and 15 years of age-in all, nearly 5,000, or 8 per cent, of the children of this age group-had at some time during the year 1918 done factory work in their homes, either by hand or by machine. Nearly 100 different kinds of work were done by the children who were employed by many different factories. They carded snaps and shoe buttons; assembled various kinds of jewelry; strung beads; clipped, strung, and scalloped lace; pasted or stitched chenille dots on veils; finished underwear; and performed many other simple operations incidental to manufacture. Children--a number of them under 14used machines in such work as cutting holes and pressing humps on snaps, and assembling collar buttons. In the majority of cases home work had been resorted to in families where the father's earnings were insufficient for the maintenance of the family. It had, however, contributed very little to the family purse, since the average earnings per family from that source in 1918 had been only $48. Moreover, the children's share in this small addition to the family resources was negligible, since over half the children were unable to earn as a maximum 5 cents per hour. Many of the children worked not only after school hours but also in the evenings; some worked exclusively at night. A small number of children who were regularly employed during the day in factories or stores also worked at home every night. Eyestrain was reported for many home-working children. The ill effects of home work on the child's work in school and its interference with school attendance were frequently testified to by teachers and other school officials. Danger to the health of the community has been recognized as an important reason for prohibiting home work. Among the diseases reported by families engaged in it were influenza (a large number of cases), pneumonia, mumps, typhoid fever, measles, whooping cough, bronchitis, tonsilitis, diphtheria, eczema, "coughs," tuberculosis, and syphilis, all of which had been declared communicable and dangerous to public health by the Rhode Island State Board of Health. Employers were interviewed in order to get their opinion as to the necessity for home work. Their reasons for utilizing home work were in general as follows: Shortage of labor, desire to lower the cost of production, the seasonal nature of the work, custom, and the desire to assist needy families. It is significant that three-fifths of the employers interviewed stated that should it be abolished readjustments in their business might easily be made. The system of home work results in making a factory of the home-a condition which operates against a normal environment for growing children. The child home worker is subject to hazards from which he is not safeguarded by law. The health of the community is endangered by the use of clothing and other articles made in homes in which infectious diseases are present. Effective administration of laws providing for

the inspection of places where home work is carried on has been found practically impossible.

Rural child labor.-Almost three-fourths of the working children of the United States aged 10 to 15 years, inclusive, and more than one-eighth of our total child population of these ages, are laboring in gainful occupations entirely unregulated by State or Federal child-labor laws. The great majority-numbering at the time of the last decennial census approximately a million and a half— are engaged in some form of farm labor. That the compulsory education laws-the sole legal protection afforded these children—are inadequate to insure them against the loss of education that results from premature and excessive work is shown by the fact that wherever rural child labor is greatest we find the highest percentage of illiteracy and the largest proportion of children not attending high school. No such specific information is available regarding the effect of unregulated farm labor upon the physical and social development of the child. Plans for a comprehensive inquiry into the economic, social, physical, and working conditions affecting the rural child laborer are at present under way. Two experimental field studies have already been commenced in representative child-employing agricultural areas, upon the results of which will be based more extensive inquiries to be undertaken during the coming year.

Children entering employment.-One of the greatest losses of time, energy, and enthusiasm is the waste on the part of children blindly endeavoring to discover for themselves suitable places in our complicated industrial system; and the years spent in blind-alley and overcrowded occupations is responsible for much of the unrest prevalent to-day. Our industrial centers have been the first to realize the situation-Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolies, and other cities have demonstrated the possibilities of, vocational guidance. Some of this work has been the outgrowth of the school systems; some has developed through private organizations; among the most important has been the gradual entrance into the field of vocational guidance of certain of the public employment services. The need of vocational guidance in rural districts has been for the most part unrecognized, although a start in this direction has been made in one of the Middle Western States. In the interest of the children of the country it is imperative that a comprehensive study be made of the conditions under which young people enter industry—of the requirements made, and the opportunities offered in the various lines of industry, trade, and other employment. The effect of occupation upon the health and physical development of the growing child should also be studied, as well as the employment of children in hazardous occupations and the industrial accidents of children.

Child-welfare studies in Porto Rico and extra-continental United States. Last year the Seventh Annual Report of the Chief of the

Children's Bureau called attention to the need of studies of child welfare in the island possessions, and referred especially to conditions shown in official reports from Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Attention is again called to the importance of these studies as a matter of national policy, and it is advised that the general welfare of children in all the extra-continental portions of the United States be made a subject of study by this bureau at the earliest practicable period, and that a special appropriation be allotted for this plan in its complete form.

Recently the matter has been brought sharply to the attention of the bureau by a letter from the commissioner of education of Porto Rico, Mr. P. G. Miller, which was sent with the approval of the Governor of Porto Rico and of the Bureau of Insular Affairs. The commissioner stresses the "necessity for investigating the general condition of children in Porto Rico" by the Children's Bureau. He states that "last year the total estimated number of children of school age that is, between 5 and 18 years-was 441,465, and the total number of compulsory school age-that is, between 8 and 14 yearswas 222,783. The total enrollment in all public schools was only 160,794. At the close of the fourth school month of the present school year the total enrollment was 176,689.

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"The problems of childhood which should be investigated do not relate merely to education, but practically to all other sociological conditions-matters of hygiene, proper nourishment, proper housing, infant mortality, and the care of children in large families without sufficient means for subsistence. The need of a thorough investigation of this kind is great. Much can be done toward formulating a constructive program for the improvement of the conditions of childhood. Legislatures oftentimes do not take action because they do not know the facts. The Legislature of Porto Rico would doubtless be willing to enact remedial measures within the resources of the people of Porto Rico, if a properly formulated constructive program were presented."

The safety of the lives of babies has come to be recognized as a fair test of social well-being. Hence, the report of the commissioner of health for Porto Rico regarding infant deaths and those of young children is especially pertinent. In 1918-19, 7,603 died under 1 year of age; 3,666 between 1 and 2 years, and 4,245 between 2 and 5 years; or a total under 5 years of age of 15,514-about 39 per cent of all deaths. In addition, the commissioner reports 4,063 stillbirths. He charges the responsibilty for these deaths (a) to lack of applied knowledge of the hygiene of maternity and infancy, (b) to the scarcity and dearness of the milk and to the further fact that most of it is badly contaminated and dangerous, and (c) to the early weaning and improper feeding of Porto Rican babies of the poorer classes.

Last year's report also called attention to the need of studying child welfare in the Virgin Islands. The United States has now been for three years in possession of these islands, and a study that would sum up all the factors now affecting child life, whether favor able or unfavorable, should be made. This is due the helpless population of these lately purchased possessions, which now may claim the same rights for the children as are recognized in other parts of the United States.

Visit to certain countries of central Europe and suggestions based thereon.-In March, 1920, at the request of the President of the Czecho-Slovak Republic, the chief of the Children's Bureau went to Prague. The request had been made because Czechoslovakia has child-welfare problems created or greatly intensified by the war and requiring for their solution permanent governmental plans. A ministry of social welfare already exists and under it a children's bureau, and it was thought that a consideration of the experience of the United States might be of assistance to the new Republic. The Czecho-Slovaks will undoubtedly work out with strong practical wisdom the solution of their social problems, which are on the whole the problems common to all modern countries. At present every social problem is intensified by the conditions created by the war, and no problem is more urgent and immediate than that of child welfare. Thousands of fathers have been killed and many mothers have died of the typhus or other diseases due to the hardships of civilian life, so that an unknown number of the families who would be self-supporting in normal times are broken or destroyed and their children are actually homeless and helpless. Thrifty families have exhausted small savings and are unable to meet sickness or accident independently, while this new poverty renders parents and children less able to resist any further adversity. For six years children have undergone dwarfing of body and retarding of mental growth; an unknown number suffers from malnutrition and its consequences; an unknown number is tuberculous. Undoubtedly the loss of family life and the breakdown of the accustomed conventions and safeguards have increased the numbers of wayward or delinquent children and young persons. Although many have escaped injury, the depressing effect of the war upon growing children and youth is nation wide. Reports prepared by the ministry of social welfare in the spring of the present year stated that the death rate among babies was rising and that although the Czecho-Slovak Society for the Protection of Mothers and Infants was helping to care for over 150,000 of the babies under 2 years of age, there were still 127,000 who needed help; that of the 2,500,000 children between 2 and 14 nearly 700,000 were in need of relief-of which number 500,000 received food from the European Children's Fund, while 174,000 others were not reached.

The constitution authorizes ministries but leaves functions to be defined later by law. As it will be seen from the foregoing that extraordinary duties in regard to children must now devolve upon the Czecho-Slovak ministry of social welfare and its children's bureau, it was desired that suggestions should be submitted as to the character and scope of the necessary child-welfare legislation. Accordingly a memorandum was prepared in which an effort was made to adapt the best fruits of experience in the United States to the needs of another country.

The paragraphs especially referring to the ministry of social welfare follow:

1. The Government, through the ministry of social welfare, is responsible for the welfare of the children of the Republic. Through the children's bureau of the ministry it shall be empowered to make investigations and reports upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of children.

2. It shall maintain, through the children's bureau, a staff of qualified inspectors to report upon the conduct of all public and private institutions and associations having to do with children, including asylums and all institutions for children, whether normal, sick, defective, delinquent, or dependent, and including especially the care of children placed out or boarded out in families.

3. It shall license all new philanthropic associations or institutions for children. It shall first ascertain the need of the proposed activity, the responsibility, competency, and resources of the association or institution proposed, with the purpose of preventing unnecessary or ill-advised undertakings and expenditures. It may refuse a license for cause. It may withdraw a license for cause at any time.

4. It may allow subventions from the national treasure to associations and institutions caring for children, but only when the methods of the association or institution are approved, its usefulness recognized, and license issued. 5. No subventions for child welfare should be paid from the Government treasury save with the approval of the ministry of social welfare.

6. The ministry as a result of its studies and investigations may from time to time formulate by-laws as to standards of child welfare to be maintained by all agencies receiving subventions, and when such by-laws are approved by the President of the Republic they shall have the effect of law.

7. It is the duty of the ministry of social welfare, through the children's bureau, to inspect all institutions for children maintained by the Republic and to report annually to the President as to their efficiency and adequacy, with information as to their needs.

8. The inspectors and other authorized representatives of the ministry of social welfare shall have for the purposes set forth in this memorandum the right of entry into all institutions and the right to investigate the management of all associations and institutions receiving subventions.

9. The names and records of all children cared for outside of their own houses and maintained by public or private funds in other homes, or working for their keep without apprenticeship, shall be reported to the children's bureau. This list shall be confidential and shall be inspected only upon permission of the children's bureau. It shall be maintained to establish the identity and relationship of children so as to safeguard their rights.

10. With the approval of the President of the Republic and on recommendation of the ministry of social welfare, the children's bureau may be directed to