The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-12-03
FREE MEALS TO POOR
RECOMMENDATION OF A MIL
WAUKEE EDUCATOR.
Gays Warm Breakfasts for Needy
Scholars Would Eventually Make
Better Citizens of Them-Plan
Practiced Abroad.

superintendent Carroll G. Pearse, OF
the Milwaukee public schools, who sees
great possibilities in the plan to give
VAIN breakfasts to poor school chill
dren, has made a study OF the work
which has been done on this line in
EuI ope. AS far as the United States
is concerned. Superintendent Pearse
has been unable to find a city that has
adopted the plan.
80 far as information Is at hand,
Milwaukee is the first American city
TO take up In a systematic way the sup
plying of warm breakfasts to public
school children who need them said
Superintendent Pearse. Many child
dren in Milwaukee, as well as in other
American cities, grow up to be less
efficient citizens and less well disposed
citizens than they would be If they had
proper food while they were growing
children. Anyone who will visit the
schools in those parts Of large cities
whore the poorest people live will see
tina! the children are understood and
do aot look strong and robust. 1t is
partly due TO the ~unwholesome homes
In which many of them live, but it is
also true in a large part to the lack of
food, or to food that Is not good FOR
them.
Abroad this plan of supplying break
fasts to school children Is not new. The
city of Paris provides each year for
children in its schools several millions
OF meals at an annual cost, which is
in the neighborhood Of $3.50 900; part
Oh this sum m from private contri-
buttons and part Of it from city funds.
"A leading member of the English
parliament, who is also secretary of the
National Union of Teachers of Eng
land and Wales, urges that the plan be
adopted in London. where he estimates
has the cost would be the sum Of $780,
JO0 per year, d cost which would add
o The school tax Of the city of Lon
about one-twentieth of the amount
which Is already paid. He argues that
a few years this expense would
be sayed many times over in the de-
reused cost for prisons and aims
Tiermany also does something in
us direction. In the city Of Chariot
enDurg, for instance, private efforts,
1lemented by some public funds,
las Deer supplying breakfasts to sew
raj hundred children. In Charlotteu-
'urE the breakfast consists of a bowl
Z warm milk and two slices of bread.
'heSe breakfasts are given first to
hose children whose parents are too
oof to buy food; a~fterward, so far as
he need can be met, children are at
ended to who come from homes
here they are not properly fed.
The plan in the German city is as
ollows; At tbs O'Clock in the morn Z
lg a club or organization of public
women cause to be delivered
} the various schools the milk and
bread or rolls. The wife of the jan ;
or. or some one else with whom ar
lngement has been made, boils the
lflit ohN Inv ulSti ibhllSh vi WIG lOou |
at 7:45. The beneficial effects f
this plan upon the health of the s
1ildren supplied Is SO marked that all ]
1853 who are connected with it or
ave knowledge of the WORKINGS of the ,
Ian heartily approve of it. I
In Milwaukee it is not proposed to I
'av in any way upon the public funds G
n putting into effect the project. I
here is no doubt, however, when the
an rs put into operation the teachers b
i'll find hat many children in their /
hools who are now nervous, or
oublesome, or listless, or unable to
arm, will become normal and well dis
,sed and will be able to receive the u
the school has intended to con- '
m