New Britain herald., 1920-03-11
CHILD WELFARE
 VERY ESSENTIAL
Charity Organization Receives
 Report Of Agent


 which time Miss Cora Boale presented her report. dealing extensively with infant and child welfare. It follows: As the weeks pass by and the agent is making plans in preparation for at tending the national conference of social work i'll April. we are reminded of the greeting of last Ne;trS $ president. Tho special reason that makes the s conference, important" Thc papers arc valuable but they appear in the proceedings. Already these records sufl up the wisdom of IL years in the field. The discussions are also Nalu- able. But the discussions do not Jus titN the conference. Here We meet for a week once d year. All the rest of the year we may disa gree. but for this week we understand the best that is in each her and we cannot help a deep personal good will. This lasts Us {, long time. often the other 31 weeks and it is because of the yearly renewal of friendly human under standing that the conference lives. Somehow we have learned that our regular work goes forward better fol this meeting-the papers by men and women of expert ability, the commit tees the discussions, the social meet ings. are all vehicles carrying the great product of the conference, acquamt- anceship and good will.
 In any conference of social work CTS, whether it be in the great na- tlonal gatherings. the separate state meetings. or the small groups of ths cities. tho trend of thought and con- sequent plans ever finds itself dealing with the child and it's problems. From all sides we hear the slogan-a fall chance. \ fair chance for everyone T, wit l, ,IlJlt fa n infancy. We can study the individual back through the mystery of the man, the youth. the. chld, the baby, to the remote generations out of which Wa emerge. our opportunity and respon- siblity lies with today. Tomorrow will show the results.
 The prot ection of childhood is cost lN. The standards we are willing to accept and carry forward are a test of democracy because they are q test of whether it is the popular will td pay the cost of what we agree is es- scnti;,l to the wise and safe upbrins- ing of children. Someone has said What the best and wiSeSt parents wants for his own child, that must be the community want for all of its children. Any other ideal for out schools is narrow and unlOVclE: acted upon. it dcstr TONS our dem ocracN. Many a parent is shcwnE; through his attitude and public statement that F' is satisfied to have his own boy and girl receive an education from d low salaried teacher. Why not give thas child the best? Give him a chance today in school, at home and at work. and the man he is tomorrow will bi worth the effort and cost
 Children are not safe and happy i! their parents are miserable. Can par ents be aught but miserable if they cannot protect their homes from poverty? Our great essential to child welfare is a decent family living stan dard. This means living wage, q wholesome working life for the man: a good, skillful mother at home ablo to keep the house and children com fortable.
 Infant mortality can be prevented to a great degree and the lives of tl'c mothers safeguarded This is costly work. Families need doctors, hospi- tals. public health nurses. They nee, home training in hygiene and how to keep well. All these should be pro- Vided the public schools are pro Nided-to be used by all. Eneland has passed q law providing for public protection of maternity and infancy by grants to be used for such purposes
 
 mothers incapacity. such protection is costly, but ii was demanded by popular opinion in England.
 What of the two and one-half mil lions born annually If they survive that period known to the medicat world as the ''negl"cted age,' wher they are between babyhood and school age and if they are safely started in school, what of tn" school years: What of the all too early years of labor?
 It has been long said that the best
 to abolish child labor is by col tju'snry education. Our own st;Ate i:l working along those lines. Eneland's new educational act provides compu!- sorry full time schooling for every child to the age of fl years with in rrcaSing provision for continuation. to the age of IS. Conpiet<, elementary education will be costly. but with England accepting the eos, of the new law which adds millions of pounds 10 her annual school budget, we with far lower ta> rates and far greater wealth canno' afford t" behave with less public spirit.
 Struggle as We may with city prob lcme and enforcing our state laws. We. must realize that only by raising, the national living standard protecting 1'N law the universal right to wholesome working conditions, substituting 500! schools fer work for all children. pro. vidin@ adequate c;tfe for the health ;tnd welfare of all mothers and chil- dren will we simplify onr problems As to our local conditions. in adLi- ti'.n 10 Wclf@re work with tnG, m hers : and babies; to the clucatioral rerrca-