To take one of the latest examples of social problems: In every thousand children in the public schools of any city, probably of the town also, there are perhaps fifty who are ill-nourished (not necessarily underfed), ill-clothed, unwashed, and deprived of good air for sleeping. What is the duty of the public? This is one of the burning questions of the moment. Send missionary teachers to the homes, some say, but that is costly; the selection of the suitable missionary is difficult, and the result may be slight. Others say, give one good luncheon at the school, for which the children pay in part or in whole, and make that an education which, by the aid of the school nurse, will in time affect a change in habit. In short, the problem is this: Shall the children suffer in childhood and become a burden on society in adult years, or shall society protect itself from future expense by community care now? “Because _finding_ diseases and defects does not protect children unless discovery is followed by _treatment_, fifty-eight cities take children to dispensaries or instruct at schoolhouses; fifty-eight send nurses from house to house to instruct parents and to persuade them to have their families cared for; 101 send out cards of instruction to parents either by mail or the children; while 157 cities have arranged special coöperation with dispensaries, hospitals, and relief societies for giving the children the shoes or clothing or medical and dental care which is found necessary.”[10] [10] Bulletin, Bureau of Municipal Research. Nearly all preventive measures adopted by society and ranked as paternalism by timid philanthropists are or may be educative and temporary at the same time. They may be dropped as soon as the end is gained. The attention of parents must be called to neglected duties. Compulsory attention to such duties as affect the wards of society, the children, may be needed for a time. Just as the wise father, taking the child for a walk, allows him to run free as soon as his strength and courage permit, so the paternalism of society is relaxed as soon as its _protégées_ show themselves both able and willing to do the right thing without its aid or command. Compulsory school attendance places responsibility for certain care, vaccination, decent clothing, good food, decent shelter. The thousand and one ways in which society is now protecting itself are all educating the newcomers to American ideals. They are all intended to make efficient, self-sustaining citizens who do not feel the pull of the law or the bond of outside care. It is the last conflict between the ideals of individualism and those of the community need, subordinating the individual preference. Much wisdom and forbearance will be needed to secure this community ideal, but in that way evidently lies progress. It behooves the leaders of social effort to make all their work educational, and thus remove the necessity for a repetition in the future.