New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-11
FARM AS SLUM ANT|D0TE
Solves Child Labor Problem,
Says Old Colony Club Speaker,
LADY ABERDEEN ON ERIN
Pictures Illustrate Conversion
of Emerald Isle City Deserts
Into Gases.

Back 10 the farm for the factory child
A new rolution Of the child labor prob
lem was offered by Phiander p. Claxton
Commissioners OF Education. in his ad
dress before the International Children''
School Farm League at its meeting al
the Colony Club yesterday afternoon.
THE school garden has shown us tn,
way 10 solve the child labor problem.
Mr.. Claxton said 1T has proved tha
children can make things grow, and grow
abundnn tly. A tiny plot by feet. such
as a child has in the city farm. grow:
vegetables enough to supply family
Of FIVE with a different vegetable every
day for five days in the week" lie con.
,nued.
Children in the suburbs and small cities
where land is ayaila BILE could easily grow
vegetables enough for the entire family
This would keep them out OF the fac
tories. for children could earn much more
than their Factory wages by raising vege
tables and flowers for sale
| know Young boy who col quarter
OF an acre OF land TO Use as he chose In
the summer. lie decided on chickens
His mother agreed TO buy his complete
supply OF eggs and roasting chickens al
the same price she would pay her regi-
lar marketman At the end OF the sum
mer the boy had cleared Sl4O. lie had
the money I'm the bank-to say nothing
Of wisdom in his head and health in
his body. gained from his summers eN-
periences.
In the South It Is even more true than
in the North that the place for the child
II on the farm. Table vegetables are ex'
pensive down there. for the simple rea-
son that everybody raises cotton or to-
bacco or corn. The children who learn
to raise tomatoes and beans can earn
twice much as they could In the
cotton mills.
Mrs. Henry Parsons. president OF the
International Childrens School Farm
League. introduced Lady Aberdeen. who
spoke briefly OF the school gardens In
Ireland in which che is interested.
our children have raised only flowers
as yet" she said. but they are looking
forward to vegetable gardens soon"
Some pictures were thrown on the
screen showing deserts In cities where
only tin cans and debris grew. The au-
dience had terrible shock when told
that this WAS the beauteous Emerald
Isle. They do have ugly back yards and
garbage cans even In Ireland!
Then everybody cheered UP and APP
pla uded. too, when pictures were shown
OF these same back yards after taking"
Vines covered the grimy fences. the rusty
cans and broken bottles We're replaced
by vevety green lawns on which happy
faced little girls were playing tag. Lady
Aberdeen bowed and smiled her thanks
for the applause.
Among those present At the meeting
were: Mrs. Charles b. Alexander, Mrs.
James r. Parsons. Mrs. Jonathan Bulk
ley, Mrs. Johnston L. de Peyster, Mr..
and Mrs. l.. r. Williams. Mrs. James w.
Haslehurst, Mrs. Joshua Hatfield. Mrs.
George Grant Mason. Mrs. William r.
Wilcox. Mrs. Walter p. Bliss. Mrs. Henry
Phipps. Mrs. Hermann NJ. Bggs. Mrs.
Jonathan Thorne, Miss Jane +. Tucker
man, Mrs. George Walker Jenkins, Mrs.
Howard Van Sinderen. Miss Emily
Lamb Tuckerman. Miss Emily b. Van
Amringe and E. II. Kidder.