Wastage of Human Resources (1947)

when tragedy strikes in an American city with a disastrous Hotel fire we are shocked and horrified before this Blaze was extinguished 52 people had lost their lives among the dead were Alfred Hilton pianist audiences lost the inspiration and pleasure that a fine musician can give John brigh machinist industry lost the productive power of a skilled Workman Jane Edwards housewife a family lost a mother's care and affection these people lost their lives and the world lost their skill their Artistry and their services fires and other catastrophes are dramatic events which attract wide attention but we ignore the less spectacular but continuous wastage and erosion of our population every day we are tragically wasting our Human Resources by failure to provide for healthful and Effective Living wastage of Human Resources occurs at all age levels but infancy is an especially hazardous period in a single year the United States has recorded over 60,000 infant deaths in the first month of life in the next 11 months of Life over 40,000 more infant deaths adding the number of still births would bring the figure to over 180,000 these infant deaths could be cut in half if the available health and medical knowledge bearing on infant and prenatal care were widely applied next to infancy childhood is the most hazardous period of life in these years children are exposed to many dangers of the physical environment these dangers cause by far the greatest number of deaths in the childhood years accidents like this that kill and [ __ ] thousands of children every year are caused by carelessness and inadequate safety precautions they are almost all preventable and so are diseases like pneumonia and influenza which also take a heavy toll in sickness and death among this age group most of these losses too could be avoided by early use of preventive measures and better Medical Care in various diseases which attack growing children and haer their normal development their childhood is robbed of happiness and blighted by physical disaster even though children may Escape accident or disease they may be neglected maltreated or subjected to conditions that stunt their bodies and warp their personalities after the childhood years with their attending hazards boys and girls face the transition to adolescence this is a period of Rapid physical growth and social adjustment it is also an important time for education for citizens ship for family life and for useful and personally satisfying work yet many youths especially in rural areas where schools are often poor are denied the opportunity for essential education in cities they leave school for deadend jobs that allow for little mental and Vocational growth they fail to get the training necessary for more productive work many spend their time in unhealthy surroundings that Foster juvenile delinquency especially among those who have had an unhappy childhood this is an inexcusable waste of our most valuable resource that might do it the records of our Juvenile Courts all plainly show how widespread is this tragic waste of Youth this wastage could be prevented by more adequate provision for the basic basic needs of Youth just as there are many hazards to mental and Social Development of Youth there are also many hazards to their health these hazards often go unrecognized even by youth itself at this time energy has expend a variety of sports and social activities but in spite of youthful and vitality they already have hidden handicaps heart ailments for example far too many youths do not receive adequate Medical Care and health supervision the neglect of Health in childhood and youth was in a large measure responsible for the conditions revealed by Selective Service examinations for World War II about 2third of our available Manpower of military age were fit to fight the other one-third was rejected or later discharged for nervous and mental disorders muscular and skeletal defects venial disease hernia heart diseases ear nose and throat disorders poor eyes tuberculosis and other causes and these were the findings with a group of men at the most vigorous time of life the middle years of life should be the most productive years on Farm in Mill and Factory yet many are not at work because of accidents illness and occupational disease millions of productive hours are lost reducing income for workers and their families and reducing production for society many are are unable to work because of chronic illnesses such as tuberculosis which blights so many adult lives at their most productive period many chronic illnesses of this type come from bowsing poverty and lack of health care and protection these adverse conditions dangerous as they are for the men who work in the Mills and factories threaten even more the health of women in the home Medical Science has greatly reduced the dangers to mothers but wider application of medical knowledge on prenatal and obstetrical Care is necessary if we are to give adequate protection to all our families while the energies and skills of a nation's people are its vital resources often they are wasted by unemployment and involuntary idleness this not only deprives Society of services but also robs workers of income needed for their families and undermines their self-confidence further wastage of skills and energies takes place in old age in these years too the continuing wastes of life and vital present a serious problem many old people are victims of accidents that [ __ ] or chronic diseases that bring handicaps impairments and unhappiness still others vainly seek work because of their need for an income and their desire to be useful with no work to do and no recognized place or real interest in living the agent often spend their last years in bitterness and unhappiness many men and women at all ages are confined in institutions in reformatories and in prisons in these ways too a large part of our population is being wasted temporarily or permanently in custody they are cut off from normal social and economic life others are in institutions for mental defectives and in state hospitals for mental disorders the number of such cases is increasing and we must add to these drug addicts who waste their own powers and the resources of society finally there is war the most tragic waste of all 20 million killed by War from 1941 to 1945 50 million like these disabled uncounted millions of the world uprooted and displaced this wastage of the world's Human Resources by War need not occur again one of the most cherished documents of our democracy proclaims the inalienable rights of all men to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness what a challenge to every one of us