The house was a ramshackle, rickety affair. The steps wobbled so dangerously as the Home Service worker climbed them that she feared that they would break under her. Certainly it was not the sort of place in which the family of a man in the service of his country ought to be obliged to stay. The Home Service worker immediately arranged to move the family to other and more cheerful quarters.
But what about the next family that might move into the house? There ought to be no next family or at least not until the building could be repaired. The Home Service worker knew the law regulating the condition of houses. She was, therefore, able to make a beginning of remedying the trouble by reporting what she had seen to a city official whose business it was to act upon such complaints.
In another town the family of a sailor had been buying a house upon a partial payment plan. The dwelling was not connected with the city sewer. The Home Service workers learned that the municipality was compelled by law to make such connections allowing the householder to reimburse it by installments for the expenditure. Accordingly, they saw to it that the local authorities did their duty.
By enforcing the housing regulations in these two instances the Home Service workers helped to make it more certain that in the future the law would be observed. Thus the interest of the Red Cross in the welfare of the families of the men in the service leads it from the home to the town, so that ieraately its work affects the welfare of everybody.
When an evil condition is found to exist in a city or a state, the first thing that people think of is the passage of a bill by the Legislature. Thereupon, everybody is satisfied and the public is likely to imagine that what was wrong will thereafter be right. Unless, however, someone makes it his or her business to see that the law is enforced, the city or the state is no better off than it was before.
Here, then, is an additional service which fi Red Cross is performing. In the course of its work with families it comes into touch with every phase of city government and also with the many institutions and organizations which, with the support of private funds, are engaged in public work. Each time that the Home Service worker takes a child from a factory or a workshop and sees that he returns to school, she helps to make the laws prohibiting child labor effective—and, as was indicated in Chapter III, this returning of children to school is constantly being done by the Red Cross. The need for such action exists particularly, according to the National Child Labor Committee, in several states where there has been a relaxing of the enforcement of the Child Labor Laws.
When the sons or the younger brothers of the men in the service, being no different from other boys, get into trouble by knocking baseballs through neighbors' windows or by exerting their energy in some way that results in a violation of the law, the Red Cross worker finds herself taking an interest in the operation of the court. And because of this interest, the local magistrate or justice of the peace cannot help but be influenced to be considerate and thoughtful in his work so that here again all children are benefited by reason of the activity of the Red Cross. Similarly, it is not unlikely that during or after the war many towns will develop additional playgrounds because the Home Service workers have found through their acquaintance with the children of soldiers and sailors that more playgrounds are needed.
There are in every city things of this sort which are everybody's business. Home Service, however, touches the lives of so many people in so many different ways that there is scarcely any part of the life of the town with which the Red Cross workers do not become acquainted.
Is the Board of Health capable? After the Home Service Section has arranged for the treatment of sickness in the families of soldiers and sailors it begins to feel able to answer this question. There are scores of similar questions with which the Red Cross workers as a result of their experience in helping the households of the men in the army and navy soon find themselves to be asking.
Does the town protect its milk and water supply? Is there any system of inspection for this purpose and are the inspectors efficient? What is being done to prevent tuberculosis? Is there a dispensary for the treatment of this disease? Is a nurse employed to visit and to discover persons suffering from consumption? What efforts are being made to reduce infant mortality? Is there any place in town where a mother can receive instruction about the care of her baby? Is there a hospital in the neighborhood? Is it well conducted? What facilities does the town offer for the care of aged men and women who have no relatives or friends to help them?
What opportunities are there for children to obtain recreation? Are there clubs which they can join? Do they belong to the Junior Red Cross? Is there a troop of Boy Scouts or an organization of Camp Fire Girls in town? Is there vacant land that could be turned into playgrounds? Must children who have broken the law be brought before the same court in which criminals appear or is there a juvenile court? Where do children stay when they are placed under arrest? Is there a special detention home or must they be taken to the jail with older offenders who may teach them bad habits and start them in criminal ways? Must every child who has done wrong be sent to an institution or does the magistrate obtain a promise of better behavior from the child, and is there attached to the court a probation officer who will help the child keep his promise?
What sort of factories are there in the neighborhood? Are they healthful and sanitary places in which to work? What is the state law regulating the hours of labor of women and children? Are women being overworked? What industries give families piece-work to do in their own homes? What is the rate of pay for such home work?
Is there a part of the town in which immigrants live? How do their homes compare in sanitation and general healthfulness with the other houses of the town? Are there churches for these people? What is being done to introduce the immigrants to American life? Are there classes for the teaching of English? Are these prospective citizens becoming naturalized? What part are they taking in the affairs of the town? In politics?
These and many other questions the Home Service workers soon find themselves asking.[2] In trying to solve the problems about which the families of soldiers and sailors seek their advice, the representatives of the Red Cross come into touch with the things which affect the welfare of all the people. And when an intelligent group of citizens begin to be interested in the way in which the courts, the hospitals, the schools, the institutions of the city are conducted, improvement is sure to follow. Thus the Home Service of the Red Cross may perform a service to the whole town. In helping the families of soldiers and sailors it indirectly helps everybody.
Review of Chapter VII
This is a chapter of many questions. How many of them can you answer?
- ↑ The problems described in this chapter, while of interest to all who are concerned with the welfare of their fellows, are presented chiefly from the point of view of the larger towns and cities.
- ↑ A pamphlet which will suggest many other questions of this sort is What Social Workers Should Know About Their Own Communities, by Margaret F. Byington, Russell Sage Foundation, 130 East 22d Street, New York City. Price, ten cents.