Evening journal., 1920-04-29
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CHILD WELFARE
1ConlInucd from Flrsi page

Continued from First Page.)
which either Kills or stuls the growth
OF Infants, and gave them rising
vote Of thanks and appreciation as
they were departing
Well.' exclaimed one member, af-
Ter ihe speakers were beyond hear
Ing. 81 don't know about suffrage,
but ] do know thar II one Of those
women was candidate she would
certainly gel my vote for governor"
Other members chimed in "lhats
right in hearty tones.
WIN a deficit Of $4,000 or 100000
facing Il this year, and necessity or
sealing down every budget presented
Dy every department 20 the uulcrmOst.
the LOuncilmen showed that The ap-
peal TO save the children" had made
a deep Impression and they would
do al In their power TO provide as
much as was possible. Charles For
wood chairman OF the finance COM
miliee, voiced the Sentiment by de
clarlng The appeal would receive
crave anu earnest consideration" and
requested that The women submit a
writtn II estimate OF their absolute
needs.
Mrs Laird delivered brlcr ad-
dress as an Introductory TO Mrs. Per-
kins, who gave the conditions con-
fronting the child welfare workers IN
delail. The State, Mrs. Laird said. had
granted only on,-half the amount the
welfare branch had asked 10 main
tain lis work. II was necessary,
therefore, to appeal TO Council for
! aid IN maintaining the work in tie
city itself. She related several storis
showing the benefits derived from
early discovery Of health defects in
infants and remedying thu In time
In conclusion she compared child life
10 that of high-brcd COWS. When
hlgh-brcd cow develops tuberculosis II
Is given the best medical attention
mon . can buy, and II beyond hope
and rs slaughtered. It's owner Is re-
| lmbursed In many Stales 10 the OK
tent OF 5000. Children. however. are
left 10 die through sheer inability OF
lhelr parents TO pay for proper care.
Yet hcaMhy child Is estimated TO
be worth $1,000 and a healthy man
5000 TO community in cold hard
dollars and cents. Thus Wilmington
was losing heavily by It's high death
rale among its babies.
Mrs. Perkins next told how The
| commission had been "llving mostly
on fal,h' and trusting that the money
necessary might descend like the
mama Of old from high heaven. "Jusl
now she said, faclrg the council
we hope 10 see IL descend" The
councilmen responded TO the compli-
ment with broad smiles.
Delaware Is very slow In health
work Mrs. Perkins continued "Wil-
mlngton as a city Is worse Than New
| York" II re she quoted The figures
for deaths among Infants In The Pow
der City and Gotham we are doing
/ life-savlng work and just now when
we are succeeding, we are faced with
a necessity OF stopping The city
Will lose money II W. halt. and Il
will cost NOR than ever TO COM
mcnce all over again"
Mrs Perkins Displayed a chart TO
prove her assertions W lh regard 10
the comparative heallhfulness Of VIII
mington and New York. ard II mad
a deep impression. Judging from The
int nse silence with which the coun-
cilmen studied ID.
We have made a gain The past year
OF 81 per cent" continued Mrs Per-
kins. 'in saving babies In The slate d"
She Then told OF The labOrs OF The
visiting nurses aud ,helr faHhfulness
ter In making their rounds
we now are caring for 1921 babi,s
and young children" she said. Dur
ing the past year our nurses have
made more than 20OOO calls We also
have distributed 32iii5 quarts OF
milk-good mlk-bclow cost TO needy
mothers aud infants. This distribu-
llon we have had 10 discontinue for
lack OF money
For 1920 The state appropriation for
child welfare was So 600 The aver
age monthly expenditure has been
S21i0. 4 fund Of tJ2Si has been do
mated by private individuals and is
hHing he'd as a reserve for some seri-
ous emergency. A balance Of only
sil 96s Is on hand. which will last
up 90 August.
"And when Augustine hottest the
most terrible month Of an the year
for habics--cOmes we shall have TO
give up an our work" said Mrs
Perkins we have i've health CEN
lcrs established IN The Stata and Eve
IN Wilmington Why couldn't Coun-
cil buy qhc Wilmington ccnters by
approprlaling sufficient funds 10 main
tain them until We get our next Stale
appropriation? In August babies die
like files. our need Us for slO.963 TO
carry us through"
Mrs. Perkins concluded cloQuenlly
. that the emergency might be lkoncd
40 a sudden poisoning OF ihe city's
water supply. ~ know IL Is tax
payers money you have to consider.
hul know. too" she said. "that
the taxpayers themselves Will reap
the benefits Think OF The lossCncd
cost 10 hundreds Of families through
prevention of sickness. Think OF lhe
reduction In burial expenses. Then
I pixp us aid 80