Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-23
THAT LONG RECESS.
0emesRs or The SCHOOL eoARp
THINK " lMPRAcTlcAelE.
Sssns rssress Favor and soms oppose IN.
frspased Change Rec
= ooos om Roth sldes.

u.
pcrrow night. but Il IL hardly probable
snat the Committee on Teachers and
schools WIN he ready 10 report upon
She question Of iensthcning the dinner re-
eess IN the public schools Of the city.
careful consideration has been given to
she subject By the Committee on Teachers
INA Schools. of which Mr.. T.. ID. starke
- chairsuan. and an effort has been made
- set at the sentiment OF the patrons
~ the schools upon the matter. In fact.
Ill the members OF the School BOARD have
interested themselves In the question with
= view Of arriving at solution which
would rcdoend to the greatest advantage
and convenience 10 both pupils and pa
Ssnts.
From what could be learned by a Dis
patch reporter. who interviewed several
members OF the School Board yesterday.
no change is likely TO be made in tho
present rule with reference TO recess.
VIEWS OF MEMBERS.
Hon. j. Taylor Ellyson, president Of
The board. when seen. said that In hts
position he had not felt like discussing
ehe proposition until the committee made
s.s sePSte anu Hiofe itknt was hau upon
The matter.
MIR. E. y. Starke. chairman OF the
Committee on Teachers and Schools.
Stated that he did not think any change
would be made. He had talked with
large numoer OF patrons OF the schools,
pnd FOUND that great many favored
The proposed lengthening Of the dinner re-
cess, and that great many opposed II,
1he latter being in the majority. Mr..
Stsrke said good reasons were advanced
by both sides but IL seemed TO him that
there was too much objection TO the
change to warrant the board in making
%. he added that the board at no time
had any idea OF lengthening the recess
et the High School.
Mr.. r. Edgar Shine, a member OF the
board from the East End or First Dis
trict. sad he had CLEANED from observa>
tion that the move was not a popular
one. though some citizens favored and
Others were opposed to 1T.
Colonel A. l.. Phillips. a member from
the Third District. gave views which
practically conceded with those OF
'&essrs. Starke and Shine. He had found
considerable opposition 10 the change.
and likewise had seen many persons who
preferred that their children should be
permitted to go home and get warm
uinner. instead OF having 10 carry
lunch with them TO the school-room. Col
0nei Philips stated II as his belief that
the scheme would work a hardship. espe-
eislly IN bad weather, upon the pupils
from poor families who live far away
from the schools and said he doubted IL
ehe change would be at all practicable In
fhe colored institutions.
WHAT CITIZENS THINK.
Colonel John ID. Cary. who was for
many years Superintendent of the Public
Schools Of the city, and subsequently
chairman of the Council Committee on
Schools. would regard the change as
good one for the very small children,
whose constitutions are hardly suii-
ciently developed TO warrant their being
tonfined at the school-house so long with
emily n lunch, which would litter up ana
6eface the school-rooms. He did not see,
however. that IL would be so well for
1he more advanced pupils. who could
stand the tax very well
Mr.. s. w. Harwood said he thought
the idea was impractieable. Some of the
children would have too far TO walk.
Besides, there was no uniform dinner
hour In Richmond. and many Of the chill
6ren would not get any dinner at all.
Mr.. Oscar Cranz, Jr.. expressed him.
self as In favor of the long recess emil
drsn. ne thought, were confined too long
in school on n stretch.
DIR. c. W. y. Brock said he had not
given the matter much thought, but as
az present advised he did not think the
change would be advantageous to the chill
dren. Mr.. Bruce Cook said that from what
his son. who Is a pupil in one of the pub
1ic schools had told him, he did not think
the change would be desirable. The walk
home and back to school would be very
hard on some of the children. especially
sn winter. All the children would have
less time for recreation after schooi-
hours.
SHOULD HAVE HOT DINNERS.
"Why shouldn't the children be per-
united 10 60 to their dinners?' said Mr..
w. J. Epps. Such rule obtained be-
fore the war when / was boy and
think were the School Board TO put IL IN
vogue again 1t would prove an excellent
move" -
Mr.. John Spott thought eating hot
dinner would make the youngsters slug
gish. and seriously interfere with their
studies in the afternoon.
81 don't think the proposition a good
one. and see no reason for making any
change" remarked Mr. Morris Cren-
shaw.
Mr.. Henry L. Watkins said: IF any
ehange is made in the school-hour. In my
school without a recess until ! o'clock,
and then released for the day. That would
be far better than walking them to ana
from school twice q day"
DIR. c. A. Mercer: MY folks don't ike
the idea i have FIVE children In the
public schools, and / would rather they
should stay there until O'Clock
sI have heard the proposition adversely
di.cussed at my house" said Mr.. c. Y.
Bargamin $50 presume that such an
arrangement would interfere with domes-
tic arrangements"
II don't know anything in the world
about IT," was Captain Merriwether
Joness reply TO the reporters query
Major W. r. Simons said: Il don't
know that securing hot dinner at noon
will be OF any advantage to the children.
They carry their luncheons TO school with
them, and that ought TO suffice"
IL don't think IL good idea SAID