22 
PROTECTION OF MATERNITY. 
Miss Latiirop. I suppose the very same lack of economic power 
which has made them unable to take any other responsibilities lor 
the other activities to which the Government is giving aid. It is far 
less a matter of obvious economic value to the average American as 
yet, as is the question of good roads and farm products. They are 
accustomed to spending money for those things, and they are not 
accustomed to regarding human life as anything but sentiment. 
Senator McKellar. The Government appropriates a considerable 
amount of money for the hogs and for the cattle 
Miss Lathrop. I am informed that it does. 
Senator Phipps. Let me ask whether in your correspondence with 
the State officials or bureaus you have developed any sentiment of 
resentment on their part by your inquiring into the affairs of the 
States ? 
Miss Lathrop. No. The difficulty with us is that we can not 
begin to answer requests for information and for assistance which 
come from the States. They come both from the child hygiene 
divisions of the States and from other public and private organiza 
tions in the various States. 
Senator McKellar. I want to ask you about one question of 
overhead. I will say that I am in favor of this bill. Now, you 
deduct 5 per cent of the appropriation, or $50,000, for administration. 
The Children’s Bureau, having already been organized in such a line 
working order, do you think it would be possible to reduce that 
amount, in your judgment ? Of course we are interested in economy 
and in saving as much as possible, but do you think that it would be 
possible to reduce that amount of $50,000 a year for overhead ? 
Miss Lathrop. I can not tell at this time. Of course we can not 
do with the $1,480,000 what we could have done with the larger 
amount, but I am not making any complaint. I do think that if 
you can not make an administration of value with what we have, 
we are on the wrong track and ought to fail. I certainly shall not 
use that $50,000 if it is not necessary to do so, and I think we have 
got to do with this matter what we have always tried to do in the 
States in the matter of infant mortality, and that is to make the 
people see what the conditions are in their own localities. The 
minute that you see a map with your town marked on it there is a 
different sense of responsibility. I he law provides the establishment 
of local health centers and of instructive public health nursing as a 
part of a State plan and it would be the duty of the bureau, as 1 
conceive it, to publish and distribute widely all the best available 
practical information as to character, organization, and management 
of such centers and nursing service. 
Senator Warren. We appropriated for the last year or, rather, 
prevented an addition to the so-called Women’s Bureau connected 
with your department , . A 
Miss Lathrop. Yes, sir; that is for the bureau having to do with 
the industrial conditions—the women who work outside of their 
homes. . , , . , , n • ,, . 
Senator Warren. What relation has that with this matter that} 
we have under discussion ? , 
Miss Lathrop. Mr. Chairman, I think it has nothing directly, 
because that bill is an off-shoot of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 
bureau to inquire into the conditions and the wages of the women.