The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-12-02
LETTERS TOTHE EDITOR
Defense of Maternity Bill.


Editor of The Times: So much has
been in the papers Of recent date re-
| garding the maternity, or child vel
fare bill, which has just passed Con-
gress and become a law, that people
are continually asking the writer what
all the excitement is about and why
are some papers so strenuously oppos-
ing the measure. Will you kindly
grant me space to try and throw a
little light upon this subjectg
The Sheppard-T owner Bill.
This bill was first introduced by
Miss Jeanette Rankin Of Montana,
the first woman congresswoman Of
these United States. This bill IL en-
dorsed by the children's bureau at
Washington and was passed two to
one in favor by the representatives in
the House and by majority in the
Senate, which would lead one to be-
lieve there is merit in the measure.
This bill provides for prenatal care
of the mother, through clinics, mater
nifty hospitals, maternity care in the
home, children's health centcrs and
systems Of public instruction which
will be within the reach Of every moth
er and child.
Is There Need for This Bill?
Those who have made study of
conditions claim that there is. They
tell us that LOO mothers are dying
each year in this country at child
birth, and nearly ne-fourth of mil
lion babies pass out from causes which
are largely preventable. These deaths
are said TO be largely due to lack Of
knowledge and proper care. The chill
dren's bureau has exact detailed infor-
nation Of nearly 5000 cases, where the
mother received no prenatal care
whatever.
DR.. Josephine Baker, director of
child hygiene of New York, has stated:
1T is eight times as safe to be sol
der in the United States army as to
be baby in the United States
Even in this state there are over 40
towns and hamlets having no resident
physician.
The provisions Of this bill are not
an untried experiment, but have been
In force in Is foreign countries, and
have proved to be very satisfactory.
The work will be carried on, more or
less in connection with boards of
health.
HOLSTERS or Babies.
Uncle Sam takes good care of his |
obsters and animals as he considers |
hem valuable, and has appropriated
Jour million dollars for their iRvesti- |
ration and care. He has, however, APP /
,ropriated less than one-fourth of a /
million dollars for the investigation of /
disease and death of babies, and for |
irving medical instruction and care to
The Two Methods of Attack.
Two methods OF attack have been
ised to seek to defeat this bill, Con-
FRESHMAN James A. Reed has used the
most savage, inhuman and abusive sar-
asm, while Congressman Greene has
ised the .taffy TO mothers" method, |
10Th having the same object in view,
he defeat of the measure.
Jim" Reed is especially eminent"
mong his colleagues for using violent
nd contemplate remarks against any
measures which he does not happen TO
pprove His opinion is, therefore, to
e regarded as unreliable, unfair and
iased, and particularly is this true of
ny legislation directly concerning
Congressman Greene has been flood
ng this state with Mr.. Reeds abusive
peech, hoping thereby to prejudice the
ress and the women against the meas
re. II he really desired TO be fair, why |
i'd he not enclose a copy of the bill
nder discussion, together with Mr..
leeds opinion, and another speech
qually emphatic in favor of the meas
re then trust TO the intelligence of
is constituents to size the matter up
Or themselvesg
The Real Opponents of the Bill.
No more violent attack against the
bureau and womanhood in
eneral has ever been launched in Con-
ress. Every bitter foe Of suffrage for
omen has expressed himself in the
trongest language he was able to com
land. Mr.. Greene, in addition TO his
taffy" to mothers, used with dramatic