The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-15
N EN w o M E N
 A N D T HIN G s

There are probably 12O bills peud- ing in Congress which if passed will affect the health and education of the nation, and no wonder that publication to keep tab on them tes Teen born.
 A copy of The Capitol Eye, whose purpose is to keep tab on the various bills by presenting monthly dl- gest of all of them dealing with prblic health and education. watch ing the publlc's interest in them, is now on my desk.
 It will follow their progress, give a record of their history and assem- ble arguments in print. both pro and con. Such policy will afford sub scribers an opportunity to study a bill from every angle and judge of its merits. The Capitol Eye Pub fishing company. Munsey building, Washington. D. C., through The Capi- tol Eye, offers this monthly service for 50 cents a year
 B It Is an easy way to keep up with the two great questions of health and education as Congress will be able to speake through the columns of The Capitol Eye directly to the people, and all organized bodies will Dc fur nished a forum where they can ex- change reasons for opposing or in- dorsing these public interest meas- ures.
 The issue before me has its 12 pages full of the Sheppard-Towner bill, generally known as the mater nlty bill" and I had no idea that there was such diversity of opinion concerning it's merits, or that so many organized bodies had taken ac- ton upon 1t, or so many distinguished citizens discussed it favorably and unfavorably, or that so many edi- torials had been written around it.
 It is interesting to note that while the first. maternity bill" was in troduced by Miss Jeanette Rankin, the first woman member of the American Congress, and that the present bill has her undivided and sympathetic support, that on the other hand Representative Alice Rob ertson, married woman, and mother, is tooth and toe nail, rather inelegant phrase to use in connec- ton with lady. but it fits what she says about it.
 Miss Rankin contends that the bill was drawn fr6in careful and pains taking research with the hope Of meeting conditions as they existed and using the facilities that we have' One of the most needful things, ac- cording to her, in maternal cases IS education It is her contention that women are tremendously interested in the bill and that they have con fidence in the children's bureau, W hich will administer it through suggestions only as the public health service always has poljce~power over the children's bureau!
 Mrs. Robertson, on the other haho' maintains that as the bill stands, US only purpose is to build up more of a federal. machine and loot the treas ury under the guise of 2 worthy eo- -tect, tand does nothing bgt appropri- ate money, with no provisions or re- strictions. thrown around it's expen- diture. and no scheme or skeleton or procedure provised for it's operatlon' She is further against it as an m va sion of the home and of personal fights and privileges, and smells ol the German system of paternalistic 
 Now. as to the merits of the Dill, am not sufficiently well informed 10 discuss it with any degree of author itv for being mere man l had at least thought that on such woman question that at least two womeh' who had first been elected to our American Congress, would have at least been at once either for it or against it. and yet what happens: The unmarried member, who spoh- sored it, and the married one, wno fights it. are hopelessly apart l. throws an interesting sidelight OH women in politics. There seemea " he an impression before they "eio given the suffrage that on eouoa- tional, health and moral prooieiiis that they would be unit