The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-19
ENDORSES PLAN
FOR FREE BOOKS
FULLER ORDINANCE STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED by HEAD
OF MOTHERS CLUB
SHE'S NO SUFFRAGETTE
PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL AssoCIA-
TON ADDRESSES CoNvEN-
TION ADDRESSES CONFER
ENCE HERE-CHII.D WEI

IN Pennsylvania We have had free
text books for So long that cant an
nerstand how Virginia happens to
De without them,' said Mrs Fred
eric Schofr. OF Philadelphia. president
or the National Congress OF Mothers.
at the meeting last night In the John
Marshall High School auditorium.
held under the auspices OF the Fed
Grafton OF Mothers Clubs OF Rich
mond and Virginia
AIRS Scho1's statement was prompt
Ied by an address delivered by Coun-
Gilman f. r. Fuller before the moth
ers on the subject OF free text books.
Mr.. Fuller being the patron Of an
ordinance now pending before the
City Council providing for such a
system
But I feel sure" she continued.
that You Will get free text books.
II / am to Judge by the able argu
lment which Mr.. Fuller has presented
in their behalf. You should have
had them long before this"
Nothing More Important.
Mrs. Schoff then proceeded to touch
upon the subject OF her address.
Child Welfare" Nothing. she said.
velopment OF the child. Even the
conservation OF the nations resources
and the development OF its waterways
were but. subsidiary matters COM
pared with the chiid's developmen t
and education. For. after all. chu-
dren are the foundation Of the coun-
try and the hope of its future.
The home. church and State, she
said. were all delinquent In its care
OF the child. And that was the chief
purpose OF the Mothers Congress
to bring about 4 change for the bet
ter. and to make the State In partic-
ular moro regard1ul. She hoped the
tinae would soon como when there
would DO Child Welfare Commissions,
just as there are highway commits
| sions, waterworks commissions and
similar bodies for the material de-
Ivelopment Of States and communities.
Mrs. WhitlOcl< ProsidAa.
Tho meeting was opened with a
brief address by Mrs II. I. Whitlock,
LOT Barton Heights, president OF the
Richmond Federation. Ehe outlined
tho purposes OF tho conference, and
then introduced the speakers In turn.
Mr.. Fuller was tho first speaker.
He sketohed his school ordinance and
plan. citing facts and figures, show
ing that tho same system II already
working successfully in more than
half the States Of the Union and
nearly 100 OF tho larger cities.
Works Like Charm.
He quoted Nathan G. Schaeffer su-
perintendant Of Public Instruction OF
Pennsylvania, az follows. I'm this
State nobody would abandon the plan
OF furnishing taxi books and supplies
gree TO the children. 1t costs about
half as much for text books as Il did
in the days when the parents bougn,
tho books for their own children. With
In an hour after the schools open.
eveS~ chiN has tho books necessary
for the winter work. and there il no
loss Of time at tho opening OF the
term, because the pupils ara not sup
piled with tho necessary books. With
q little care, all the objections on
tho SCORE Of unsanttary books can be
avoided, I know OF no other objec-
tons that really have any bearing,
because az rulA pupils take bet
ter cara At their books when the
school board owns than. Pasents can
be hned for wiiful destruction Of books
by their children"
DR.. J. A. c. Chandler, superihtendent
81 the Richmond public schools, was
4coattaMe4 - 1fxah N06I1