New Britain herald., 1919-02-13

stz forts. We now view conditions exist ing long before the war in a new light and we are meeting them as never before. We realize the terrible cost of venereal disease We have been made to face facts-we see the price society has paid for prudishness. Are we ready to unite in the battle against this evil, or shall the women and chill dren continue to pay the greater price?
 Social workers are constantly gathering in their separate states for serious consideration of such vital questions, and once a year from throughout this country they meet as a nation for suggestions, for advice and for council with expert national leaders of social problems. They aim straight at vital facts. They apply new tests to prove whether or not de- mocracy is functioning intelligently and conscientiousIy for those with short chance.
 What of the returned thousands of soldiers to factory life; what of the women leaving their places of employ ment to make way for the men; what of the home where the soldier m em- Der never is to return; what of Home Service itself? One cannot conceive in a picture of future America com plete indifference to any such prob lems Social workers combining their thoughts and knowledge, comparing their successes and failures-all their efforts-will with the support of the public-spirited community succeed in the reconstruction which will bring us true peace.
 Reconstruction in homes in our own city devastated by influenza still continues. During January out of 30 new cases of need, seven were directly due to widowhood. There are in New Britain 24 known widows with from three to seven children left through no fault of theirs and for no other reason than the visitation of death from influenza alone which took away the wage earner to become listed as paupers on our city's records.
 "Connecticut, as a state, has no pro- vision for adequate aid for it's depen- dent mothers and children. A part of the reconstructive work of today is the planning of just such aid to these widowed mothers. Social workers are keenly alive to the need of such a bill in the laws of our st%te which will furnish to the mothers in their homes the means of properly nourishing and caring for the little ones.
 The problem of an unemp mployment period is before us. It is not yet critical situation, but it will have to be met. From all parts of the coun- try como reports indicative of surplus labor, and although New England is not as vet hard hit, there is much Iln- emplOyme ent in our own and neighbOr- ing states. Even with special appro- priations of thousands of dollars for emergency employment work, even with special provision by the War de- partm ment to relieve the condition, the next few months will probably show a serious situation. No doubt, the New Britain Charity Organiza tion will be called upon to lend a hand in SUD- plying temporary aid till readjust- ments are made, for it will require more than 8 day for factories changed into plants of war production to gain their balance and return to the pro- duction of implements of peace After the few months of reconstruction we look for a time of unusual prosperity. 1
 "Whether in prosperous times or the reverse, we have always the old to shield, the widow to aid, the sick to care for, the deSorter to deal With, nm l morality and intemperance to fight, l wayward girls and boys to foster and ] guide when home influences have ! failed, neglected children to shelter | and plan for. All these have brought l their toll to the New Britain Charity l Organiza tion during the past month. ! To meet these constant problems, | these many applications for service, l we have, in the 27 working days of l January, responded to 356 requests for service-213 were from those needing 1 work. advice, clothes relief or other counsel: 80 from consultants interest," ed in the society's welfare; eight came from societies and individuals from out of town. The Charity Organiza- ton found material relief necessary and supplied it to "A families amount ing to $164.7O from the treasurer's fund. and $4S.64 from the agents spe- cial fund. Sixteen children were sup piled through a special fund with much-needed school shoes.
 From friends who paid bills, mer- chants who allowed discounts, doctors