The Washington herald., 1921-01-26
WOMEN WORKERS
ELATED AT BABY
BILLS PROGRESS
Sheppard -Towner Meas
ure Fayorably Reported
BY House Committee.
BY CONSTANCE DREx7I.


The women of the country won
a signal victory when the Sheppard
Towner bill was reported favorably
out of the Interstate Committee of
the House yesterday, after several
weeks consideration. This means
that the baby bill, as 1t is popularity
known up on the Hill, has every
chance of coming up for a vote on
the floor of the House before the
end of this session. 1t went through
the Senate on December is.
Though 1t was the womeu's et-
forts that have brought this meas
ure this far" declared Mrs. Ellis
Yost, legislative. chairman of the w.
c. T. U. and member of the Joint
Women's Congressional Committee,
the women have cause to be very
grateful to the Representatives on
the committee who voted for us.
1t may seem to some, in spite OF
the good news" she said, that
our progress has been a Bit slow.
legislative Bodies in jam.
But we who are aware OF the
terrible legislative jam facing Con-
gress fully appreciate the excep-
ton made by the men in giving IA
yorable consideration to the Dill
we women have been urging. As
for the final status before the baby
bill finally becomes law, cannot
express myself too optimtstically,
concluded Mrs. Yost.
Mrs. Maud Wood Park was at the
Capitol before taking an afternoon
train for New England and heard
the good news from the committee
rooms just before going to the sta
ton. Mrs. Park is chairman OF the
National League of Women Voters.
"Of course l am delighted and just
too grateful for anything" she de-
clared. Particularly because the
committee left the bill in the hands
of the Children's Bureau. We wOm-
en- have held steadfast to that point,
but great pressure has been brought
to turn 1t over to the Public Health
Service instead. / am certain the
women of the country will be very
glad to hear that the Children's
Bureau will have it. Now let's all
pull together for the final steps to
be taken before the measure can be
actually voted upon"
1t was generally conceded that the
presence of Mrs. Harriet Taylo'
Upton was a determining influenc'
in the favorable report OF the con-
mittee yesterday. Returning fror
business in New York, she has spen,
most Of the last two days in and out
of committee rooms of the House Of
Represe As vice chairmaL
National
tee and therefore chief Of women's
activities in the Republican party
during the last campaign and for
the next four years, her argume Mt
that it was the baby bill the women
wanted more than anything, carried
considerable weight.
Mrs. Upton Is Pleased. =
When told over the telephone of
the result of the executive session,
Mrs. Upton declared:
Il am delighted that the men have
listened to our plea to push for
ward this particular measure.
am still more delighted because this
bill keeps the promise of the women
of the country when they asked for
the vote. We said that we wanted
to work for better homes and bab-
les, ana tnat is "ndl TINS Dill Is
for.
Il also want to express my ap-
probation of the spirit of the men
with whom / have talked contin-
ued Mrs. Upton. Il have spent most
of the last two DAYS in the Capitol,
and found the attitude of the men
over this measure one that women
could be proud of. l have no doubt
In the world but what they will
now finish their job and push the
measure through its final stages be-
fore the session closes"
The Sheppard-Towner bill calls
for an appropriation of s1,4S0,000
a year from the Federal govern
ment which will be divided among
the States for the greater protection
of maternity and infancy. Each
State must pledge an amount equal
to its share. That is called the nifty
fifty plan.
Now the Joint Wonen's Congress
sional Committee will set to work
to obtain a ruling from the Rules
Committee which will place the bill
on the House calendar. That is the
next step.
Copyright, 1871. Public Ledger Co..
Waits on Buffers Illness.