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tions, State House, Augusta, Me., and the National Council for Prevention of War, 532 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, D. C.

Proper observance and enforcement of all laws.-Law enforcement: We can not stress obedience to law too often or too much. The old laws, old controls, no longer meet the new and wider day. We suggest surveys on recreation, or juvenile court procedure, etc., to be made by parent-teacher associations in order to familiarize themselves with their home conditions. Once you know your conditions, you can go far to remedy them, to work out the new controls needed for the present day, a day that has brought about a condition that gives us recreation no longer close to the home, but 50 miles away down some great State road. Survey your juvenile court, survey your recreation, and survey your roadhouses. These are some of the most serious problems that confront youth to-day.

Prohibition: No great reform was ever well established in 10 or 20 years. Enforcement of prohibition is, after all, developing normally. Law enforcement is like a vegetable growth; the idea must ripen into custom accepted by all. While this ripening process is going on there will be many battles to reestablish the old idea. Such a battle is on now. Either we must go forward and fight through the hard years until we reach reasonable enforcement of the prohibition law or we must go back, and in retreating make up our minds to drag along for all time the decreased health, character, and efficiency that a legalized liquor traffic means. The big cities, not yet educated to prohibition, will make enforcement hard for us for several years to come, but it is evident by the resolutions coming from the large women's organizations, as well as from other educational and welfare groups, including our own, that the real friends of good government mean to hold fast. Let us enlist for "the duration of the war." Consult National W. C. T. U., Legislative Headquarters, Driscoll Hotel, 122 Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D. C.

Proper safeguards against poor films.—The principles embodied in the Brookhart bill prohibiting block booking, blind booking, and unfair allocation of films were indorsed by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers at the convention in Cleveland, May, 1928, and were reaffirmed at the annual convention in Denver, Colo., May, 1930.

Everyone recognizes and deplores the presence of so many unwholesome and sensational films. Everyone feels their menace to youth. At the present time many of these undesirable films creep in from the practice of block booking and blind booking. Block booking is the practice of forcing the exhibitor to buy pictures in blocks of 20 or more. Blind booking is selling the pictures before they are made or while they are still in the process of production. It often happens that both stars and plot as listed in the block are changed and the exhibitor frequently receives pictures very different from those he expects and pays for.

Such a bill as the Brookhart bill has a large vested interest against it, but the evils of sensational and unwholesome films are so evident, and so widely felt, and so greatly resented by those who have the welfare of to-day's and tomorrow's citizens at heart, that we must work and hope for success even though the way may be long.

For literature and information consult the National Chairman of Motion Pictures, National Congress of Parents and Teachers, 1201 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, D. C.

Public health demonstrations for rural districts.-For several years the Rural Health Service of the United States Public Health Service has made 5-year demonstrations for rural communities teaching these communities all modern preventive measures-how to screen their houses, prevent foul water supplies and impure milk; reduce contagious disease by quarantine measures; prevent malaria by cleaning away swamps, etc. This splendid work should go on, but it needs an increased appropriation. Senate bill 878, introduced by Senator Capper, asks for a small extra appropriation to be used in promoting the health instruction of the rural population.

For information write to United States Public Health Service, Washington, D. C.

Protection of children.-A bill was introduced in Congress calling for the abolition of the Children's Bureau. The National Congress of Parents and Teachers favors maintaining the Children's Bureau, with adequate appropriations. At the meeting of the National Board of Managers in Atlantic City, September 20, 1927, the following resolution was adopted:

Whereas special interests appear to be launching an attack on the Children's Bureau of the Department of Labor: Be it

Resolved, That in view of the service received by the States, as testified by State presidents at this meeting, the national board of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers express its appreciation of the constructive work of the Children's Bureau and urge the State branches to support and study its activities."

At the convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in May, 1928, the following was adopted:

"We favor maintenance of the Children's Bureau with adequate, and if necessary, increased appropriations in behalf of child welfare and the reduction of infant and maternal mortality."

Public schools.-The education bill now before Congress needs little explanation. It is very simple. It calls for a separate department of education and for an appropriation for research work concerning education so that we may know the needs of the country and extend everywhere more uniform educational activities. Federal aid is not called for in this bill.

The National Education Association desires to get the education bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House, where it can at last come to a vote. The plan is to ask all cooperating organizations to urge their Congressman to make a special effort to see that the education bill comes before the House of Representatives during the coming session of Congress. Will you not write a letter to your Congressman telling him that you and your association desire to have a vote taken by the House on the bill and asking him to use his influence to get the bill out of committee and onto the floor?

For literature on this bill write, National Education Association, 1201 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, D. C.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS

Protection against opium and similar drugs.-The League of Nations works steadily year after year on the opium problem, but it is very difficult to get any quick results in a world-wide problem touching an enormous vested interest. The subject must be kept alive in the hope that gradually the danger to the race may be better understood and some adequate solution may be found. The National W. C. T. U., 1730 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, Ill., keeps itself actively informed as to the progress of this cause; also the Foreign Policy Association, New York City.

Illiteracy. We support the principle of Federal aid for the elimination of illiteracy.

We call attention to the following significant fact that this year the movement to wipe out illiteracy is being for the first time thoroughly organized. Under the direction of Secretary Wilbur there has been created a national advisory committee on illiteracy, which includes representatives of most of the essential organizations necessary to an adequate attack on the program; and under the direction of the national advisory committee steps are being taken to organize every State in a workable fashion. Plans are being devised which assign each agency and association special functions which they are best fitted to carry out. We stand ready to support our illiteracy department in such legislation as it may recommend.

Cigarettes to minors.-While no congressional legislation is suggested, nation-wide action is urged that we shall eliminate the use of cigarettes by minors. Write: National Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Evanston, Ill.

Uniform marriage and divorce laws.-Everyone must recognize the need of more uniform marriage and divorce laws. But when our Constitution was framed it specified those matters on which Congress could legislate, and marriage and divorce was not one of them. In short, Congress can not pass a national marriage and divorce law without first passing a constitutional amendment allowing Congress to pass legislation relative to marriage and divorce. Let us work for this constitutional amendment (allowing Congress to enact legislation concerning marriage and divorce). Write: General Federation of Women's Clubs, 1734 N Street, Washington, D. C.

QUALITIES THAT MAKE A GOOD LEADER

What democracy needs most is an educated voter.

Keep the central aim and let the personalities and pettinesses go. Gladstone's wife said that Gladstone considered the most important lesson that he had to learn in his 50 years of public life was to keep the central aim

and ignore the snubs, the unjust criticisms, the innumerable hostilities, jealousies, and misunderstandings. Keep the central aim. See the cause large and the personalities small. Cultivate staying power. Americans lack persistence.

Organizations are apt to want a new cause a year, whereas most causes take (1) from one to two generations before they create the majority that enacts them into beneficent law; (2) another generation before the unconvinced minority acknowledges the need of the new law and thus allows it to be well enforced.

Lamartine said, "Ideals are the future in the distance." It takes long years of perseverance and many defeats before the distant future becomes reality. Cultivate staying power.

Act from a very much enlarged view of things. Be hospitable to other people's ideas.

Edmund Burke said that the essence of leadership, the quality that holds large masses together, is to act from a very enlarged view of things. Narrowness is impotence; timidity is impotence. Under narrowness and timidity, under too great caution, organization disintegrates. Be broad, be bold, but not too bold.

Learn to take the step that comes after the meeting, that gathers up the sentiment made at the meeting and turns it into action. In short, don't allow your followers to be merely political resolvers. Make them political doers. William James says that to go to meetings and have fine emotions and then to go away and do nothing is a form of dissipation. A good leader makes sure that the sentiment made at the meeting is turned into action. Organize what

you preach.

Keep your head and when you have lost it and found it again, say that you were wrong. A good leader does not claim infallibility. Be serene!

Talk if you know your facts, but if you don't know them, keep still. In the excitement of the moment, there is a fearful temptation to make grave decisions on half-knowledge. Decide slowly.

Act on Ben Franklin's "Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day." Alacrity is the backbone of achievement.

Do not forget to read this leaflet before your local association. Do not forget to put an account of your action concerning the above legislative measure in your local press. Do not forget to send information concerning your action to your two United States Senators and your Congressmen.

WHAT A STATE LEGISLATIVE CHAIRMAN SHOULD DO

Secure from your state headquarters the latest legislative leaflet. Read it carefully and send for information concerning each measure, as recommended in the leaflet.

Have sent from your State office a communication to each local association in the State inclosing a legislative leaflet. Urge the study of the measures in the legislative program in order that intelligent action may be taken by local associations.

Present Six Public Welfare Issues for indorsement to your State convention and at the meeting of your state board.

Send to your local press the record of these indorsements. This is most important as it promotes wide education for the measures, which is greatly needed.

Send this record of indorsement by your State convention and board members to your two United States Senators, Senate Chamber, Washington, D. C., and to each Congressman, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. Write a short and courteous letter, simply stating that this is the program of your association on national legislative issues, and expressing the hope that the recipient may think favorably of the issues and thus vote for them; also the hope that an answer may be returned containing information as to the stand of Senators or Congressmen on the issue. The answers received should be sent to the national legislative chairman.

Be prepared at the call of your national chairman to bring special pressure on Congress for measures indorsed by your State branch. Telegrams and letters do count. Going to the polls and voting for high-grade men and women who favor your measures counts more. Therefore, work unceasingly to get men and women throughout your State (a) to register; (b) to vote at

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the primaries; (c) to vote at the election; (d) to vote for candidates who favor your measure; (e) to be the thing democracy needs most-an educated voter.

HON. JAMES S. PARKER,

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN (INC.)

January 20, 1931.

Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. GENTLEMEN: The National Council of Jewish Women at its triannual meeting in 1930 reaffirmed its support of all maternity and infancy legislation under the direction of the Children's Bureau. The council believes that the Children's Bureau knows the problems of the child and has the confidence of the mothers of the country, and that it is essential to the development of the program that its leadership be continued.

The council indorses the Jones bill (S. 255), which follows the plans of the well-known Sheppard-Towner law.

Respectfully yours,

MRS. LESTER J. POLLOCK,
For MRS. ROBERT J. CULBERT,
National Chairman of Legislation.

The maternity and infancy provisions in either bill are perfectly agreeable to the National Service Star Legion if the 5-year limitation of the maternity and infancy bill under the Children's Bureau in the last Cooper bill will be removed. As I testified several years ago, I am not only interested in all questions of maternity as a past president of Service Star who has seen the splendid results of the Sheppard-Towner bill in the families of the soldiers and sailors of the World War but, personally, as the mother of 6 children and the grandmother of 17.

MRS. HENRY F. BAKER,

Legislative Chairman Service Star Legion.

NATIONAL WOMEN'S TRADE UNION LEAGUE OF AMERICA,
Washington, D. C., January 20, 1931.

COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIRS: The National Women's Trade Union League of America has for years indorsed the principle of legislation for maternity and infancy hygiene. We worked for the Sheppard-Towner Act and watched with satisfaction its successful administration by the Children's Bureau in the United States Department of Labor.

We felt that the lapse of this measure was a real national calamity, especially at this time of unemployment for the women of the industrial groups we represent.

In with unmixed satisfaction, therefore, that we have indorsed the Jones bill, S. 255, which has recently passed the Senate by an overwhelming majority. We are convinced that this bill gives adequate provision for the program we are working for, a program of Federal aid for maternity and infancy administered by the Children's Bureau in the United States Department of Labor. We are not opposed to the general principles of maternity and infancy legislation as given in H. R. 12995. This bill, however, carries a large appropriation for other matters upon which our organization has not yet acted. Our wish is to get immediate legislation that will provide for assistance for mothers and children.

Respectfully,

ROSE SCHNEIDERMAN, President.

To Members of the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D. C.:

POSITION OF NATIONAL LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

Since 1921 the League of Women Voters has supported by vote of its successive conventions provisions for Federal cooperation with the States for maternity and infancy hygiene work with the Federal administration lodged in the Children's Bureau. The league, therefore, is in favor of the Jones bill,

S. 255. The league is in favor of the maternity and infancy provisions of the Cooper bill, H. R. 12995, with two amendments and minor verbal changes for clarity.

1. Removal of the 5-year limitation of the maternity and infancy appropriation (H. R. 12995), page 4, section (b).

2. The substitution of the "Secretary of Labor" for the board in regard to the administrative expenses of the Children's Bureau, page 5, section (c), line 8. The league is not able to take any position for or against the other provisions of the Cooper bill, H. R. 12995, because a general health program is one of many important subjects for which the organization has not assumed responsibility and upon which, therefore, it is not prepared to advise. This does not mean the league is opposed to those provisions.

The chief concern of the league to-day is prompt reenactment of the maternity and infancy hygiene program, lost for two years, and which should be restored in this year of emergency and need.

JANUARY 20, 1931.

EDWARD F. M'GRADY, REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR The American Federation of Labor is in favor of the passage of S. 255 in preference to H. R. 12995.

First, let me say that we have always been in favor of legislation that would promote the health and welfare of mothers and infants, and we are in favor of keeping these activities where they always have been-in the Children's Bureau in the Department of Labor, and we oppose any attempt to divide the work of any bureau in the Department of Labor with that of any other department.

S. 255 is almost identical with the former Sheppard-Towner bill that gave such great satisfaction to our entire citizenship and rendered such outstanding service to the prospective mothers, the mothers, to the child yet unborn and the infants in the first years of their lives.

I do not want to repeat what other witnesses have stated, but I am attempting to remind the committee of some of the work the Children's Bureau has done under the exceptional leadership of Miss Grace Abbott. For instance, in the year 1925, there were held 18,154 child-health conferences in the various States with 290,846 infants and children of preschool age examined; 607 children's health centers established; 3,781 prenatal conferences with 36,690 women in attendance, and 65 permanent prenatal centers established.

Who can complain about these achievements? Why talk about dividing this work with some other department? Why should it be divided? Hasn't the work been well performed?

If you scan the records of the Children's Bureau for the 2-year period of 1924-25, you will find that a total of 33,701 child-health conferences were held with more than 500,000 babies examined and more than 75,000 mothers attended 9,869 prenatal conferences, and in the remote areas 519,000 homes were visited.

We maintain there is no function of the Government so important as that of saving the lives of mothers as well as the lives of the children they are to bear and do bear. Saving the lives of our womenhood and childhood transcends everything else, and we insist that the Children's Bureau should be allowed to function without interference by any other department and that the heads of ambitious bureaus, anxious to make their own departments more important, should keep their hands off of the Children's Bureau. I venture to say that if this question could be put to a referendum vote of the citizenship of the Nation, the Children's Bureau would be kept intact as it is with maternity welfare given better appropriations in order that still greater work might be done.

We are opposed to any limitation on the length of time that the promotion of the health and welfare of mothers and infants should be aided by the Federal Government through the Children's Bureau. S. 12995 provides for a 5-year limitation. We are opposed to this.

We trust that the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives will report this bill out.

It is all very well for opponents of the bill to say that the States can handle this matter themselves, but the facts are that the States have not handled it as well as when they were acting in conjunction with the Children's Bureau of the Department of Labor.

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