Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-25
Humanity in Government
By James J. Davis. Secretary Of Labor
 AMERICANS OF TOMORROW

AMERICANS OF TOMORROW
 The juvenile court has had rapid | development in this country. but in many small towns and rural districts no spe-
 cial provision is made for children's |, cases; and in the larger cities. where | juvenile-court organization is more near ly adequate, there is a large field for improvement and standardization of me- thods. The children's bureau has made
 a general survey ef courts hearing chil- dren's cases, summarized laws, and studied 10 of the leading courts, and last wear Joined with the National Prohibition Association in calling a conference of | judges, probation officers, and others in 1 terested. The conference nominated a | committee to advise with the Bureau in | the formulation of standards which
 should govern juvenile court organiza- tions and methods of work. In addition to it's reports of special studies and the
 proceedings of the conference, the Bu- reau is publishing a series of brief bull | letins written by leading authorities. 1 The plan of mothers pensions. with ] it's recognition of the principle that. in | case of the fathers death or disability, children should not be taken from their mothers because of poverty alone, has been adopted in 40 States The States. l however, and sections within the states. administer the plan in widely varying l ways and conceptions differ as to what the amounts of the pensions should be. The Children's Bureau made eompila- tions of state and foreign laws; it be-
 gan in Illinois-the first of the States
 to pass an aid-to-mothers lava series
 of first-hand studies, and at present is
 carrying on these studies of methods
 and standards in several parts of the
 country.
 The strength of the children's bureau has lain from the beginning in the CO., operation of the Nations women The assistance of organizations which could , be relied upon to mobilize their member ship for popular child-welfare campaigns,
 for the arranging of infant-health con-
 ferences such as the staff of the Child Welfare Special conducts. for the secur- ing of community understanding and aid in the Bureaus special studies. or for the disseminating of information to in- dividuaI mothers, has enabled the Bu-
 reau to extend it's activities beyond
 measure.
 Beginning its second year the Bureau
 in cooperation with the Bureau of the
 Census, carried on a campaign for the D better registration of births, assisted in !: this by various women's organizations 1 notably the General Fedecation of Wom- t ems Clubs Fifteen hundred women aid. = ing this campaign were in correspond 2 ence with the Bureau. In cooperation T with the General Federation with iti F more than 1000, 900 members, the Blu e reau organized the national observance o of "Baby Week. in 1916, and 2,OS3 com k munities reported joining in this ob n servance The campaign of ChildrenTi ! al C h. 0 second year of the war. in cooperation is with the Women's Committee of thu IS Council of National Defense, was tn ) Bureaus largest adventure in co-opera
 tive effort with voluntary or local or l. ganizations. State committees were or -e ganized in every State but two. an Id 17.OO0 local committees included 1I0Oo y 900 women.
 re Through the Children's Bureau, tn I federal government has undertaken tn d task of preserving the lives of the ns le tion's mothers and babies. Under tn l- Sheppard-Towner Act effective this yea: In a fund of s1.240.0o0 has been provide 1T for allotment among the states whic es undertake seriously the conservation d infant and maternal life. Thirty-thrs n- states have already accepted particips 50 ton in the fund and have had their plaC ey for saving mothers and babies approve IF Dy the federal authorities. Each yea 1) in the United States from 2s0,000 m 260.00o badies die in the fest year in life, and about 23,o00 mothers die I'd bringing children, into the world n to Children's Bureau has made extensi' to studies of the causes of this moralit k- In various cities, women associated vii to the Bureau have taken up the probler d. in a human way. seeking real cause in These investigators have reached tf
 conclusion that if all children were W, IT, born and we'll cared for the mortali n- among infants and mothers would Tt negligible.
 m Care of the nations mothers and ca ny for the nations newborn babies is co Is ceded to be the real solution of the pro oy lem. It is to provide that care that t en plans of the various states seeking h- participate in the federal funds a ne framed. These plans must have the a all proval of the federal authorities and { CT latter insist upon constructive and , 'I fective work. In the prosecution a extension of this work under the She .o pard-Towner bill lies the saving to t osl nation of many future citizens