NATIONAL CONGRESS OF MOTHERS 4075 



NATIONAL DEBT 



a mighty influence. The Congress did not 

 originate the juvenile court and probation sys- 

 tem, but it saw its advantages and worked for 

 years to establish the juvenile court and proba- 

 tion system throughout this and other lands, 

 conducting a systematic propaganda which was 

 successful in many places. Then, by practical 

 experience of mothers in the juvenile court, de- 

 t 'iit ion houses in the place of jails were pro- 

 moted, and the placing of the probation work 

 on a foundation which required a knowledge of 

 child nurture as a qualification for such service 

 breame a feature of the Congress work. 



The breaking up of families through poverty 

 or death or desertion of one parent next en- 

 gaged the consideration of the Congress, and 

 tli*- movement for the mothers' pension was in- 

 augurated and has been promoted with ever- 

 increasing success. This has won the support of 

 many thinking men and women, and also judges 

 and legislatures, and to the Congress is due the 

 enactment of a pension law in some states, 

 while in all states the Congress has given its 

 support to the pension movement. Its advan- 

 tages in economy and efficiency have already 

 been proved. 



There was no child-labor committee in exist- 

 ence when the National Congress of Mothers 

 inaugurated the movement to regulate the em- 

 ployment of children in mines and factories. 



The Congress has urged that a Department 

 of Child Hygiene in every board of health be 

 established, the primary work being saving ba- 

 bies by education of mothers in infant hygiene. 

 It also has urged that a child welfare depart- 

 ment in city and state be appointed to study all 

 conditions affecting childhood, to report to gov- 

 ernor and legislature, with a view of perfecting 

 the protection and development of children. 



The National Congress of Mothers and Par- 

 Teacher Associations secured the extension 

 of the educational work of the National Bureau 

 of Education and is responsible for the first 

 recognition of parents as educators. The Home 

 < ution Division was opened in the Bureau 

 l.lucation in September, 1913. Children's 

 education begins at birth, and parents have 

 eight times the educational work that is gi\. n 

 achere. To help the home to give intelli- 

 gent care and guidance to children is the work 

 "i the Home Education Division. 



inh the Home Education Division of 



tin Bureau of Education, which is supported 



^t win .lly liy the National Congress of 



Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associations, three 



!>es of work are being done: 



1. The Bureau is promoting in a very effective 

 way the organization of parent-teacher associa- 

 tions throughout the country and doing much to 

 make them more effective. 



2. It is assisting mothers of young children and 

 prospective mothers by personal correspondence, 

 multigraphed letters and bulletins on the care of 

 babies. Between fifty and sixty thousand mothers 

 have beeen reached in this way. 



3. Through its reading courses, several of which 

 have been issued and three others are now in 

 preparation, it has promoted good reading among 

 boys and girls and men and women throughout 

 the country. About 120,000 copies of the several 

 courses already prepared have been distributed. 

 More than 4,000 readers are registered. These 

 readers are found in every State in the Union, in 

 Hawaii, Porto Rico, Canada and China. The 

 readers in foreign countries are of course Ameri- 

 cans who live there. State library commissions 

 are giving support in all of the states in which 

 there are such commissions. City libraries are 

 buying the books of previous reading courses in 

 larger numbers so as to be able to supply the 

 demand for them. Circulating libraries in some 

 states are doing the same. The libraries also 

 advertise the courses. Many of them post the 

 courses where they can be seeri by their readers. 

 This is also done in many high school libraries. 

 It has had a good effect on the supplementary 

 reading of high school boys and girls. 



Up to 1917 three international conferences on 

 the welfare of the child had been held in Wash- 

 ington, D. C., the invitations having been sent 

 to all nations by the Department of State. Na- 

 tional child welfare conferences have been held 

 annually, and annual state child welfare con- 

 ferences have awakened every part of the coun- 

 try to the many needs of the children which 

 must be met by home, church, school and state. 

 See PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS. H.K.S. 



NATIONAL DEBT, the total of the money 

 owed by a nation to individuals, corporations 

 or to other governments, contracted as a result 

 of wars, for territorial expansion, or to meet 

 deficits when receipts from all usual sources do 

 not equal expenditures. 



Nations began over two hundred years ago 

 to contract public del>t<. an.l in this Great Brit- 

 ain led. Previous to 1688, when the novrrmnent 

 of that country needed money, tin- kinp gave 

 his personal pledge, secured by his jewels, for 

 its repayment; hut the revolution of that year 

 made necessary other devioef, ;ml the en, In of 

 th whole nation was substituted, based upon 

 acts of Parliament, nil,, r nations soon began 

 to employ like means to get money to i 

 emergencies, and to-day pren< -.illy . 

 ilizi'd country has a grinding indebtedness, not 

 excepting even careful, frugal Switierland. 



Political economists have uttered warnings be- 

 cause of the continual increase in public debts; 



