The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-07-10

dren In the schools of Zurich switzers
land, while the children OF we'll to do
parents pay cents a meal
An interesting and complete suruA
mary OF the conditions in the Unitetf
states has just been made a publiu
document. IL was prepared by CaroA
line l.. Hunt and is entitled "The Daily
Meals of School Children" II Is pub
lished as bulletin of tho bureau OF
education. Miss Hunt was for four
years professor of home economies I'm
the University Of Wisconsin.
The argument is not advanced thai
school children should be fed at pubs
lie expense. 1t is intended merely 10
present the conditions which EXIST
However. the conclusion is eyidentla
held by Miss Hunt that providing food
In the schools can be made strictly am
educational proposition and one I'd
which a small amount of public moneH
can be legitimately and advantageouslY
devoted.
An investigation I, Chicago resulte6
IN the report that 1E 9-10 per cent oe
chlldren of kindergarten age In tha
Chlcago public schools were unders
nourished similar inquiry In New
YORK led to the finding that from co.,
OoO TO 10000 children OF Greater New
York arrive at school hungry and un,~l
fitted TO do the work required y
more detailed scrutiny of the casa
In New York brought QUE the fact thai
in the districts where the very Door
live the boys were usually locked out
OF nome during tho day because their
mothers were at work They were
given a few pennies to buy food, and
the money usually went for ice cream.
sandwiches and ginger beer. OF
twelve boys only one reported that
ever in his life had he sat down at n
table with his family.
When the children are sent 60 sohoot
with pennies to spend they gans~siIy
invest them in small shops near ths
school building or in such "eRsntiss.
as are supplied by push carts. Food
from these sources is not wholesome.
Miss Hunt says that once she took tna
number of the license OF a cart rom
which she had seen scores OF children
eating. She traced It. In the evening.
after working hours, she saw the cart
with Its cans OF crackers and cakes
stored In an "unspcakably filthy cellar
In n filthy and crowded tenement
house"
The principal OF the Friends school
in Washington had trouble with
push cart man. One day q pupil whose
father Is manager of n large hotel
said in speech before the school thGe
push cart man had offered to buy sM
the Ice cream left on the plates in hts
fathers Eotcl This put an end TO tna
push cart trouble in that school.
In the Speyer school. primary
school Of New York city, overy oeIId
from the kindergarten to the 1hira
grade is given cup of milk s.rd a
graham cracker at half past 10 n'alork.
In the Hebrew school for girls In New
York city every girl is given a cup of
milk or cocoa I'm the middle of the
morning. and at noon soup is sold by
the school at l cent n bowl. A marked
Improvement in the physical condition
OF the scholars followed
a luncheon room Is now n part of
the high school system in nearly every
large city of this country. These rooms
are always self supporting, though noc
operated for profit They serve an
educational purpose in that the pupils
have an object lesson I'm the selection
CT wholesome and dlgestible foods and
thel. preparation.
The question ls regarded as more i'm,
portart in the primary schools, where.
less p.ogress has been made in meet-
inG l.. Actual hunger exists in "a
vastly higher percentage in the lower
grades because the children Of ex->
tremely poor parents rareIy reach the
high schccL Like vase she heeo .Cr In
structins boys aud s1rlr II VIVA. 90 eae'
and how Is .ucre irEent Among eha
children CT me 90 srty t1cKen clsss.
An interesting Illustration OF me euu-s
cational value of school restauranr'
Is given oy Miss ELlt. jG. ,ias OanOail
where the scholars hle y. Ss.J lsosr,
people aL NLerir1eat 6sH lruSs
whereby lho little girls @Grs e5n9as ost
prepare simple luncheon dishes.