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provision of school meals or the provision of a midwife in
necessitous cases than the fact that the husband only gives
the wife enough to cover the bare necessaries of existence
while he himself conceals his actual earnings. The result is
that the woman during the years of her life when she is
bearing and rearing children is subjected to undue physical
stress and mental anxiety. I think proper safe-guards
should be instituted with a view of eliminating this inequality
which is not in the national interests. More recently the
matter of mothers' pensions or mothers' wages—it does not
matter which you call them—has been advocated, as well
as increased maternity benefit.
The relationship of illegitimacy to infant mortality is
particularly striking. Roughly 3 per cent, of all births are
illegitimate and it is found that the infant mortality rate
amongst these children is twice that of legitimate children.
I am not concerned with the moral problem involved, but i
am anxious that the lives of these children should be saved.
As far as possible, every child should be under the care of
its mother, but in some cases an institutional mother may
be necessary and should be provided.
Every child from birth upwards should be under regular
medical supervision and there should be in addition advice
at hand when the child is out of sorts. Parents only too
frequently, on account of the cost, put off seeking medical
advice until it is too late. Medical advice can now be had
at the Council's Clinic which, however, at present is much
over-crowded. Skilled medical treatment should be available
for the child at home, at the clinic, and at the hospital.
However this provision is made it should not be by any
recognition or extension of the principle of panel practice.
The doctors employed by the Local Authority should be
eager, skilled clinicians, anxious to do the best thing