Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-19
IOWA BABIES NOT
BEING NEGLECTED
STATE HAS BIRTH REGlSTRA-
TON, LAW AND IT is WELL
ENFORCED.
DEMOCRATS SEEKING TO
PREJUDICE WOMEN
Health Board Records Being Com
piled to Refute Democratic Charges
Mrs. Hills Points to Records Of
Cummins and Kendall in Child
Welfare Work.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Oct. le.--Republicans
are taking up some of the charges
made by the democrats in the state
campaign with the result that legis-
lative history and records are being
searched. The democrats recently
put out bees and babies" poster
charging that welfare of the latter
was being neglected and had been
neglected by republican administra-
tons.
The state board of health's figures
on birth registration during the past
two years are now being printed and
will be sent out to show that there is
now county record in every state in
Iowa of each child born.
A vital statistics law was passed
by the Thirty seventh general as
semb1y patterned after the federal
law and under which the birth statis-
tics are now being collected. The
physicians and the midwives are re-
clerks. Recently in Muscatine county
two physicians were fined for neg
lecting to furnish the required re-
ports and similar prosecutions in
other counties where physicians have
grown careless about these reports
have resulted in bringing in said re-
ports promptly so that the records
are kept up. These are reported from
the counties to the state board of
health SO that the state Office Is now
able to furnish certified copy of a
birth or births which have been re-
ported since the law went into effect
on Jan. l, 1919.
In the passage of this law the
democrats participated along with
the republicans and it was not a
partisan issue. but the charges that
the ruling party has been deficient
along this line are being refuted by
the republicans by digging up these
facts
Democrats Raped by Women.
In a statement given out here Mrs.
Isaac Lee Hills, who has been active
for years in child welfare work, gives
credit to both Senator Cummins and
to n. E. Kendall for child welfare.
She says:
Every one with a political ak to
grind is seeking favor with the
women by protesting interest In child
welfare.
Some recent passengers in the
child welfare band wagon are so
clamorous as to what they would do
if elected that a few pioneers in the
cause. familiar thru long struggle to
put Iowa among the progressive
states, are reminded of certain an
cient history of present day signifi-
canoe.
I'VE recall that in 1904 d bill was
introduced in the legislature to es-
tablish juvenile courts in Iowa. So
little interest was manifested that the
senator in charge was afraid to call
it to a vote fearing defeat. Albert B.
.Cummins, then governor, was ap-
pealed to. The measure was so new
that no printed matter was available
The governor quickly ran thru type
written reports submitted by the
judges Of several states operating
under new laws and addressed spe-
cial message to the legislature on
Iowa's dependent and delinquent chill
dren. He called a joint session OF
both houses and Judge Ben Lindsay
addressed them.
He won such sympathy that the
bill carried almost unanimously but
not before Nate Kendall had elo-
quently denounced the placing OF
children in jails and prisons.
when the Iowa Federation OF
Women's Clubs asked for compulsory
education. laws and all of us asked
for better child labor laws it was due
to Governor Cummins that Iowa was
listed as a state Interested in child
conservation.
Tn .1a17 when 100000 organized
men and women in thirty two state
organizations got behind bill to es-
tablish child welfare research sta
ton at the university. station ma
tionally and internationally recog-
nized as of permanent value, Senator
Cummins from Washington and Nate
Kendall from Abba brought the
pressure of their influence to bear in
its behalf"