The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-17

comfortable places 1 know of to live in even
In summer; for the very poor it is what
a noted commander described war to be.
1T is to the credit Of the well of resi-
dents that they make it possible for those
less fortunate to get away for a week,
ten days or two weeks from an environment
trying to the healthiest, let alone to the
weak and ailing, and this much is certain:
The more fresh air work done in summer
the less chance Of crowded city hospitals in
winter.
"A large percentage Of the poor children
Of Manhattan, it Is safe to say, o enjoy
a few days visit to the country in summer
but 1 am inclined to think that there is
many q family which never gets more than
an occasional few hours trip to a nearby
beach or picnic resort the year around
Il have come to the conclusion hat the
great majority Of the poorer tenement
children don't get away at all in summer
said a woman. who laments the enforced
stay in the city life which falls to the lot Of
the poor.
One hears a lot about fresh air parties,
but take a walk through any tenement
district Of a hot evening and it is not easy
to believe the tales. Only the other day I
went to a district superintendent Of a
charitable organization in behalf Of a boy
over Il years old, who had been i'll for a
couple OF weeks, but had gone back to work
because his mother, a widow, needed his
90. SOL week. The boy looked weak, looked
as IL he ought to ave a braoer Of some
sort before tackling hard work again, I
thought.
Unless his physician gives a certificate
stating that the boy Is physically unfit to
district superintendent. he Is beyond the
age limit
THE boys physician was not willing to
state hat the boy wa unfit to work, / found,
which meant that until the little fellow
country was not for him. And yet I am
told that something like a quarter Of a mil
lion dollars was spent last year In giving
country. outings to the poor from May 1
to October 1, and l have no reason to
doubt 1t.
In that case all I have to say is this:
New York ought to spend a million more il
necessary in order to give every ailing boy
or girl, even il he or she has passed the age
OF Il, a trip out Of New York In midsummer.
Considering New York's wealth, not half
enough fresh air work is DONE
Il don't blame thai woman for feeling as
she did in regard to the treatment Of her
application in behalf Of that boy said a
LlcllDcI Vi tile ~. l.. y. L Wneh approached
on the subject. Had she been better in
formed as to where TO apply her experience
would have been different. Almost every
organization engaged in fresh air work has
different rules, One looks out for babies
only, another cares for mothers and small
children, a third limits its benevolences to
cases under IL years old. A f~ourth-and
this is comparatively a new feature of the
~work-looks out for boys up to IS years of
age.
There are many cases now Of delicate
boys being sent away for two weeks Of
country air and rest and their wages are paid
to the family in their absence provided the
family would suffer for lack Of the money.
For instance, there is the Boys Farm
at Valhalla, n. Y, under the direction Of
the Children's Aid Society, where about
5000 boys got a weeks outing Zach last
summer; the Boys Summer Home OF the
Mission OF the Holy Cross, near Bellport, !
L. l.. whid& gives q two. weeks outing to ]
boys and 3vunR men; the Boys Colony ]