The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-12
4 TEACHER on SCHOOL LUNCHEoNs
She Scores Mothers Convention for
Not VentiIating the Question.

Not VentiIatinS the Question.
New York, Nov. 81 believe" remark
ed the veteran school principal, that the
basis of most of the breakdowns on the
part Of both teachers and pupils is the
luncheon question. What do you suppose
causes the general collapse at the end of
the school year $ inevitable? Improper
lunching, youu find in nine cases out of
ten.
IT'S preposterous to think a girl of II or
u years of age should become bundle of
nerves with water for blood under a rOu-
tine of four hours school attendance and
practically no work at home. Why do
you know when 1 was a little girl going TO
a village school, everyone Of US children
had no end of chores TO do around the
house besides getting no end of lessons out
Of school hours, and We went to school
at half past eight and weren't dismissed
until l. And did we break down under it?
Never heard of such a thing. Even now in
Germany and France children work much
longer hours at school than they do here
and breaking down is unheard of. Again
IT'S the Iunching question.
in the country we either went home and
had a hot dinner al noon or took whole
some cod lunch and ate 1t during the noon
recess.
city children are very often given an
allowance of FIVE or ten cents a day with
which to buy their luncheon. And as a
rule they use about as little judgment as
their mothers do in giving them money.
You can get a glass of milk and two large
rolls for 5 cents az any of the little bake
shops near by but I've yet to hear of
youngster who buys anything so sensible.
Cream puffs and ice cream soda are the
most popular lunch. Once in while an
unconsciously sensible child lays out his
money on the penny chocolate bars of the
slot machine. OF course he has a notion
-,
but chocolate IS really nutritious and sus-
tanning. while there's nothing at all to be
said I'm favor of cream puffs and soda.
when the children having their lunch
cons, as some few of them do
in paper boxes or wrapped in
how few of them have anything
appetlzing. As a rule they have nothing
but thick slices of bread with the crusts on
and the butter carelessly spread. The
meat is In chunks, and the whole thing
anything but tempting. Mothers don't
seem to realize the Importance of this
luncheon question. They think anything
will do and as a result the children are
ashamed of their lunch. They go off in
dark corner and gobble 1t hurriedly, or
they throw half of 1t away. A very little
forethought would enable even the busiest
mother to have a variety Of tasty and in
expensive lunches. It's a lack of appreci-
Teachers at Fault.
but the teachers after all are not much
more sensible. We were discussing the
luncheon problem among ourselves
not long ago and one young
teacher admitted that since school
began her luncheon every day
had consisted of ginger snaps and pickles
brought from the corner grocery by an
ob5iging pupil. I've been watching her
since and I'm not surprised to find that
she is decidedly irritable and impatient
towards the end of the afternoon sess on.
Another teacher assured me that she feels
perfectly well on a luncheon of soda crack
ers and tea.
4 haven't any scheme TO boom but I
think the French system a very wise one
for both teachers and pupils I suppose,
however. it wouldn't take here a all,
cept, perhaps in the very poorest sections
of the largest cities, and there 1t might
do as much harm as good. You know in
Paris they regard a cook and a kitchen as
quite as indispensable a part of the school
as ian tors and teachers. Every child is
given his bowl Of soup and piece of bread
i'm quite the same matter of course fashion
that we give him calls henics to make him
a physically well developed person. l have
an impression though that IL is only in the
primary schools that the custom pre-
walls In this county we need Z more in
the schools Cor older pupils. AS a rule the
primary children live near enough to the
school 10 go home OF noon, and it is only
the teachers who suffer. \ majority of the
grammar and high school pupils usually
live farther away.
where we have tried the lunch coun-
ter. 1 think it has been a failure. That
is for everybody except the caterer. He
rents the privilege and sells his wares at
fair profit. There is no intelligent SUI
pervision, and the school lunch counter
does more harm than good to the chill
dren's digestive machinery. l know one
little girl who boasts that her lunches only
cost her 8 cents a day. For that sum
she buys coffee and pie or doughnuts from
the school ca terer. l don't wonder n all
| that she has violent headaches and is
getting round-shouldered and worn out
| Such a diet would make a dyspeptc wreck
of a sturdy adult, let alone a delicate girl
| If there were somebody to supervise the
| counter and see that nothing but hygienic
| foods We're served some good might be
accomplished. If l could have forbidden
| coffee and tea and pie and doughnuts and
| bread and fruit, my little friend would
| be stronger at the end of the year than at
| the beginning, instead of the nervous
| wreck I'm sure she will be. I've really
| been rash enough TO hope the mothers
| convention might take up the subject. but
| of course they have nothing to do with
| anything so near at hand The next CEN
| fury is more interesting. but l don't think
| il Is more important do you?"
One of the provisions In the last will Of
| lar % Nafhanial 40 Pot 1