The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-27
maternity Bill
IS WOMAN'S FIRST
BIG DEMAND WON
Measure Provides for Instruc-
ton In Hygiene of Maternity
and Infancy Through State
Administration
By MAXINE DAVIS
special Correspondent OF The Age-Heraid.
(Copyright. 1891, by The Aee-Heraid.)


Copyright. 1891, by Tho Age-Herald.)
Washington. November 2s.--Wom-
ans first major demand of Congress
since her acknowledgements has been
won. The vote of 279 to 80 for the
Sheppard-Towner maternity and in
fancy bill shows how overwhelming
was the rush on Capitol hill to grant
their wish. Throngs OF women I'LL
ing silently and radiantly out of tho
galleries of the House OF Represen-
tatives. heads of the greatest wom-
ans organizations In the country
showed in their faces their appreci-
atom 1t was the children's bureau
some years ago that uncovered the
appalling mortality among mothers
and young children. The United
States has the highest maternal
death rate of any of the principal
countries. w close one child in
every 10, To better these conditions
the fight for a maternity bill was
launched.
AS passed this week, the bill pro-
vides appropriations for centers of
instructions in the hygiene OF ma
ternity and infancy through public
health nurses and other suitable
methods" The organization and
administration will be entirely
through the states. with plans ap-
proved and supervised by the head
of the children's bureau, at present
Miss Grace Abbott, aided by n board
consisting of the surgeon general
of the United States Public Health
service and the United States COM
missioner of education.
Education Most Needed
Ignorance and poverty share re-
sponsibility for the tremendous
death rate. Consequently the rem
edy is mainly educational and almost
entirely preventive work. consisting
in the employment of trained nurses.
the establishment of baby health sta
lions or child welfare center and
the employment of physicians for
consultation work. The women will
come early to these centers and, be
taught how best to care for them
selves. The plans are not to attend
actual sick cases at all. but to teach
adjustment of environment that SO
often causes i'll health.
In the foreign population of big
cities. and in the more remote rural
districts many women have little
knowledge of hygiene for themselves
or their babies, and no facilities for
learning. One of the arguments
against the Sheppard Towner bill
has been that the funds are insuffi-
cient to be truly useful. But where
the population Is thin, little help
will go a long ways toward the
preservation of motherhood and In
the cities. one provision of the ap-
prppriations remedies the defect to
a instinct degree.
The sum of s1.24o.oo0 annually Is
appropriated for five years. for this
lis an experimental measure. OF that
sum $4,000 Is given outright to the
states. Another $4,000 Is also
given. which must be matched by a
like fund raised by the state. The
remainder is distributed according to
population and whatever sum is thus
available must be matched by the
local legislatures. thus making a
considerable amount.
Arguments of Opponents
Arguments against the bill most
widely, circulated were that the
measure Is form of birth control;
that it would permit the government
to enter the home over the, heads of
the parents and assume control of
the child; that 1t was paternalistic
legislation, taking into the hands of
the federal government matters that
are for state legislation only. These
arguments were successfully over
come
One OF the means provided in the
Sheppard-Towner bill for instruction
Is possible arrangements by the
state with any educational institu-
tons within the state for conduct
ing extension courses by qualified
lecturers on these problems. although
only quarter of the sum appropri-
ated may be thus used. For the rest.
the administration of the provision
of the act will be through the child
welfare divisions of the state de-
partment OF health and every three
months the childrens bureau will
look into the progress of the wark.
Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton, chair
man Of the republican national COM
mittee: Mrs. Maud Wood Parke,
president of the National League of
Women voters; Mrs. Florence Kelly.
president of the National Consumers
league; Mrs. Arthur Watkins, presi-
dent of the National Congress of
Mothers and Parent-Teacher associ-
atoms, were among the earnest lis
teners to the long debate, feeling
that the lives of many thousands
were hanging In the scales.
TITS the greatest thing for women
that has happened since suffrage"
thev all oFfirrnad