Maternity and Child Welfare Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 Excerpt: ...utility is important and that the well-being of our nation is entirely dependent on the well-being and perfection of the rising generation. We open our newspapers daily and are faced with some phase or other of infant welfare, and our reading clearly points to the fact that times were never so propitious as the present for convincing the rank and file of the nation that this is the most important work of reconstruction that can be undertaken, and that it is the duty of each and everyone to assist in opening the eyes of his fellows to our collective responsibilities. As the following article is devoted almost entirely to the legal aspect of child welfare it would not come amiss to point out that, although the legislature has been more daring during the last fifteen years than those who were responsible for the original Acts directed towards the prevention of cruelty to children could have hoped, too many of them are permissive in character and not sufficiently drastic in so far as their administration is concerned. The Employment of Children Act, 1903, for example, is much too loose and permissive. The operation of this Act should be compulsory, and the duties of its enforcement and the framing of bylaws should be in the hands of the local education authorities in conjunction with juvenile advisory committees which have been erected in most towns, and which are handicapped in having few real powers. At this time compulsory notification of vacancies for juvenile labour would be an easy matter for the Government to undertake. Street trading could be carefully considered, and some of the provisions of the Children Act, Iqo8, could be more rigorously enforced. Again at an earlier period in the life of the child much more could be done. There are many periods in ...