The morning times., 1897-02-02
$500 A MONTH
STARVING CHILDREN
In Vienna $4,000 Public school Pu-
pills Want for Food.

tVienna Letter in Chicago RecordD
Upward OF $4,000 children attending the
Vienna elementary schools are in actual
want OF food. i have been over several
OF the nineteen districts into which the
metropolis, with its population OF 800 900
souls, is enthusiastically divided. 1 have
cross-exaIained the little ones and inter
viewed the teachers, male and female, of
some OF the largest Institutions. Judging
from all l can giean-and II is a shocking
al-the destitUtion increases year by year
in the cold season, when about 100 900
adults OF the Iaboring classes are out of
regular work more or less constantly
Thousands OF the children are sent empty
to school, barefooted and in rags, hun
dreds being so exhausted as to SwOon III
the classrooms- The more fortunate feed
at midday at the soup and dinncr-kitchens
for the children OF the poor, supported
by charitable institutions and worked On
the same principles as the kitchens for
the starving adults.
But the good done by these associations
and private persons may be Hkened to q
drop OF water,' as a teacher / questioned
observed, in a bottle OF ink" Another
teacher said I'VE teachers are doing ali
W Z eau iLlOuEu CAttutlNt COiliilAlLtSS u
raise funds TO feed and clOthe the children.
We appeal TO the public, but with what
result? Ninety per cent of the destitute
remain unfed.' Some OF the more for
tunate children l spoke To l found ter
ribIy eInaciated, in rags and bare feet.
They liked going To school because it
was warmer there than at home. They
did not like Sundays and holidays on,
no; the schools Were closed then, and there
was no warmth; and SO, too, were the
charity kitchens, and there was no food all
day | spoke of these children US the
more fortunate. 4 meal a day, six days
OF the week, keeps their bodies and souls
together, and there is always a chance OF
finding fOcd in Some shape or other at
home, should father or mother have Sc
cured work The $4,000 starving are far
worse off. No kitchen tickets come their
way, as a general order OF things, and
gladly would they feed on the husks cast
to swine Perhaps of the nineteen dis
tricts, Hernals. the Tenth district, being
the poorest, though by no means the iarg-
est, is the worst off in respect To Kitchens
OF the $4,000 children attending the
district schools, 1888 figure as 'desti-
tute." OF this latter total, S32, accord
ing to the latest statistics, are fed at mldday y
by the Central Association and private indi-
viduals While a residue OF 3,O2I may be
said to be literally starving. BY act of
parliament, the Austrian children under
| the age of fourteen years are prohibited
| earning their living in part even in
| their leisure hours. Not only is school at
| tendance compulsory until the attainment
| of that age, but it is vigorously enforced.
Before the passing OF the act thousands Of
! children attending the schools earned sUr-
/ ficient to support themselves in part" A
| day wage of 3 kreuZeTs-less than cents
/ -judiciOusly invested, would suffice 10
| board them. emitting them to three sub
| stantial meals. The midday meal doled
| out in nigcardly fashion in charity 10 the
| children admitted TO the kitchens consists
| of & slice of bread and basin OF soup
thickened with flour and vegetables. The
children cry for more, but there is no
! second helping, and, crying piteously, they
are sent half empty away BY enforcing
education and by depriving the children
| of every chance of earning even cents
per diem, the government is killing 35
| rer cent of the rising generation by slow
| but sure degrees.