The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-03-21


and moral development as far as cir
cumstances will permit. The mana
gers do not stop with the giving of
shelter, food and care in the absence
of the parents. They realize here an
opportunity to influence in all good
ways these future voters, workers,
fathers, mothers.
The need met by these Creches is
not that children be taken entirely
from the care of the parents, kept in
food and some clothing and educated,
leaving the parents to provide only
for themselves; but it is that some
temporary shelter during the work
hours, shall be supplied, for which
the parents shall pay as they ale
able, in order that they may feel that
they are providing for their children.
Various agencies have been engaged
in this work, as the Kings Daughters,
City Missions, and churches and phil
anthropic individuals.
Kindergartening.
Kindergartening is another agency
that has come and is coming more
and more into use in American cities
to bless and lift up the children. 1t
is doing wonders in preventing crime,
mendicancy and trampism by direct
ing the children in right ways and
by helping them to realize their own
powers for good. Every one who
understands kindergartening knows
how it trains all the useful and higher
faculties of the child in ways that
will benefit both the child and soci-
ETY.. have not time to tell, nor do 1
understand all the details of the
work. But plead for something to
bedone along this line commensurate
with the needs in every great city.
Especially would l emphasize the ne
cessity for operating such system
in those poorer districts where our
youth are most exposed to the evil
influences = those sections where
criminals and paupers are bred and
cultivated.
And since our State has wisely Civ
en- us law by which to operate and
support the kindergarten as part of
our public school system, 1 ask that
the pastors of our city churches kind
ly consider the desirability and feas-
Utility of at once organizing I'M
der that law, and if they concur in
these matters l ask that they help to
set the influence in motion to secure
the adoption of this system, and that
shall establish system also of Day
Nurseries in these more exposed parts
of our cities where the dangerous ele
ments are most likely to be gener-
ated.
The law to which l allude reads as
follows: (Sec. 1858 Each Board of
Education of any city, special or
village school district, may, if it
so choose, at any regular or spe-
cial meeting, establish kindergarten
schools in connection with the pub
lie schools of said city, special or vii
lage school district, for the children
of said city, special or village school
district, between the ages of four and
six years; and may at the meeting
provided for in section 1858, deter
mine what part of the contingent
fund provided for in sections 1858
and 1869 shall be set aside for such
purposes, provided no part of the
State fund shall be appropriated
therefor; but said Boards of Educa-
ton may provide an additional sum
for said kindergarten instruction by
the levy of tax not exceeding one
mill in addition to the levy provided
for in section 1859, as March "a, 1892.
$50 o. L. 1922
Both Systems Needed.
OF course there will be no conflict
in operating the kindergarten and
day nursery, for the latter will care
only for those under four years of
age. And the best results can only
be secured under the combined ope-
ration of the two syetems. l believe
that all of that gap of years between
birth and present recognized school
age should be so abridged by these
two systems as that all the children
of our city who are not properly
cared for, by reason of neglect or in
ability on the part of the parents, or
who are exposed to vile companion
ships and debasing influences, shall
have such early and continued care
and training as will make it both
possible and probable that they will
grow up to be good and useful citi-
zens. But if we can not have both
these systems operated let us have at
least, to begin with, one of them con-
Quoted in a systematic manner.