The Washington herald., 1921-01-14
BABY BILLS FATE
. Is SUBJECT OF
BITTER DISPUTE
Surgeon General Says
Work Should Be in
Health Service.
By CONSTANCE DRExEL.

Should the baby bill be in the
nands Of the Children's Bureau Of
lhe Department Of Labor or OF the
Fubltc Health Service of the Treas
ury Department? Behind the scenes
controversy is raging.
The Joint WOmen's Congressional
committee comprising officially ap-
pointed representatives Of a dozen
nettonal women's organizations,
VIII be satisfied only II the Chill
dren's Bureau has the baby bill un-
der its sole administration. Senator
Smoots amendment fixed il so that
II would, but in and out of corrt-
oors and committee rooms up on
the Hill you hear everywhere The
Public Health Service wants that
measure, and is blocking it,"
Where does the Surgeon Gen
eral stsnd?" the women have been
asking. To fnd out, went directly
TO the headquarters of DR.. H. S.
Cumming. Surgeon General and
chief of the United States Public
Health Service.
Would Not Block Women.
Good heavensr' declared the tall,
genial man in civilian clothes who
answered my query with mock de-
spair, far be it from me to block
or even to delay anything the wom-
en- want, and II certainly looks as
If they were more sOlidly behind
this Sheppard-Towner bill than any
other now before Congress.
1T is entirely unfair to insinu-
ate" he confined, that l or any
officer in the Public Health Serv-
ice may be blocking the bill. 1
have no objection whatever to the
Children's Bureau being given the
administration of the bill, as the
Smoot amendment now has done.
To be quite frank, no matter to
what bureau the administration of
the bill may now be given, a re-
organization of all our government
departments will soon be under way
and there is, therefore, no telling
where any services will ultimately
be placed.
Would Use Present Personnel.
But" continued the surgeon
general, ''in the interests Of present
efficiency 1 feel that the Children's
Bureau should be required to use
the medical officers and nursing
personnel already available in the
Public Health Service rather than
create a new stan of its own"
Gen. Cumming said that he had
already suggested an amendment to
the above effect.
But back in the headquarters Of
the League of Women Voters the
committee working for the passage
of the baby bill which is now held
up in the Interstate Commerce Com
mittee of the House. declared itself
opposed to the suggestion of the
surgeOn-general.
We are very glad to hear" said
Miss Ida HafOrd, of Washington,
representing the General Federation
OF Clubs. and Mrs. Minnie Fisher
Cunningham, of Galveston, Texas,
Of the League OF Women Voters,
that the surgeon-general is not
trying to grab this protection of
maternity and infancy for the Pub
lie Health Service, but We strongly
oppose even his suggestion that the
Children's Bureau should be requir-
ed to use his personnel, who would
still remain under the orders of the
Public Health Service. We all feel
that this would be a disastrous
change. If carried it would mean
that. the big. fundamental idea of
-the measure would not have the
same opportunity to develop its full
est usefulness to the women and
children of the nation"
Copyright 1871, Public Ledger co.,