The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-17
URGING HELP FOR PASSAGE OF CHILD HELP LEGISLATION
Mrs. Higgins, National Presi-
 dent of Parent Teachers As sociation Speaks Before Birmingham Women

Cooperation of the worren of the passage of the Smith -Towner bilf for department of education in the Presidents cabinet and the ShepheTd- Towner bill for the benefit of mothers fof the country was urged by Mrs. Mil $ton P. Higgins of Massachusetts, president of the National Parent NTeacher association and Congress of Mothers at the semiannual meeting of the city and county associations held yesterday afternoon at the Tutwiler hotel.
 Over 800 women were present at the meeting. Mrs. Higgins gave short , resume of the work done during the meeting of the International Council of Women representing 2S nations, which convened in Norway in Septem- { Der, and to which she was a delegate from the National arent-Teachers' association.
 Miss Rosa Strickland introduced the speaker, Mrs. Paul Earle, president of the city association, presided at the meeting, and Mrs. c. l.. Moss, presi- dent of the county association, well comed the visitor on behalf of the two organizations.
 we, the mothers and teachers of the United States are the builders of the nation of tomorrow, and we can only safeguard our children from the temptations of the world in which they live by insulting high ideals in them" said Mrs. Higgins. ITO us be- longs the building of the physical, mental, spiritual and moral world of the coming generation, and our first duty shall be to instill into the child the lessons which make for the good of the community"
 Mrs. Higgins was in Birmingham 30 years ago and numbers her friends here by scores.
 "According to government statistics, 250,000 babies died in the United States last year and 23,000 mothers died at childbirth" said Mrs. Higgins. "According to the money valuation placed on child at birth, which is $9O each, the government lost $22,500,000 in losing the babies alone. On the 20- year-old valuation of the mother, which is s4,0O0, the nation lost last year $92,000,00O.
 Almost every one of the mothers and fully half of the babies could have been saved to the United States with proper care and attention. That is part of the work that will be taken up if the Shepherd-ToWner D1ll, now pending in Congress, passes.
 "The support of the Smith Towner bill will mean T department of edu- cation in the United States with sec retary in the cabinet We believe that the business of educating the children is the most important business that the government has to look after to- day. If every child in the United States is to be given an equal chance and that is nothing but fair, there must be national department of edu- cation with a nation wide standard to which al, children must be educated.
 Another bill which we, as mothers and voters, should support is the Fess amendment to the Smith Hughes bill. (which provides $c,000.000: for the edu- cation in domestic science and house. wifery of women who have had few advantages.
 All of the women's organizations in the United States must coordinate to help each other and the women of our country who need it. Invite these as- sociations to be represented at the na- tional convention to be held in Wash ington April 26-29 and co-operate with the national in their work. We want every member of the local to be a member of the national, also, backing our efforts toward good legislation'