Dec, 17.—From_ the speech of President-elect Harding to the Ohio Federation of Child Conservation League and from statements made by him during the campaign, it may be assumed that one of the first recommendations he will make to Congress will be for the creation of a new executive department to be known as the department. of public welfare. It: is probable that such a suggestion from the new President will meet with a ready response from Congress and that the necessary legislation will not be delayed. It would, in fact. be in line with the movement uow under way to co-ordinate and reorganize the work of several bureaus which are now operating unsatisfactorily beeuuse of divided responsibility and a duplication of effort.
Existing bureaus in operation under different. departments would form the nucleus of the new department. of welfare, but the scope of its helpfulness is unlimited. Mr, Harding looks forward to great. possibilities in this line, as is evidenced by these word:
While my own ideal envisages a broad po for the new department, giving it concern with many other phases of human welfare, its creation will, for the first time, place this great work on a plane of dignity comparable to that given it in many other countries.
There is a rather genera] belief that the first secretary of the new department will be a woman, this conviction being based not only upon a desire by the' new administration to extend proper recognition to the women voters, but because the contemplated new cabinet position would be a most appropriate one for a woman to fill. There is significance in the following statement made by the President-elect in his recent speech d believe the participation by women will presently bring to men a better understanding of the interests of women and children, of the home, the school and all their relations to the social structure. Likewise, I believe it will bring to women a larger and more adequate conception of the complex, difficult interrelationship between the problems of business, of politics, of finance and of materia] administration.
This utterance certainly will be construed as indicating Mr. Harding's purpose to place the department..of welfare in charge of a woman, and unless something happens to change his mind, it need cause no surprise to see a woman sitting in the cabinet coun-oils before the expiration of the ensuing presidential term.
Senator Harding's interest in the social and economic problems which confront the nation will meet with the approval of all right thinking people; of both sexes and.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.