Evening star., 1932-04-10


were available. These studies showed
1 that nearly half the mothers died from
causes which could have been prevented.
1 With these facts about needless 1eatfs
/ among mothers and baoieS. the Chill
( dren's Bureau was ready to present q
national program on Their behalf. The
| plan which the Childrens Bureau sug-
/ gested for national ana State work
/ among mothers and children was en-
/ acted by Congress in 1921 and known
/ as the Sheppard-Towner maternity and
/ infancy act. 1t remained IN effect until
the end of June, 1929.
! In addition to 2s240, 900, of which
! 5000 was granted outright to each
State accepting the act, this act appro-
priated Sl,000,000 a year as Federal aid
to the States in their work on behalf
of mothers and babies The money
was given on a $3.50 basis, which
meant that most of this sum was
matched by the States, so that, with
Federal funds and State funds, nearly
$4,000, 900 was spent yearly by the time
that As States and Hawaii accepted the
provisions Of the act. Only three Of
the States did not accept the Federal
aid
Under the act, which was admin
istered by the Children's Bureau, the
States themselves initiated and carried
| programs which were approved by the
Federal Board of Maternity and Infant
Hygiene, the only requirement being
that they were adequate to carry out
the purpose of the act. During the
last six years of the existence of the
act nearly 145,000 health conferences
were held at which children and ex-
| pectant mothers were examined by
physicians, nurses and dentists and
arIr
established. Visits were made to moth
ers in their homes by public health
| nurses.
Glasses were organized to teach
mothers how best to care for their
babies and themselves. Separate classes
were formed to teach older girls how
to care for their baby brothers and
sisters. Graduate courses and insti-
tutes were given for physicians and
nurses. Besides all this, bulletins on
parental and infant care were dis
tiers were sent to mothers while exhibit
material and films helped the educa-
tional work
Drop in Death Rate.
With all this work being done the
infant death rate dropped in the
States in the birth registration area
from 7Ia in 1921 to 68 in 1929, when
the act lapsed. The good that the edu-
cational work did would naturally be
felt for some years, but since the ternt-
nation of the Federal aid and the in
terest and enthusiasm it inspired 1t is
estimated that not more than one-third
| OF the States now are carrying on pro-
grams financially equal to the work
done under the act.
Efforts now are being made to renew
the provisions of the act through the
Jones and Bankhead bills. Twice al
many babies out of every 1000 born
die in the United States as in New Zea-
land, which has the best record of care
for its mothers and babies, while sta
tisticS show 19 other nations with a
lower maternal mortality rate than the
United States.
The publications of the Children's
Bureau are more in demand than any
other Government publication, accord
ing to the superintendent of documents
of the Government Printing once. He
was speaking of the number sold, which
runs each year into many thousands OF
dollars. But single copies Of most %
the bureaus bulletins are sent free on
request and during the 20 years OF the
bureaus existence more than 12,o00,OOO
of its five most popular bulletins have
been sent to mothers or other interested
persons These bulletins are Prenatal
! Care" Infant Care" The Child From
l to 6-His Care and Training" Child
Management" and Are You Training
Your Child to Be Happy?"
Nearly 10000 letters were received
last year by the bureau. Most Of them
were from parents, but many were
from physicians and nurses requesting
bulletins for the use of their patients.
Others were from social service workers
asking help on their problems. Many
were from public or private agencies
engaged in child health or child welfare
work. Among these were requests for
aid in planning or reorganizing local
child welfare services.
Other Interests Of Bureau.
Child health and hygiene are not
the only concern of the Children's Bu-
reau, although the physical and mental
factors of child life must naturally be
considered in relation to all child
welfare problems. The field of child Ia
Dor is one of the major concerns of the
Children's Bureau. 1t administered the
first Federal child-labor law, which was
declared unconstitutional in 1918.
A second Federal child-labor law was
declared unconstitutional in 1922. In
1924 an amendment to the Constitution
giving Congress the power to enact laws
regulating child labor was passed by
Congress and has been ratified by six
! States.
The number of children working has
fallen off the last few years because
Of economic conditions, but the evils
of child labor still exist. Through the
| industrial division of the bureau child
| labor Investigations are made of the
various occupations in which children
are engaged. The hours these children
toll, the conditions uncer which they
| labor are all brought to light in the
| bureaus publications. Greatly improved
standards have been achieved In State
legislation and administration in the
last 20 years. But many children are
employed in industrial nome work and
industrialized agriculture FOR which en-
ployment certificates or work permits"
are not as a rule, required.
According TO the 1880 census, there
were nearly 100000 boys and girls,
| 7 to IT years, inclusive, who were
not in school. 1t is not known how
| hany Of these are at work, but 1t is
known that thousands Of boys and girls
are leaving school for work. Even
now, when millions of adults cannot
find jobs, children are leaving their
desks to compete with men and women
for the few jobs that exist. During
September and October over $500 boys
and girls under 16 years left school for
work in New York City alone In Phil
adelphia the corresponding figure was
| 1857.
Various Studies Made.
| In the social service field the bureau
/ has made studies of Juvenile Courts,
mothers aid, illegitimacy and other as
poets of dependency and delinquency.
Child welfare has made rapid strides
in the last two decades and the Chill
| dren's Bureau has had no small part in
! the changes that have been wrought.
| Grace Abbott, who succeeded Miss La
throp as chief of the bureau in 1921,
puts in succienctly In the following
| fashion: