The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-23
VERY REMARKABLE
IS CHILD EXHIBIT
Furnishes Excellent Oppor-
tunity for Study of a
Vital Question.
DAILY LIFE DEPICTED
Home, School and Street Life
of East Side Urchins Is
One Feature.


tercsting or comprehensive study Of
thc life OF city child has ever been
offered than that ut the New York
Child Welfare Exhibit. which opened
at tho seventy-first Regiment Arm
DRY In this city on Wednesday last.
and will continue until February II.
Il is by far the most remarkable ex-
hibition OF Its kind that has ever
been shown In this country. and fur
nishcs an excellent opportunity for the
study OF the vital problem. which con-
fronts every largo city In the coun-
try--its children.
Tho daily incidents In the home.
school and street life OF the miserable
little urchins on the lower East side
are strikingiy depicted by photo
graphs and other exhibits, as we'll as
tho lives OF the little ones, who reside
IN tho moro fashionable upper West
Side district.
Three hundred people-educators,
philanthropists and settlement work
ore-have been gathering material for
the exhibit for two years. and 1t has
cost approximately $4,000, this
amount being raised by voluntary
contributions.
How Work 10 Divided.
The work was divided among twen-
" committees, which included twenty
paid investigators. Photographs and
statistics OF all kinds were collected
which will prove of great value.
While the exhibit deals frankly and
fearlessly with child conditions as they
are. it's purpose il optimistic. For
along with the bad It has shown the
good. and In each case has indicated
either ways Of encouraging and spread
ing good influences or Of remedying
existing evil conditions.
Especially interesting are the exhib-
its gathered by the Committees on
Streets and Recreation and Anluse.
ments. There are photographs show
ing the extremes to which children are
forced TO resort In order to play at all;
street accidents are graphically illus
trated: . typical candy shop il shown
and the kind Of candy children buy
and it's effect upon them illustrated.
The statistics gathered by these
committees are no less interesting.
and In some cases tragic. They re.
veal the fact that many children OF
poor families begin the day without
breakfast. and were 1t not for the free
luncheon provided by the. city. they
would BE- compelled to forego q meal
ut noon. In one school alone there
were 200 children. who had no one at
homo to got lunch for them at noon.
Hundreds of others are compelled to
work after school,; hours, and many OF
these have not an adequate amount of
rest.
Some o. Questions.
Among the questions sent to the pub.
lie schools to be answered by the chill.
dren were the following:
1.-What do you do when you 60
homo from school?
2.--How long do you have for play
S.-How long do you have to study
your lessons?
4.-Do you belong to any library?
Slow many books have you read
this term?
G.-what newspapers do you read at
your home!
7.-what time do you get up in the
morning?
s.-what time do you SO to bed al
night?
Here are the facts 40 shown In the
replies Of seven little girls from one
class. Only one Of them over 10 years
old. Six OF them worked ut tyine
feathers. that is. making willow
plumes. after school. One. a twelve
ycar-old. scwcd buttons and made but
ton holes on babies dresses. receiving
five cents dozen for the work. As
for play. three Of the seven calmly
say that they have no time to play
one has an hour: two have half an
hour. and one says after have fin
ished one feather can play on the
street."
Four have half an hour for study:
two have an hour and one has lone
minute" Not one Of the seven be
longs to library. One hasn't read any
book at all. The others have read
one or two. Only one reads a news
paper Two are In bed from 3 to s:
one from 10 to $50: one from &c
$50: one from IL to s: one from 10 to
&. and one from = to 1880. Not one
Of them has therefore an adequate
amount Of rest.
The small amount OF play room
that New York children have IL
shown by q map. which divides the
city into districts. In one OF these
districts. having nine mills OF streets
. population OF $4,000. and school
registration Of nearly 5000. there Is
only one vacant lot. In striking con
trast to this there are 1i9 saloons. Is
candy shops. and large number Of
moving picture shows.
Candy Shsps Figure.
Tho candy shops play an importan,
part IN the life Of the child. One oi
the worst features of somc Of them Is
being fought by Law. that 10 the bach
COON where boys and girls have beer
In the habit Of meeting. But many
q them still depend for their existence
on the sale OF unwholssome candy and
Of equally unwholesome dime novels
aud picture post cards. The CHILD
crowded oef the street and forced 4
sobssltnts standing around for goo<
healthy play finds the candy shop 81
olluring place In which to do thai
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