Evening star., 1928-05-03

of the school children" But, while
1t ought not t0 be necessary to plead
for the child, experience teaches one
that 1t is often profoundly necessary.
People tend to become careless. They
appear to think that Nature Is on the
job and will carry it through. But
Nature is even more careless than man.
Out of so seeds she often brings but
one to bear. and before medicine came
to her assistance the rate of infant
mortality was frightful. An English
poet thought and wrote that 1.-The good
die young" but we have learned that
the good" children who died young
were always children who needed a
doctor.
Know Lot More Now.
We know a lot of things about chill
dren today that were unknown gen.
Grafton ago. Some people used to think
that in large family of children a
certain majority of them would die be-
fore reaching maturity. and many Of
them would die before completing their
first year. There was no help for 1t
in the old days, for very few really
knew then how to bring up child in
the way 1t should be brought up. But
there is no excuse for high rate of
mortality among children now, and
when we find one we set 1t down as a
fact chargeable to ourselves. And We
ought to do so.
selves on the improvement for the bet
ter that we have witnessed. 1t means
something to be able to say that the
mortality rate for infants in the Dis
trict last year was the lowest ever re-
corded. 1t means that we are begin
ming to take intelligent care of our
children. But a beginning-no matter
how goods not enough We must do
the best that We are able to do, and
we have not done that yet. We must
do the best of which we are capable,
no matter how long it takes.
Our forefathers had a notion that
the first need of child was to be made
a saint, and the chief instrument used
for converting a child into a saint was
a sound hickory stick. We are fast
learning today that the flkgR need of
child is to become a healthy animal
The sanity child was always sick and
died young, and the hickory stick
created infinitely more rebellion than
Sainthood. Plenty Of pure milk for the
infants and a rational system of care
for children. young or old. will work
miracles In our world.
sound mind in a sound body
should be our ideal 1t has been ascer-
tanned that an unhealthy body seldom
incarnates sane mind. 1t has also
been ascertained that too much repres-
sion is unfavorable for the physical
and mental well-being of child. IN
deed. 1t has been estimated that not
less than rs to 80 per cent of all the
physical Ills from which adults suffer
are neurotic in origin, and this means
that their origin can be traced back
by capable neurologist or pSychiatrist
to something that occurred in youth.
The time Is at hand when 1t Is
necessary to take a rational view of
life. and this can come only by making
the welfare of the child a most inti-
mate concern of the general public.
Persons who complain that too much
money is being spent at present out of
public funds for the welfare of the
child should bear in mind that the
cure of crime, and of involuntary pow
erty as well. viii probably be found,
II 1t Is ever found. in the proper bring
ing up of children. Perhaps we do not
yet know as much as We shall later in
regard to what constitutes a proper
training. but we have learned much,
and We shall learn more only by means
OF hearty interest in the welfare of
children.