The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-03
SCHOOL TRUSTEES ACT
The Sale of Anti Cigarette Badges
TO Pup IS Prohibited.
Questions Proposed by the Medical
Society for the Physical Examina-
ton to BE withdrawals. wheip-
ley's Letter to Conn sioncr Mac
farInnd-The Views of the Latter.

]. w. Whelpley, President Of the Boart
of School Trustees. yesterday wrote tc
Commissioner Macfarland informing him
of the formal action o. the board in the
matter of the supervision Of the physica
examination and permit to sell anti-cig-
arctic badges in the schools.
Mr. Whelpley says that on Thursday the
board considered both matters and decided
that the questions proposed by the Medical
Society of the District should se with
drawn ard that the sale of the badges OF
the Anti Cigarette League be prohibited.
Commissioner Mcfarland also received
a letter from I. o. II. Award General
Superintendent of the Anti-Cigarette
League In this letter Mr.. Award states
that some of the errors-which, he says,
the newspapers are solely responsible for
regarding the sale Of the leagues badges
should be corrected. He says:
THE object of the eague is to pledge
boys and girls to refrain from the use Of
cigarettes and tobacco until they have
reached the age of twenty-one. Boys and
girls become members of the league upon
signing the pledge. and are not required to
There has been absolutely 10 effort to
force the sale of badges in any Of the
schools. and the students have been urged
to sign the pledge cards with, in many
cases. the express understanding that they
were not required to purchase badges.
Pledge cards and badges have been dis
tributed by the boy and girl superin-
tendents in the various schools, and not
by representatives Of the league. Per
haps one-fifth of the boys and girls who
have signed the pledges have purchased
badges, and from these sales the local
league receives small profit.
THE press has made much OF this.
While the officers OF the local organization
have no desire to enter into newspaper
controversy, We do not hesitate to state
to you that the gross receipts from the
sale of badges would not pay % per cent
of the expense OF the pledge cards. which
are distributed gratuitously to say moth
ing of badges which are quite often given
out in the same way to those who are I'M
able to purchase them. The purpose Of
the league is to aid the youth in overcom-
ing the growing evil Of cigarette smok-
ing, not to make profit from the sale OF
badges. We believe that you, knowing the
facts. can but wish US hearty gcdspeed in
the work undertaken"
commissioner MacIar!anu WISHES IL 10
be made known that he is in sympathy
with the objects of the league so far as
receiving pledges to abstain from cigar
cite smoking is concerned. What he is
opposed to is the offering of the badges to
the children in schools and the tempta-
ton to spend money for them which is
laid before the poorer pupils without the
knC Wedge or consent of their parents.
The facts show. he thinks. that the offer
of the badges and the exhibition of them
on the garments of those able to purchase
them amounts to moral compulson on the
part of many children who are incapable
of exercising judgment in such matters.
Commissioner Mcfarland is aware that
the intentions Of the league may have
been quite right. but that in the execu-
ton of their plans bad results followed
He is convinced that the action of the
Board of Trustees in prohibiting the sale
of the badges was entirely correct.