COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE SIXTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION 74654 ON H. R. 2366 A BILL FOR THE PUBLIC PROTECTION OF THE SEVERAL STATES N 401 70* JULY 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 1921 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921 Lathrop, Miss Julia C. Kosmak, Dr. George W. Van Ingen, Dr. Philip.. Williams, Dr. E. G.. 235 28 201 266 267 234 PROTECTION OF MATERNITY COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Tuesday, July 12, 1921. The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Samuel E. Winslow (chairman) pre-siding. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, we now have a quorum and can properly proceed to the business of the morning. This day, and 10 o'clock this morning, were determined as the time for beginning the consideration of a bill introduced by Judge Towner, of the House, which is denominated as H. R. 2366. The title of it is, "A bill for the public protection of maternity and infancy, and providing a method of cooperation between the Government of the United States and the several States. The bill was considered in the last Congress, and in consequence of that consideration a contention has been made that the hearings now about to be begun should be virtually nothing; that the record of the last hearings was sufficient for the committee to use as a basis for arriving at their conclusions. It would seem, however, after considering the question and in view of the many new interests which have been developed, necesary to give very careful consideration to the whole subject. I want to say for the benefit of those who are here on account of an interest in the bill, from one angle or another, that the hearings will not be confined necessarily to those who are for or against the bill. We have entering into the hearings the necessity of considering the work which is now going on under the direction of the administration, the President of the United States and the Congress; the commission appointed by Congress to look into the various departments of the Government with a view to making a report, ultimately, in which they will recommend or not, as they choose, the consolidation of departments and other matters which are related thereto. The President of the United States has created a commission, the head of which is Gen. Dawes. That commission appears, broadly speaking, to have something of the same sort in mind. Then, again, there is another undertaking at the instance of the President of the United States headed by Brig. Gen. Sawyer. That is known as the welfare department, and Gen. Sawyer and those connected with him are engaged in a study of the departments which might properly come under such a division of Government as is contemplated or thought of in connection with this welfare division. You can readily see, members of the committee and those who are here in interest, that it will be necessary for the committee not only to hear the arguments for and against this particular bill, but also to bear in mind the question of its availability or the wisdom of legislating on it at this time, and also various other aspects which might conflict with any one of the several movements directed toward consolidation and concentration. I mention these matters in order that you may all have a fair understanding of the scope of these hearings. I wish to say it is rather embarrassing for the committee to be obliged to mix up the possible considerations of these various endeavors in order to work out efficient and concentrated methods in connection with the consideration of the actual merits of this bill. So I wish, quite in accord with what has been my particular experience with many of you, personally by word and more frequently by letter, to urge you to possess your souls in patience. This committee has not sidestepped nor avoided this issue at any moment. The chairman can be included in that statement. The committee has, however, had its manifest duties to perform in connection with the Government of the United States and the possible and logical operations of the Congress. We have thus far undertaken to consider matters as they have appeared in logical order, with a view to fitting in with the general program, and it would never have been of any avail to have taken up this bill for consideration, so far as its passage through the House is to be considered. It could not have been reached. We therefore come to you, I believe and I think it is due to the committee to have this said-with a frank, flat statement that this bill coming up to-day is really in logical order for the first time. 5 |