New Britain herald., 1930-12-04
BUREAU PROTECTS
 WORKING MOTHERS
Seeks to Learn How Their Ab-
 SeDCe Affects Home Life
By MARY '. ROBINSON Director Of Iublc Information,


 |. s. WomcH's Bureau.
 With q Hieila0t eye and attentive ear We hayc looked on and listened in at the recon, White House con- ference on child health and protoc- ton,
 In is Investigations Of Yaco- eargiu2 mothers, whose pro1lru5 fall within its sconr, inc Wotncns Bureau gets bchInd-thc-sc view ot tho nrcd for the child vel far program.
 To what oAten, the mothers ab- sence from the home in q paid job plays havoc with the childs uell- neing IS q question much discussed hut supported by httjo concrete proo' one way or the other. Every t1l12 being equal tho mother IS the most logical auad desirable care taher toe tna child. But in our pres ent civilization as complicated hy many social and economic twists, mothers frequon'ly must spend l number ot hours daily away from home and family.
 J Iet nor many C4jntuUy employ eI mothers this country numbers among its present population can not he ascertained from published cen- sus data. From general obscrya ton, hoWevcr We are led 10 believe that there is d growing volume and proportion ot motrers with outside johs, despite the fro"ns or society upon the cust om
 In the ranks of these wage earn ing mothers are various typcs. There Jrc those with broken marital tics forced SO often to he Inc father as "cll as tho mother 70 the cllIdren, the brGad"Innor as vel as the joul- maker. for lack oG au adequate sys- t"m O fHancraI aid 0 mothers in the luitod States,
 There aIH mothers 8Nh husbands rom "hon no support is received because the man IS ill., physically incap pacuatcd unemployed. shIttless. or unahl, for some other reason to he the normal protider
 A thlrd class consists Of mothers hose husbands contribute 10 tbs tamjly support hut either made quatcly or irrcgularly. and the mother must work 10 hclp 10 keep q roof over her children and the wolf away from the door
 Aid Living Conditions
 lo other instances mothers fa.cd with the choice Of remaining at home with their children at or be- tow Inc poverty level or ol joinlng the earnings ranks 10 increase the family income and make pos sible higher living standard and greater opportunities for dependents, resort to the latter alternative ss the lesser of evils. l. is q question whether q home environment made painful by the pinch Of poverty. is conducive 10 satisfactory moral training even though the mother be ever present,
 Perhaps the target of more public opprobium and therefore the most conspicuous, though incidentally the least numerous. arc the mothers whose financial status is sufficient for the maintenance of q family in comfort but who, because of out standing talent or training. unusual ability as an economic contributor. or an urge for q particular kind ot self expression leave the home for remuncrative activities. Are chiI- dren better off when looked after bY dlsgruntIcd mother remaining at home as q domestic misft or when left in charge of another spe- cIally adapted 10 child care and training. with the mother employed and contented, bringing inspiration 10 the homo as the result of her outside interests? Such y>omen, per- haps you say should not have chil- dren, but the fact remains that they do.
 A condition that the Womcn's g bureau finds it necessary 10 stre ss as 8 result Of its investigations is the inadequate and casual care giv- cn to the young children Of 50 many