Evening star., 1939-04-27
Searching Study
Is Launched on
Child Problems
Conference Told
Economic Factors
To Be Stressed

today on years study Of the prob
lens brought to the forefront at an
all-day session yesterday.
Secretary of Labor Perkins, chair
man of the conference, in making
her final charge to the more than
500 delegates assembled at dinner
meeting in the Shoreham Hotel last
night. said the studies to be en-
phasized by the conference before
Its final session next year will in
volve the economic factors which
underlie the security of home life
and the conditions and factors
which make for the freedom of de-
velopment of the individual child.
THE close of this day." she said,
marks the beginning of year of
intensive service in which you will
be asked to share.
I'VE are challenged today not
only with regard to the usefulness
of what we have done, but also with
this question, What is democracy
and where it is leading us? What
is the unifying purpose Of life on
this continent?'"
Asks Program for Decade.
She expressed the hope that the
conference would bring forth pro-
grams that can be followed at least
for decade and added that. while
more questions could be raised than
could be solved, the conference
would be doing a great service by
at least understanding the needs.
-Four section chairmen, who had
spent three hours in the afternoon
discovering what aspects Of Amer
lean life the delegates wanted in
vestigated during the year to come,
summarized the results of the dis
cussions.
Two of the chairmen, DR.. James S.
Plant, director of the Essex County
Juvenile Clinic, N. j., and Frank
Bane executive director of the
Council OF State Governments re-
ported that the delegates in their
sections had pointed out the United
States can't be considered wholly
democracy until there is equality of
opportunity for all children
Particular stress was laid on this
point in the section on the child
and community services for health,
education and social protection DR..
Bane's section, when DR.. Frank P.
Graham, president of the University
OF North Carolina, made vigorous
plea for the passage of the bill now
pending in Congress for Federal aid
for education.
You don't have democracy" de-
clared DR.. Graham, when in one
place 1920 is provided year for each
childs education and in another
place less than $40 is provided"
Cites Burden in Rural Areas.
Rural communities, he pointed out,
receive only per cent fthe Ma
tion's income while they educate 81
pc rcent of the Nations children.
Answering comments that educa-
ton should be left to the States, he
said, You can't leave it to the
States. I know of one State where
If all its income were turned over
to education. instead of being divided
between education, health and other
public services, it still couldn't pro-
vide its children with the average
amount spent through the country
on education"
The section devoted to a study of
the economic foundations of family
life and child welfare found itself
constantly returning to income as
the essential factor for study, Will
liam Hodson. commissioner of pub
lie welfare in New York City, re-
ported.
After clashing on report of a
particularly pessimistic nature pre-
sented by Dr. Isidore S. Falk, as
sistant director of the Bureau of Re-
search and Statistics of the Social
Security Board, the section decided
1t wanted thorough investigation
OF family incomes. the sizes of FAM
lilies and their relationship to the
cost and standards of living.
AS President Roosevelt had pointed
out earlier in the day, DR.. Bane
said that provisions for the aged had
far outstripped provisions for the
young. He recommended for his
section study of the scope of COM
munity services, their organization,
administration and financial pro-
visions, looking toward a we'll
rounded program.
DR.. Plant found wide agreement
In his section, devoted to study of
the objectives of a democratic So
ciety in relation to children with the
principle that the conference must
definitely work toward continuance
. OF the democratic way of living, but
reported that his section split on
whether democracy should be taught
children or whether adults should
make democracy that children
would want to live in.
Under the Craftsmanship of Ruth
Andrus chief of the Bureau of Child
Development and Parent Education
OF New York University, one of the
sections considered the development
, OF children and youth in present day
American life and, as Miss Andrus
reported. found itself faced by a
number of dilemmas.
Tolerance vs.. Discipline.
AAlO oOSAO6utAoAl IlUO aye QfOllOS
OF young people so they are unpre-
pared to think and live with adults
was one problem raised.
Miss Katharine Lenroot, chief of
the Children's Bureau of the Labor
Department. addressing the general
session that preceded the section
meetings, said she hoped Congress
would give supplementary appro-
priation to her bureau to supple
ment the staff and help finance con-
ference business. An increase in the
bureaus appropriation was also
urged by delegates at the section
meetings.
Correspondent to Speak
Clarence K. STREET, former Geneva
correspondent for the New York