Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-04-23


dren One Result Of Wide Open City
Government Appeal 10 Roosevelt
For National Child Bureau Should
Include Plan to Study Drinks Part
In Problem That Touehss Every
Community.
Recent investigations Of drinks world
war on childhood are likely to prove a
big factor In swelling public senti-
ment against the liquor trafac.
The other day the startling discovery
was made In Chicago that not less than
$4,000 boys and girls went to school
every day hungry and were most of
the time without sufficient wholesome
food for physical needs.
A public subscription was started TO
feed these hungry children whose par
ents could not provide for them. Then
it was pointed out by temperance lead
ers that recent Investigations In both
England and America showed that
drink was at the bottom Of by far the
larger proportion of these pitiful cases.
AS these lines were being written
President Roosevelt was presiding at
a national conference Of sociologists
and child rescue workers which was
being held in Washington. 1t Is
strongly urged that congress establish
a national children's bureau under the
supervision of the interior department.
Liquor Traffic Chief Cause of Neg
lected Children.
The saloons Of Chicago take annua.-
~ $50O00,000 out of the pockets Of the
workingmen, at least half Of which
comes from the purses of fathers of
school children. How many saloon
keepers children are represented in
this blacklist Of 1900 suffering boys
and girls?
Taking the estimate of the school
board directors, two children go hun
CRY for every saloon keepers family
that enjoys food, comfort and lux
uries.
But Chicago is proportionately no
worse than many other cities. On the
same basis there are today not less
than 100000 starving school children
In our cities for which the drink curse,
legalized by the parties in power, is In
large degree responsible.
An investigation in England from
April 1, 1906, to March 81, 1907, under
the direction Of the National Society
For the Prevention Of Cruelty to Chill
dren, led to the unqueStioned eSti-
mate made by George r. Sims In The
Black Stain" that out Of 10000 cases Of
infant mortality and cruelty neglected
children in the United Kingdom there
Is in 80 per cent Of the cases a history
Of habitual intempc-sDce in one or
both parents"
Robert ]. Parr director Of the BRIT
1sh National Society For the Proven
ton of Cruelty to Children, in tire
British Journal of Inebriety declares:
During the year ending March 81.
1908. the society dealt with 1922
cases, and in these the welfare OF 1884,.
252 children was affected; 39,S67 cases
were due to neglect, mainly through
ignorance. and the number of children
so neglected was 125,674. There is no
exaggeration in the estimate that 30
per cent of these cases where due to
the drinking habits Of one or both par
ents."
The committee Of fifty in its famous
investigations reported that at least
5.S3 per cent of the neglect and desti
tuition Of children is caused directly by
drinking parents or guardians
City Prohibition SweIls the Public
School Roll.
The assertion that drink and the sa-
loon are not the causes, but merely
the effects Of some other more remote
cause, is largely mistake. Enforced
Prohibition III Chicago would close
which continually face tens of thou
sands Of drink victims who cannot re-
sist their protected seductors.
After Kansas City, Kan, n city Of
100000 people, had enjoyed enforced
Prohibition for less than ninety days
the public schools. reopening for the
fall term of 1906, found that eighteen
hCW ICdCAc1S WCLG IGlNAES0 DCG40SU
no less than 900 boys and girls from
twelve to eighteen years Of age had
come to school for the first time. These
gave as their reason why they had not
attended in former years that they
"had to assist q drinking father to
earn living for the family"
The quickest effective step to help
these starving school children in Chi
cago and in every other city would be
to enforce the law and close up the
saloon. Closed in Chicago alone on
Sunday, 1t would keep $LOO0.O00
monthly out of the clutches of the
brewer and his agent, the saloon keep
err If this were given to the city in
stead of to the saloon it would be
enough to provide 100000 breakfasts
daily at % cents per meal
This is one phase Of the liquor ques-
ton that comes home to every father
and mother in the land and is making
stronger and stronger sentiment
against the drinl; business.
the first time In sixteen years. AS
compared with the same seven months
Of the preceding year with saloons,
Worcester, which has population Of
ITO 600 made the following record.