Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-07-17
WELFARE LANS
ENACTED IN ~ STATES

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Current child-welfare legislation il
the States IS summarized in q state
ment released today by the ChiIdren's
Bureau Of the 2. s. Departments Of
Labor.
A decrease in the amount and im-
portance Of such legislation introduced
IN the AZ State legislatures meeting
this year compared with 1923, the pre-
ueding important legislative year, Is
noted By the bureau Information re-
eeived By the Bureau from the States
IS not complete, however, 50 that 10
final conclusions are drawn.
OF the ~ State legislatures meeting
N 1925, 40 convened in January. the
session on April 2. and the
Georgia session on June "a. Alaska.
Hawaii and Porto Rico also had reg
ular legislative sessions this year.
Legislatures not meeting in 1925 are
those Of Alabama, Kentucky. Louis
lana, Maryland, Mississippi. and virr
ginia.
The Children's Bureau review may
be summarized as follows:
Child Welfare Commissions
A children's law commission was
created by Rhode Island; the Penn
sylvania and Delaware commissions
have been continued for two years;
the Utah commission has been dis
continued; the New York State COM
mission was discontinued but spon-
sored Is bills, Z Of which were enact
ed. The South Dakota commission
introduced 10 bills, Of which passed
in amended form. The Georgia leeis-
Iature, which is still in session, Is com
sidering bills drafted BY the Georgia
chiIdren's code commission.
Maternity and Infancy Act
The Maternity and Infancy Act was
accepted for the first time by Rhode
Island, Vermont, and Hawaii during
1925; 48 States and Hawaii are now
cooperating under the Act.
Child Labor
The child-Iabor amendment was
ratified BY California, Arizona, and
Wisconsin and the House Of Repre-
sentatives Of New Mexico and Of
Montana voted in favor Of ratifca1
ton. Arkansas had ratified in 1924.
Both houses in IS States rejected the
amendment during 1926 e others in
1924; one house in each Of other
States rejected It Zone other in 1924
Authoritative Information from other
States has not yet been obtained.
State laws relating to the employ
ment Of children are known to have
been enacted in only 9 States Cali
fornia, Massachusetts, New Mexico,
New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas,
Wisconsin and Wyoming. In New
Hampshire, North Carolina, New
York, Rhode Island, and Wyoming,
bills to raise the standards Of State
child labor laws were rejected.
School Attendance
Laws relating to school attendance
were enacted by Massachusetts,, Ohio,
and Pennsylvania. A bill would have
improved the compulsory school at
tendance law of South Carolina was
reported as defeated.
Child Hygiene
Measures relating to public health
and hygiene have been considered in
number Of States. Bills authoriz-
ing the employment Of public-health
nurses by Connecticut bill would pro-
vide for State aid in establishing a
public-health nursing service. Bills
relating to medical inspection in the
schools, school physicians or school
nurses, were introduced in Connecti-
cut, New York (passed), Rhode Is
land and Minnesota Oregon passed
a law requiring physical examination
Of all school children during the first
month of the school year, providing
no objection has been made by the
parent. Bills improving birth and
death registration passed in Michigan
and Vermont but failed in Maine. The
status Of such bills in Oklahoma and
Pennsylvania is unknown. South Da-
kota passed law requiring physic-
ians and others to employ certain
methods for the prevention of blind
ness and infections of the eyes Of
newborn infants. West Virginia in
troduced bills for licensing and reg
istering midwives. Iowa and South
Dakota passed new regulations for
the control and inspection of mater
nifty hospitals.
Physically Handicapped Children
Bills relating to crippled children
were introduced in Arkansas, Illinois,
Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania appropriated $25O,0O0
for a State hospital for INDECENT and
other children with surgical tuber-
culosis and allied conditions. Con-
necticut, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and
Pennsylvania passed laws promoting
the education Of blind, crippled and
otherwise physically handicapped
children. The Pennsylvania law pro-
vides for the enumeration Of children
between the ages Of s and Is who,
because Of apparent physical or men,
tai condition aro raok hoirU 1,ros,ar.Ix1