The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-03-31
PAGE TIRES
Hungry Children Scarce.

1t Is assuring to know that the Sal
Fation Army's attempt to locate and
iced contingent Of the breakfastless
school children in Greater New York
has failed. The hungry children can
not be found. Mr.. Robert Hunter. the
sociologist. author Of Poverty" seems
really to have been the author Of the
10000 hungry school children idea and
to have evolved it almost wholly from
his inner conscience When brought
to book he declares that his original
statement has been misquoted and that
what he did say was, There must be
housands-very likely there are 10000
TO 10000 children-in New York city
alone who often arrive at school hum
CRY and untitled for work" Mr.. Hun
ter says that the word often" was
ignored in the newspaper comments
upon the statement. This statement,
be explains, is only an estimate and n
based upon the number Of supposed
unemployed workingmen in the city in
the winter Of 19O4-5.
It is to be hoped that Mr.. Hunters
conclusion that there are 1O,OOO,OO
OF our citizens in the grip Of poverty
Is also based upon estimates and that
it Is wide Of the mark.
When the Salvation Army people
heard Of Mr.. Hunters unfed army Of
little ones they began to offer FREQ
breakfasts. After a month of expert
ment the officer in charge Of the work
said:
Perhaps the need for free breakfasts
exists. but, If so, we haven't been able to
discover 1t. We have established free
breakfasts at eight places in the city, tho
most important being on Cherry street,
where we feed from 100 to 200 on the aver
age. Under the direction Of Miss Booth
we have opened places wherever they
seemed necessary. but there have been far
fewer applicants than could be expected.
In a school located In the heart Of
the most thickly populated square mile
in the world the school officers declared
that there were only half a dozen
breakfastless children among the 5000
attendants. The principal said:
AS a matter of fact. there are almost
no cases of hungry children. There
couldn't be, for II there were the teachers
would report 1t to me. The teachers take
a great personal interest in all of their
pupils often visiting them in their homes.
And II the children had come to school
without breakfast they couldn't keep up
with the work. 1t would show itself in
their behavior and work during the day.
The head Of a department in this
school found only two or three hungry
children among 800 under her charge.
Said she:
The mothers care for them very well
Why, recently during the sleet storm, at
the assembly Of the department I asked
the children how many had no overshoes-
Only three replied that they had none.
They are not only fairly warmly clad.
but they have plenty to eat. During the
recess at 1870 in the morning almost all
Of them have brought fruit or crackers to
eat, and l know they have had break
fasts before they cone to school. Most OF
them go home to hot dinner In the mid
die of the day also; very few bring their
lunches with them.
The toilng classes Of great cities
have the pride and affection common
to the human race. They provide for
the children even though they go with
out necessaries themselves.