Evening star., 1923-06-24
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

VERY child Is entitled to a
-. mother, living and WELL" Is
a slogan adopted by the
Kentucky administration of
the Sheppard-Towner maternity act
a slogan that gives the crux of the
whole idea and work under this act
throughout the country. It is ap-
proximately a year since the opera
tion of the maternity act really got
under way. For. while the law was
approved by President Harding in
, November, 1921. appropriations were
not available until April, 1922, and
the first payments made to the states
| under 1t were not made until the last
of May Of that year.
In this first year of active operation
of the maternity act there has been
much to encourage the women who
stood sponsor for the proposal that
the federal government get behind
better education of mothers, both be-
fore birth and while their children
are infants.
I'VE have found the women in all
parts Of the country patheticaily
eager for the instruction offered un-
der the maternity act" is the way Of
ficials of the childrens bureau de-
scribe the reaction to the new law.
They admit, of course. that there have
been scoffers and active antagonists
who take the ground that the fed
eral government is becoming too
paternalistic and that an attempt is
being made under the maternity act
to invade the homes. For example, In
a rural district in the south number
of women had come to attend a meet
ing for the instruction of mothers,
and when the instructor began speak
ing of the care mothers should take
of themselves before childbirth, half
a dozen of women stalked out of the
hall. saying. THE Lord gives and the
Lord takes away and it's not for US
to thwart Him."
Opposition DwindIes.
But for the most part the opposi-
| tion to the maternity act is dwindling
| fast. and the greatest interest Is
| being manifested. The eagerness of
| the mothers to do the best they can
for their children is overcoming any
reluctance that might have existed.
Meetings are arranged on Sundays,
too. SO fathers may attend, so keen
Is the interest becoming in the mat
ter of infant welfare
The southern states are doing more
and more in the way of instruction
for mothers under the maternity act
In fact, all of the southern states
except Louisiana have accepted the
funds of the federal government un-
der the maternity act and have been
actively engaged in the work. This
contrasts with New England, where
SO far only one of the states-New
Hampshire-has accepted. Up tc
date forty states have accepted the
terms of the act and benefits there
under and eight have not accepted
The eight are Illinois, Kansas, Louisi.
ana, Maine. Vermont, Massachusetts,
| Connecticut and Rhode Island. Ir
Maine the state legislature put
through a bill accepting, but thI
governor vetoed the measure. It i.
4 0ApoSIcu, Ho"SNct, dl lul0it
meetings of the state legislatures ad.
ditional states will accept.
Massachusetts Fought Act.
One estate-Massachuset
cd to strike down the maternity act
bringing q suit in which it contended
the act was unconstitutional, since
it invaded the rights accorded by the
Constitution to the states. Mrs
Randolph rockingham of Bostor
also entered suit as a taxpayer, at
tacking the maternity act But the
| Supreme Court of the United States
two weeks ago handed down a de.
cision dismissing these cases for want
indicated, however, that the court die
not believe the rights Of the states
| had been invaded by the act, since 6
| state was at liberty to accept or te
reject the operation Of the act as II
saw fit.
The operation of the maternity ac
was limited by Congress to five
syear period-with four more years t.
run. At the close of that period, Il
Is confidently predicted, such a show