Evening star., 1921-07-31
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

TIME voteless mothers of the
District of Columbia do not
share in the benefits Of the
so-called maternity bill. which
Is about to be enacted into law. This
bill has been drafted so as to cover
only the states of the Union. which.
of course, excludes the District OF Co.
lumbia, and territory belonging to the
nation outside continental United
States.
The bill has still to go through the
House-for the interstate and foreign
commerce committee of that body has
merely completed hearings on 1t. and
it may be amended so as to include
the District and some of the island
possessions. where instruction to
mothers in the care of their infants
is greatly needed. But the inclina-
tion of the proponents of the measure
is to sit tight and put the bill through
the House just as it passed the Sem
ate. In this way. it is explained. a
conference between the houses of
Congress may be eliminated. and the
bill more speedily become law.
Assurances that the women of the
District Of Columbia will be cared for
later, and in other legislation, are
given by the proponents of the ma
ternity bill. However, the maternity
bill is intended to be permanent
legislation. for the benefit of the
mothers and children of the country
generally. and there does not seem to
be any good reason why the women
Of the National Capital should not
benefit under it now as well as later.
Object OF the Legislation.
The measure authorizes annu1f ap-
propriations to be divided among the
states. and to be used in cooperation
with the states, to protect maternity
and infancy. The population of the
District Of Columbia is approximately
$4,000. and soon will be half million
or more. The Districts population is
greater, in fact, than is the population
of six of the states of the Union
Arizona. Delaware. Idaho. Nevada,
New Mexico and Wyoming-accord-
ing to the last census.
1t is not contended that the Dis
trict Of Columbia does not need the
aid proposed to be given under the
maternity bill. In fact, the population
of Washington is not as wealthy as
many reports have. Indicated in the
past. While conditions here are not
the same as in some of the great in
dustrial centers of the country,
nevertheless, there is room for much
aid in the matter of instruction to
mothers in the care of their babies.
In House Committee.
The maternity bill, known as the
Sheppard-Towner bill. has twice
passed the Senate-once in the last
Congress-and is expected to go
through the House by very large
vote, once it Is given it's day in that
body. The House interstate and. for
eign commerce committee. after COM
pleting hearings on the bill week
ago, adjourned for three weeks, os-
tensibly for the purpose of giving
an opportunity to have all the hear
ings printed. 1t is no secret that
Representative Winslow of Massa-
chusetts, chairman of the committee,
has been opposed to the passage OF
the bill. But the supporters OF the
measure insist that fully three-quar-
ters of the committee membership are
favorable to the bill and that it will
be reported to the House favorably
when the committee gets together
again. The last vote in the Senate on
the bill showed only seven senators
opposing it.
The important women's organiza-
tions of the country are demanding
in no uncertain tones the passage of
this legislation, and the voice OF the
organized women. since suffrage
came in, is as potent in Washington
as is the voice of organized labor or
of the organized farmers.
Aid Given to states.
The maternity bill" is a familiar
title. But the method of operation
under the proposed law is perhaps
not so familiar as the name of the
measure. In the first place. the aid
to be given mothers. both before and
after childbirth. is to be given
through agencies selected by the leg
islatures of the various states. AS
in federal good roads aid to the
states, the states are required to
match dollar for dollar with tine fed
eral governments contribution.
Through the children's bureau. De-
partment of Labor. the federal gov
ernment will keep track of what the
states agencies are doing in the way
of instructing and aiding mothers in
the care of their infants. anu will see
to it that the money is spent in ac-
cordance with approved plans.
Opponents of the maternity bill
have insisted that it is socialistic, that
IL has been backed by women who
have also backed the movement f,r
birth control. and that it will lead
to invasion of the homes by state
and federal officers. Senator James A.
Reed democrat. Missouri. a bitter op-
ponent of the bill, sought to have
the title amended, while the bill was
still in the Senate, so as to read "A
bhl to authorize board of spinsters
to control maternity and teach the
mothers of the United States how to
rear babies" This is in line with the
charge that the bill was being put
through merely to give "lot of rest
less women" jobs under the federal
and state governments. The sarcas-
tic fling of the Missouri senator, how