The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-01-01

wonder grows as | examine these COL
ossal estimates after having read in
his annual report the appeal of the
Secretary of the Treasury, who sub
mitted them, for the practice of rigid
economy in government expenditure
and the Presidents reminder in his
recent message Of the need of econ
omy. Such Inconsistencies are meas
ureless and unfathomable.
"The people are looking to this con-
gress for relief. We shall not disap-
point them"
While Congress, in the pursuit of
this economy record. has eliminated
all pork barrel" legislation for in
ternal improvements such as public
buildings and rivers and harbors, it is
not neglecting opportunities for the
furtherance of progressive social well
fare legislation. This is indicated by
the passage through the Senate of the
bill to promote maternal and infant
hygiene by the establishment of agen-
cies in the Children's Bureau for CO.
operation with the states in the distri-
button of information, The immediate
direction of the work is to rest with
the states, and the work is to be car
ried out in such manner as may be
mutually agreed upon by federal and
state authorities.
The information will be distributed
through bulletins, public health
nurses, consultation centers, lectures
and other suitable methods. When
ever necessary and especially in re-
mote areas, medical and nursing care
for mothers and infants may be pro-
vided, in so far as available funds may
permit.
A federal board of maternal and in
FAINT hygiene, composed of the Secre-
tarv of Labor as chairman, the chief
of the Childrens Bureau as chief ex-
ecutice officer, the Surgeon General of
the United States Public Health Serv-
ice, and the Commissioner Of Educa-
ito mis- created to represent the fed
eral government in cooperating with
state agencies. Any state may coop
crate by the LEGISLATURE authorizing a
giene or child welfare or a child hy-
giene division of the state board of
health to represent the state. Accept
ance of the plan by the federal board
qualities the state to receive $4,000
from the United States Treasury to
aid in enacting its details and also to
receive share of an additional feder-
al appropriation conditioned upon a
like appropriation by the state itself.
Here are the reasons for the bills
enactment. 1t developed at the hear
ings that $4,000 mothers in the United
States died from causes incident to
Childbirth and that 100000 infants
less than one year old persisted during
the same year.
1t was made clear that lack of in
struction and care not only led to
such deaths, but reduced vitality and
permanently impaired the health of
| many thousand of those who survived.
In March, 1920, the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company isued statistical
bulletin, in which 1t stated that even
at this late date more women between
the ages of Is and As die from causes
incident to child bearing than from
any other cause except tuberculosis;
| that this condition has begun to inter-
est those concerned with the conser-
walton of human life; and that, as a
result hitherto undeveloped field Of
public health work has bee nopened
up.
Republicans ought to rejoice at the
control by them of so many of the leg
I'islatures of the state of the Union.
The completion Of the census Of 1920
makes it mandatory upon Congress
that there be reapportionment of
representatives in the House. With
40 majority the majority party will
have no difficulty in putting through
its program. The Republican caucus
has approved an increase In the total
number This will be from the ABS at
present to 4S3 to be voted for in the
Congressional election of 1922. The
present ratio is one representative to
every 1900 people in the country,
except in states which have popula-
lions less than that number. The fu-
ture ratio will be one for every 25S,97s
people. Under this ratio California