The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-19
Leaves Burden of Child ON I'm
married Woman, Welfare Claim
Social Council Urges He Be
Made Support the Child.
TELLS or BABY CAMP WORK
"Famiiy and HEALTH" Chief
Topic This Afternoon.
Topeka Teacher Tells How To
Instruct Backward Pupils.

Legislation that will compel every
father to properly support his illegiti-
mate child was advocated at this
mornings session of the Kansas Con-
ference of Social Work convention.
In too many cases, the man gives
the woman s100 to release him from
all responsibility, while the unmarried
mother must face the world alone with
the problem of supporting herself and
child, George L. Hosford, general sec
retary of the Christian Service league
declared in his address. He told of
the work of the league in caring for
illegitimate children and told of his
observations of the problem from the
study of 2S5 unmarried mothers whose
children had been taken care of by
the league.
The general impression of the public
that unmarried mothers must be i'm
moral. degenerate and degraded is
wrong and unjust. Hosford declared
He pointed out that as rule they are
the victims of their own innocence
and confiding natures and frequently
come from the families of professional
men.
He denied the assertions made by
some that the children are defective
mentally. The average number of
mental detectives did not exceed that
of legitimate children. he said.
mother had ceased to nurse them.
The work of the Wichita baby camp
was described by Mrs. NJ. c. Campbell
its president. She told how the asso-
citation had started out with an eight
bed tent in the yard of g. hospital. car
ing for babies thru the summer
months. until. by popular subscription
and hard work on the part of the
members 1t now cares for hundreds of
sick babies every summer whose par
ents are unable to pay for treatment.
The problem of teaching mothers to
eliminate insanitary conditions is also
taken up by the association.
The proper method to raise the
standard is to care for the child in
both prenatal and post-natal man
ner, DIR. Francis A. Harper. of Pitts
burg, declared in a paper read by Lee
Harrison. of the states school for the
blind. The care of the child of pre-
school age, he asserted, is of just as
much importance as his school edu-
cation later.
Topeka Teacher Speaks.
The work of teaching defective and
backward children of the city was de-
scribed by Miss Ellen Heartburg, di-
rector of ungTaded work in the To-
peka public schools. She related many
instances of~the manner in which the
children respond to special educa-
tional methods and pointed out the
advantages of the system over that of
COAI1 peLl1HB DuSy IedCn6rS with a room
full of brighter pupils to give them
the attention they need.
AT noon the members attended a
luncheon given by the women of the
First Methodist church. Dean F. w.
Blackmar was POSTMASTER.
This afternoon the family and health
were the chief topics up for discussion
Senator w. f. Schoch addressed the
meeting on Improved Methods of
Handling Problems Arising From Do
mestic Relations" The economic prob
lens of the family were discussed by
Miss Hildegarde Kneeland, professor
of household economics at the State
Agricultural college, while the social
betterment of the rural family was ex-
planned in a paper by Alfred Docking
Of Manhattan. Mrs. J. *. Codding
presided at the meeting.
Doctor Sherborn PreSides.
The health section. with DIR. Flor
ence Sherborn presiding, took up the
questions of food. periodical physical
examinations, health teaching and So
cial disease. Several discussions were
held between addresses. Among the
speakers were: Miss Elizabeth
Sprag que, head of home economics of
Kansas university; DIR. J. J. Entz,
county health officer, Hillsboro, Kan;
Miss Eleanor Gin, public health nurse
of Miami county; DIR. B. x. kilbourne,
chief of the division of venereal dis
ease, state board of health; Miss Maud
A. Brown, supervisor of school hy-
giene, Kansas City, and Miss Alice Ter
rill, of Topeka, assistant state super
visor of nurses.
At the session tonight the speakers
will be Gov. Henry J. Allen and DR..
NJ NJ. Grayson, pastor of the Grand
Avenue church, Kansas City.
Tomorrow morning the social work
ers will meet with the state commits
fol ns,,%A I1xr
the governor, for the purpose of or
ganizing a mental hygiene associat ton.
DIR. Samuel W. Hamilton. a represen-
tative of the national committee from
New York, will speak.
Eliminate Rural Lines.
The cooperation of organized
groups in promoting community well
fare was the paramount subject dis
cussed at the session Tuesday even
ing. To insure the proper develop
ment of rural life. lines of prejudice
between country and city must be
eliminated. DR.. Henry j. Waters. of
Kansas City, told the welfare workers.
He discussed the problem from the
standpoint of organized agriculture
There must be a willingness to inter-
marry, he said and the marks of dis
tinction between city and country
people erased.
The continuation of the S-hour day
labor is willing to cooperate in COM
munity betterment was made by S. c.
Carroll, of Topeka. who discussed the
problem from the standpoint of organ
lied labor in the absence of John
Crawford. who was scheduled to
speak.
Dr. s. s. Estey. pastor of the First
Presbyterian church. spoke from the
standpoint of the church. pointing out
that the various denominations had
long aided in welfare work and that it
is now time for the social institutions
to come TO the aid of the church.
The work of the fraternal orders.
chautauquas. women's clubs and other
similar institutions in promoting So
ciaI welfare was outlined by Mrs. w.
A. McCarter, president of the Topeka
Woman's club. who spoke from the