New-York tribune., 1905-01-31
F" MR.. HUNTER In ERROR, "
Seventy Thousand BreakfastleSs
Children a Mistake, Sag Women.

The accuracy OF Robert Hunters statement that
seventy thousand children go to school breakfast
less In New-York questioned at the meeting
of the women's conference OF the Society for Eth
icai Culture yesterday afternoon.
Miss Kate Claghorn Holiday. who is a statistI-
clan for the Tenement House Commission had just
been saying that and more the haphazard
statistical method would die out. and the custom
or sending young men and young women out TO
collect data would cease when Mrs. Harry Hast
ings. who is a member of a local school board
arose and said:
We have an instance of the way generalizations
are drawn and statistics misquoted in the state
Inent or Robert Hunter. in his book poverty.
that so many children go to school breakfastless
Ihese statements have been very widely aired in
the press l was greatly distressed at them but
many principals with whom have talked the mat
'ei over nave assured me that only very small
percentage OF children go to school hungry and
lnat II would be quite impossible to reach these
win any FORM OF municipal meal-a fact I was
s.au 10 near as any method of feeding them I
shouIo look on as a form of pauperizaton'
T. too, have seen a great deal in the naners
~ apouI tnese breakfastless children said Miss
aoNaoay In the first place. don't believe Mr.
nuh'er counted his children. and in the second
shouIo ike TO know what he means by breakfast
To my mind, this statement Of his illustrates
the way the amateur statistician goes around
asks few questions and then draws his deduc-
uohs Habits differ so in different families that it
would De very difficult. ! should think to saw
the meals are a sort of scramble for food The
ehiid picks up something from the table and eats
lt-thats the way the whole family takes it's meals
but 1t would be quite incorrect to say that such a
enid went breakfastless because it did not eat
breakfast in a proper way.
1t Is such ply that statistics should run to
such lengths far beyond the underlying statistical
principle. AS a person who has made business
OF statistics would say, BE your statistics are
right before you draw your conclusions
Ihere were to have been three speakers the SUBJ
Ject OF the conference being. Women in the Pro
fessions.' but Mrs. Rosale Loew whitney who was
to have presented 'Woman's Work a Lawyer"
was not present. Miss Holiaday's topic was
''Women's Work as a Statstician in Social Ser
vice." in which she emphasized the idea that
and more statistical work becoming a matter
of cooperation. and that only the government has
the money and the people to do it efficiently
Statistical work. she on, lis much
Of q profession a business. and a bust
very large scale. There at
present few openings for in it. y is
curious fact that small a proportion
college go into it. but it is difficult per
suade the public that women can do such work
and in particular that they manage office of
men. There is only one manager or executive head
| to hundreds Of employees. who have poor wages
! and routine work. There always plenty of
such positions as these omen to women
DR.. Grace Peckham Murray, in speaking on
! question among others, whether married women
| make as great a success of medicine as single
Il think IT is difficult for a married woman physl-
| CLAN TO do what is right by both her family and
| her profession" said Dr. Murray. Nevertheless,
I wonder II she spends more time out Of her home
| than do society women women phanthropists.
But she has the uplifting sense that she is earning
! her own remuneration. which the others don't
! have"
Mr.. Spencer. who was in the audience asked DR..
Murray If women had strong nerves in surgical
| operations men.
'I think So decidedly replied DR. Murray.
Stronger nerves even because they are more
scientious and have more delicacy of touch. Deli
cacy of touch. careful manipulation and mathemat-
heard Of fainting at first operations than