which, for the sake Of
the national wellbeing, no family
be allowed to sink.
The prohibition Of all employment
Of children under sixteen, except dur
ing vacation periods; the establish
ment Of higher age limits in certain
occupations; the prohibition of all
Juvenile employment in dangerous
trades; the establishment of physical
and educational tests, and the hand
ling Of the entire problem Of juvenile
labor with greater consideration for
the national welfare are proposed.
Owen r. Lovejoy, secretary Of the
national child labor committee, urged
that the needs of the child and not
the desires Of any industry be mare
the test Of child labor legislation.
Dean d. L. Edsall, of the Harvard
medical school, set forth the necessity
for physical examination Of the child
with reference to his fitness for work
In particular industry before an en-
ployment permit is issue. Dean Ed
sail reported, by way of illustration,
the estimate that at any time in New
York city alone there are as many as
10000 children suffering from organic
heart disease. Many children, he
stated, are injured seriously by work
ing in processes for which they are
not adapted, while they might with
safety have had other employment.
Third Are UndernOurished. =.
The estimate that three-fourths of
the $4,000 school children in the