Evening star., 1932-04-10


4 they consulted over a pile of
letters. The time was more
than a quarter century ago, the place
was the Henry Street Settlement, New
York City. and the TWO women were
Florence Kelley of the Consumers
League and Lillian Wald, founder of the
settlement which was already making
its influence felt in wnat was then one
of the worst slum sections in lower
New York.
Now what would you say to this?"
Mrs. Kelley asked, tossing over letter.
Here Is a woman in Boston who wants
to know why it is that so many chill
dren die like flies in the Summer time.
She wants to know if there isn't some
thing she can do to help matters?"
Miss wald shook her head with a
worried frown. "I don't know. 1t is
worse in Summer, but the infant death
rate Is appalling all the year round
wherever we know anything about 1t.
Not many places even keep birth rec
ords. And, here Is another letter don't
know what to do about. 1t is from a
mother whose husband is dead. She is
afraid she will have a put the children
in an institution. If only she had a
little money she could keep them with
her. And it would be so much better
for them all. There must be thousands
of mothers all over the United States
in lust the same situation. I wish there
were some agency that would tell us
what could be done about all these
problems"
Idea for Bureau.
Mrs. Kelley opened the morning
paper.
ture is going South this morning to find
out more about the damage done by the
boil weevil," she remarked.
Miss Wald's face ligntened suddenly.
"There!" she exclaimed. That gives
me an idea! If the Government can
have a department to take such an in
terest in what is happening to the Ma
tion's cotton crop, why can't it have
bureau to look after the Nations chill
dren crop? I'm going to wire Presl-
dent Roosevelt at once and suggest 1t
to him!"
Forthwith she did, and with the an
swer to that telegram came the hrst
step toward the creation of the United
States Children's Bureau, which this
year is celebrating its twentieth ami
yersarv. The President had wired:
Bully! Come down and talk to me
about it,"
The same evening Miss Wald, accom-
panied by DR. Edward T. Devlne, pro-
fessor of social economy of Columbia
IJniversity and general secretary OF the
Charity Organization Society, took the
train for Washington, and President
Roosevelt, adding his own enthusiasm
to theirs, promised his support OF the
project.
First Bill Introduced.
Congress was somewhat harder to
persuade. Bills were introduced yearly
only to fall by the wayside. Senator
Winthrop Murray Crane OF Massacnu-
sets introduced the first bill, which
was followed by others, including one
introduced by Representative Herbert
z. Parsons of New York.
In 1909 added impetus was given to
the project when Roosevelt called the
first White House conference on the
care Of dependent children. More than
two hundred men and women who at
tended the conference unanimously In
dorsed the bill and Roosevelt, in q
message to Congress, urged its imme-
diate passage.
It was three years later, however
that the bill, this time written by Sen
ator William E. Borah, finally was
passed, and it was signed by President
Taft on April 9, 1912. The appropri-
alton was made available in August,
and Miss Julia C. Lathrop of Hull
House, Chicago. was appointed by Taft
to be the first chief. The appropriation
was small at first, but those who sup
ported the bureau expected it to grow
as the bureau made progress on the
tremendous task. When the purpose
ha
to investigate and report upon
all matters pertaining to the welfare of
children and child life among all
classes of our people" 1t was espe-
cially charged with investigating in
fant mortality, the birth rate, orphan
age, juvenile courts, deSertion, danger
GUS occupation, accidents and diseases
Of children, employment. legislation
affecting children in the several States
and Territories"
Infant Mortality Studied.
The Children's Bureau began its work
in 1918 on infant mortality studies.
The infant mortality studies were
planned carefully. Eight American cit
les (Akron, Ohio; Gary Ind; Balti-
more, New Bedford and Brockton,
Mass; Saginaw, Mich; Johnstown, Pa,
and Manchester, N. h were selected
as representatives of different regions
and different conditions. In each Of
these cities it was decided to study in
his own home each baby born during a
selected year-babies rich and poor,
black and white, babies of all races and
creeds. This meant personal visits to
the homes of approximately $4,000
babies by representatives OF the Chill
dren'S Bureau.
BY the time the Investigations were
finished the Childrens Bureau knew
why babies died. They knew that most
babies need not die. They had found,
for instance, in Baltimore, that when
babies were born in well-to-do homes
only one out of every 81 died. In the
very same city, among poorer homes,
one out of every z died.
There were other factors that in
f1uenced the infant death rate. The
physical care the baby received affected
his chance to survive. Sanitary con-
ditions were also important.
The bureau studied the deaths of
mothers in connection with childbirth
and found that the United States had