PROTECTION OF MATERNITY. 
43 
Massachusetts has taken a great interest in this problem. For 
several years, going back to 1912, the issue has been advocated and 
matter has appeared in reports, and we have had bills in the legis 
lature that have passed the senate, in 1920 and 1919, passed the 
senate and still they do not have the law in Massachusetts. Last 
June the bill was defeated in the house through substitution by 140 
votes to 20. There has been discussion on the floor of both branches, 
and the matter has been aired probably as widely as in any State 
legislature, and that is the sentence of the legislators who have 
studied the matter in my State. That resolve was killed last June 
after it had been substituted, killing the bill. Then another resolve 
was entered to have a commission investigate the matter and report, 
the report of which I have here, in House Document No. 1835, and 
the members of this session, I think it is perfectly proper to state, 
have been polled at the beginning, and they entered the matter with 
open minds, and this bill has been killed, and the two committees on 
public welfare and social welfare reported that no legislation was 
necessary, and that report was accepted by the house and by the sen 
ate at least without revision. 
Senator Jones. Do I understand that you are not only opposed 
to Federal legislation, but that you are opposed to any State legisla 
tion on the subject? . c 
Mr. Burnstead. Mr. Chairman, my society is opposed to state 
care of maternity. , ., , , , 
Senator Jones. Do you believe that there should be any sort ot 
an organization to look after such subjects? 
Mr. Burnstead. In an advisory capacity, the department ot 
health, advises by its doctors and otherwise—— 
Senator Jones. What department of health ? 
Mr. Burnstead. Our State department of health. 
Senator Jones. Created by law ? 
Mr. Burnstead. Created by law. 
Senator Jones. Then you are not opposed to State legislation 
upon the subject, are you? , . , , 
Mr. Burnstead. We are opposed to State care ot maternity, amt 
it is perfectly true that certain things are needful to be known, and 
where that knowledge is not had , , 
Senator Jones. You say that certain things are peediul W be 
known. Do you mean that things are fixed, and it so, who fixes 
them? . , . . 1 
Mr. Burnstead. I mean by that nature requires certain prenatal 
Senator McKellar. Your society is entirely satisfied with mater- 
nity conditions as they now exist in Massachusetts, and you do not 
want any amendments of the law, State or Federal ? . 
Mr. Burnstead. That is so, sir, and we support that by claiming 
that the conditions—— 
Senator McKellar. What was the infant mortality in Massa 
chusetts? . .j o r, 1 nnrv 
Mr. Burnstead. The last infant mortality is about 82 per 1,000 
births, and it is a very low rate. The infant mortality in the United 
States is not high. It is about 100 to 1, and when you consider the 
handicap, if I may use that word, of the statistics of our country, 
you must admit that those figures are significant. W e do not be-