Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-06-06
UNCLE SANS WORK FOR chill.
DREN.

Seven years ago the children's bur
eau of the United States department
of labor was created by act of con-
gress. 1t was charged with the duty
of investigating and reporting on "all
matters pertaining to children and
child life among all classes of the
people," and directed to study certain
specific questions such as infant NOR
tality, juvenile courts, dangerous
occupations, accidents and diseases OF
children, employment, and other mat
tiers affecting children.
In fulfillment of the duties assign
ed it, the bureau, since it beginning,
has conducted various Investigations
and inquiries, the results of which
have been published in series of
about so reports issued under such
group headings as the care of chill
dren; dependent, defective, delin-
uuent classes, infant mortality, in
dustrial; legal; and children's year.
Inc cOlleCtlOu anu ulSIi iou''oi VI
miscellaneous information regarding
child welfare activities in this and
other countries. the preparation of
publications giving directions for the
inauguration of local child welfare
work in various centers of population
and the issuance Of directions for test
ing birth registration are among the
additional activities undertaken by
the bureau.
The children's year campaign con-?
Quoted during 191S19, in cooperation
with the child conservation section OF
the Council of National Defense, set
of children embracing public protec-
forth program for the protection
ton of maternity and infancy;
mothers care for older children, en-
forcement of all child-labor laws and
full schooling of al children of school
age; and recreation children and
youth, abundant decent, protected
from every form of exploitation The
carrying out of this program together
with that of the bureaus "baby
weeks" of 1916-17 stirred up increas-
ed interest in matters connected with
child welfare in all parts of the Uni
ted States.
AS a elimination of the children S
year campaign a conference on child
welfare standards was held in Wash
ington during the week of May 5,
under the auspices of the children's
bureau A number of foreign guests,
who had been identified with work
for children in European countries
during the war, and a small working
committee of American experts were
present at this conference at The invi-
tation of the secretary of labor.
The purpose of the conference as
outlined by Miss Julia Lathrop was
two-fold First, it was felt that the
children's bureau, as part of the de-
partment of labor-a department
concerned fundamentally with the
problems of human welfare as eXem-
plified in the great mass of the work
ing people of America which is rep
resents-had the responsibility of
bringing together the coordinating
opinion concerning the welfare of
childen in the United States. 1t was
hoped that the standards evolved by
the conference might adequately rep
resent that opinion. Second, the con-
ference seemed the most direct way of
fulfilling the aid of children's year
as expressed by the president, to set
up certain irreducible minimum
standards for the health, education
and work of the American child Such
standards, it was felt, should be con-
r sidered not as a goal, but as sug-
gested point of departure"