Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-02-28

The legislature of 1919 estab-
lished the legal right of the women
of New Mexico to do child welfare
work through the child welfare
Board. This act expressly states
that said board is authorized to
accept such cooperative aid as
may be provided by the govern
ment OF the United States and to
cooperate in its activities with the
federal departments, as well as
with the state board of health and
voluntary organizations in all mat
ters touching the betterment oil
the children of the state.
The betterment of the children
of the state clearly includes ny
giene, the protection of maternity
and infancy. 1t definitely makes
the New Mexico Child Welfare
Service a children's bureau, such
as is established in Washington
and which specialiZes in work for
children only. The chief of the
clSrldrenfS bureau at Washington Is
the executive officer of the federal
board which will disburse the
funds going to the states from the
1
has passed the senate OF the Unit
ed States.
mo Such Narrow View"
The state Child Welfare Service
takes no such narrow view OF
cnild welfare work as the New
Mexico health department detlnes
1t To be. For two years during the
war through the women's commit
tee of the council of defense, the
women had been doing physical
examinations of children and FOL
Iow-up work as the agents OF the
United states government through
the children's bureau, washington.
Many years previous to this the
womeri's organizations of New
Mexico began that great construc-
tive pioneer movement OF caring
for mothers and children. Every
one has been perfectly willing TO
have the women of New Mexico do
the hard work of the pioneer; now
that an annual sum of $4,000 IS
in sight, the health department
asks the women to relinquiSh that
work.
81 "That Pioneer Band"
'I6G american INSNltW VI ~
views states the protection OF ma
ternity and infancy is not the SUD
den result of a sudden idea hasti-
ly nut into form; it might be said
10 be the natural outcome OF the
work of that pioneer band in the
last decade who finally succeeded
in 1912 in having O children's bu-
reau Incorporated. This pioneer
band" in New Mexico is represent
ed by the women's organizations in
the state.
The Reviews of Reviews further
states "the children's bureau has
established the fact that during
the nineteen months after the
United states entered the war, the
10000 deaths of mothers in child
birth were only slightly less than
the 34,623 deaths of American
soldiers Killed in action. In the
YEAR 1918. $4,000 mothers gave
their lives to bring children into
the world and $50, 900 babies died
in the firss year of life. nearly hall
because of prenatal or birth COM
pllcations.
These statistics plainly show that
1t requires special bure a u
to handle such q vast and vital
question. How can a board OF
health with the varied problems OF
contagious and venereal diseases
sanitary engineering, laboratory
work. social hygiene, vital Stats
tics, etc. handle such an enormous
and far-reaching educational sit
uation and do full justice to ma
ternity and infancy? Shall the
nurse who already attends diph-
liberia and venereal diseases also
instruct and attend maternity
cases?
The health department has Sc