The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-01-31
PENSIONING OLD PEOPLE.

Nllllam Il. OurUlS Writes Lie Uni
cago Record Herald that the British
parliament at its approaching session
is expected to pass an act granting
pension of SIPS per week for every
man and woman, rich or poor, lazy or
industrious, drunk or sober, in the
United Kingdom who passes the age
of sixty-fve years. When their grand
fathers and grandmothers are taken
care of in that way, the labor unions
and the socialistic organizations will
insist that all children fourteen years
and under shall also be supported by
the public treasury.
They reason in this way: If it is
lawful and proper for the state to
give the children of its subjects a
free education, it should provide suffi-
cient nourishment to put them in con-
dition to make the best of the in
struction offered them. Again, if it
is proper and lawful for the state to
provide books for the education of the
children, there should be no objection
to providing boots and shoes, under
clothing, jackets, trousers, dresses and
overcoats to keep them warm and
preserve their health, so that they can
make good use of the books.
And, still further, if it is proper
and lawful to furnish lunches at
school recess to poor children, why is
it not equally proper and lawful to
furnish them breakfasts and dinners
By this process of reasoning the adj
vocates of the state maintenance con-
vince themselves that all children be-
tween five and fourteen years of age
should be fed, clothed and educated
by the national government in order
to make healthy, intelligent, hon
est and Industrious citizens of
them. In several countries free lunches
are provided for children in the public
schools because so many parents are
unable to give them nourishing food.
This is done in Sweden and Norway,
in Switzerland, in many places in Ger
many, Belgium and France. In GER
tain sections of London and several
monday meals are supplied both at
public and private expense. Last year
the Salvation Army, which never gives
anything away, on the theory that too
much generosity creates pauperism,
sold $4,000 children wholesome lunches
of bean soup and bread for ha penny,
or one cent in our money, each. These
meals are furnished from wagons that
drive up to the schools in the poorer
districts at recess time.
The men in charge dip out generous
portions from enormous kettles as the
children bring their buckets, plates,
can, sardine boxes, tin pans, bowls,
and every other sort of receptacle
they can obtain. Every child is ex-
pected to have copper ready to pay,
but many time the rule is broken
when some poor little hungry urchin
has lost his coin or his drunken father
and mother have failed to give him
one.
Similar lunches of wholesome but of
the cheapest materials, such as fish
and potato pie, hash made from the
poor cheapest cuts of beef mixed with
rice and vegetables, pea soup, vege-
table soup and other healthful and
savory dishes are served to school
children in the manufacturing towns
during the MONDAY recess, either free
or for the lowest possible price. In
some cases the funds are supplied
from the municipal or parish treas
uries, in other places by private sub
seription.
The reports of the boards of educa
tion of the parishes of London show
exactly how much of this is done in
that city, and some of the statistical
almanacs contain the figures. At New.
castleon-Tyne, for example, $500 chill
dren were furnished one meal a day
during the last school year at cost OF
81 200, a. little less than three cents a
child. This is about the report made
by the authorities of other cities.
There is already an act of parlia.