s than
any one agency. During the war the local chapters of the Red Cross were
authorized to give assistance to soldiers' families in any way possible.
This involved rural as well as town families, and the need of organized
social work became apparent in thousands of rural communities. When
peace was declared, the local chapters were authorized to extend the
Civilian Relief work to civilian families in territory where there was
no other organization doing welfare work, which meant practically all of
the rural United States, providing the work was carried on by trained
workers on a basis approved by the division headquarters. The family
welfare work of the Red Cross was happily named "Home Service" and has
been organized in many rural counties where its value has been
repeatedly demonstrated. The work is directly in charge of a social
worker employed by the county chapter but the local branch in each
community is encouraged to form a Home Service Committee which looks
after the local work as far as it is able, calls in the county worker
when needed, and gives her all the assistance possible. Thus the work is
localized and each community has a definite group of workers who feel
responsible for looking after those needing the community's assistance
and who are learning how to do this in an intelligent manner. No other
agency organized on a national basis has attempted any systematic
organization of social welfare work in local rural communities.

_Social Education of Rural Opinion._--The primary need for the care of
the dependent of the rural community is for a better understanding of
their needs by its more intelligent and public-spirited people. It is a
matter of social education. Social work so-called has had a rapid
development in our cities to meet the situation caused by their sudden
growth with large numbers of foreigners having different standards of
living and unable to adjust themselves to strange conditions with
congested districts where housing and sanitation is poor and with
poverty due to unemployment, sickness, and with the many factors which
result from the complexities of city life. The city slum first
challenged the humanity of the better people and numerous philanthropic
organizations grew up in an effort to give assistance to needy families
and children. For the most part this work has been financed by the
wealthy, has been carried on by social workers who have had special
training for such service, and