The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-02-10
FOREIGN MISSIONS.

Helen Gould was right when she re-
fused to contribute to the foreign mis-
sionary society. basing her refusal
that she would not give a cent tc
convert the heather as long as so, ,0OC
school children of New York were com,
PEELED to go to school every morning
without their breakfasts. How people
can conscientiously send millions of
dollars away every year to educate
heathens in foreign lands, when there
Iare so many heather and starving
children at home is inconceivable,
1t does Seem strange is this era of
wealth's plentitude and what Is hailed
as universal prosperity, to read OF TO-
600 school children in the great city
of New York, the heart which supplies
the nations gold arteries, so pitia.
bly, poor that they must go TO school
every morning without having had a
bite Of breakfast.
If some demagogic agitator had
made this assertion. 1t might nave
been accepted with large grain OF
salt. but it happens to have been
made by Robert Hunter, an eminent
Isociologist and social settlement work.
Ter in the great metropolis. after first.
hand investigations, and Superintend-
ent Maxwell of the New York public
schools, confirms 1t with the declara-
ton that in all probability Mr.. Hunter
Is too low in his figures.
Under the compulsory school law in
force in New York these children of
the very poor must attend school, and
the pinched state of their stomachs is
not taken into account by ten author
tiles. Every day thousands of them sit
at their desks with hunger-actual
hunger-gnawing at their vitals, too
sick and weak to study, distempered
visions OF food blotting from their
Wolfish young eyes and deadened
brains the A b G In their primers
Sometimes some of them faint or are
overcome by nausea, the result of
long abstinence from food. Naturally,
they make poor progress in their
books, and in many instances the
teacher remains in ignorance of the
reason. Many of the little sufferers
would never admit they came to school
without their breakfast
Mr.. Hunter. in his book, Poverty"
which has furnished the starved
school child sensation. says there are
always 100000 worthy men out OF
employment is New York city who
cannot obtain work Their families,
where they have families, are on the
ragged edge Of utter destitution, but
not willing objects to public charity
They conceal their true condition as
long as possible, and In not a few in
stances choose tragedy to publicity.
Each family in this out-of-work class
is estimated to have one child In the
public schools of the city, and these
little ones feel the fangs OF the wolf
most keenly.
New York is somewhat wrought up
over these extreme poverty disclos-
ures in it's public schools and has be-
guns an official investigation. The
charitable authorities are already inI
conference over the matter and the
result win probably be the establish
ment of the Paris system Of school
kitchens and refectories, which sup
ply the hunger -pinched children OF the
poor with little breakfasts and lunches
without appearing to do charity. The
system has worked successfully IL
Paris for a quarter Of century and
the problem is not new one to the
large urban centers Of Europe.
Here is great opportunity for some
Of our millionaire philanthropists, and
If the investigation is extended to 9TH
er American cities, II will probably
be found that the opportunity is by no
means confined to New York. The
wonder is the discreditable and dis
condition has not forced itself
ipon the eye and conscience of the
public before.