The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-28
DR.. Andre VS. "Hygienlc Lunch" I"

DR.. L.. Benjamin Andrews, president Of
Brown University, has been talking to Illinois
teachers at Springf cid upon "The Public
School System as an Instrumentality Of Social
Advance"
DR.. Andrews has recently had some valu-
able experience in social and political advance
and as TO WI at is desirable by way Of general
Improvement Of the public school system be
is probably "a safe enough guide. But when
the president Of university assails the old
fashioned public school 'lunch" be has
marked out n big contract. and his energies,
though well meant, are misdirected.
According to the president OF Brown, 'the
school authorities should furnish TO the pupils
every day an aesthetic, high-class, hygienic
luncheon" Where the scht oil trustees would
get their authority and their chefs for such
an undertaking DR.. Andrews does not specify.
In fact most people who are in favor of
changing the existing order of things, social,
educational or political, arc somewhat rcti-
cent when il comes to discussion Of ways
and means 10 bring about their special
patented res forms.
Eut while bygienic luncheons and pink teas
might improve our public schools ON their
aesthetic side good many people who look
back with pleasure to ''the little red school
house" or the little white schoolhouse of the
country district will read with surprise
President Andrews's statements about lunch.
"If they carry it with them" he says. "to
school il is cold. unhy gienic and indgestible.
The extra strain thus put upon ths physical
forces impCdes the operation OF the brain,
and the Lest results from study are impossi-
blc."
These statements are probably: made IN
good faith, but ii is ev dent that Lr. Andrews
never attended country school walking two
or three miles or more through the snow and
carrying his lunch The way doug hnuts,
apple pie, bread AID butter, chicken, apples,
cake and other ''unhy genie articles disap-
pear at the noon hour would probably dismay
learned college president. But after that
lunch let him follow the boys and girls to the
play grounds and take part with them up 10
the last tap OF the noon bell and he would
forget all about the unhygienic character OF
tho lunch he had eaten and would only bo
sorry he had not brought more Of IL. The
city boys and girls, if they go home 10 lunch
have to walk as AN appetizer and the home
LUNCHEON on the average would probably com
pare very favoraby to that turned out by
the caterer in general 10 school children
under DR.. Andrews plan.
The great trouble with school teachers at
present seems To be that they are directing
too ,auch thought 10 coddllng boys aud girls
and that in addition to the arts they are paid
to exercise they seem to be willing to take
upon their shoulders great part Of the bur
dens and responsibilities that properly belong
to the home. 1t is not desirable that the
public schools turn out lot of molly coddles
or that hygienic lunch counter be regarded
as an indispensable part Of an educational
outfit. When frnds are sufficient to build the
best sonoohouses possible and employ first
class teachers in them for nine or ten months
in the year il will be time enough TO attend
to pink teas and hygienic luncheons. Chicago
Daily News.