The tendency is, however, a proof of two things, one that we are as a people becoming a nation; that is more a centralized and united governmental force--and the other that more and more people are trying in every way to secure a more uniform as well as a higher standard of living for all our citizens.
=A Women's Lobby at the National Capitol.=--It is said that the most powerful lobby in Washington is "the Public Welfare Lobby backed by seven million organized American women." This lobby is composed of representatives of the following organizations of women with number of members estimated as indicated: National League of Women Voters 2,000,000 General Federation of Women's Clubs 2,000,000 Women's Christian Temperance Union 500,000 National Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associations 310,000 National Women's Trade Union League 600,000 Daughters of the American Revolution 200,000 American Home Economics Association 1,800 National Consumers' League (No number given) American Association of University Women 16,000 National Council of Jewish Women 50,000 Girls' Friendly Society 52,000 Young Women's Christian Association 560,000 National Federation of Business and Professional Women 40,000 Women's League for Peace and Freedom 2,500 This represents a formidable influence upon public affairs, one that may do some harm along with much good, unless it goes to school to social facts and balances its social sympathy (already shown in such alert attention to the needs of the weaker and younger portion of the nation) with sober and sane understanding of the difficulty of getting progress in any line unless a majority of the people are unitedly in favor of it and willing to sacrifice something in order to secure it.
There are signs already that among the leaders of women in the new organization of Women Voters there is a feeling that the pendulum may swing too far toward philanthropic measures, for some of which the general public is as yet unprepared.

The call is already made for more concentration upon the better enforcement of existing laws, rather than upon constant demand for new legislation in the interest of social welfare.
=Women's Interest in Public Life a Social Asset.=--The fact, however, that so many women are actively engaged not only in watching legislation and in learning the character and ability of political leaders in the national Congress, but also in trying to raise the average life of the people of the country by and through better laws and more efficient enforcement, is cause for great encouragement.

It shows that women came into their kingdom of political power just as the state was ready to take on the functions no longer fully expressed within the family circle.

If we must be shocked by learning that a baby a day is being given away in New York City through advertisements in the daily papers, and with a haste and carelessness that proves lack of responsibility in parents and guardians, we may be relieved of fear that love of children is dying out when we see what are the things that millions of women are now banded together to secure for the betterment of all child-life.

Largely owing to such efforts, fewer babies die during the first year of life now in any listed one hundred thousand, than ever before in our American history.