The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-05-20
Address in High School This
Morning by Rev. Manfred
P. WeIcher
SMOKERS USUALLY
BACKWARD PUPILS
Not Wanted by Employers Statistics
Show that They Make More Errors
Than Observation-Disclosures Nuisance
Has Caused Annoyance Here.

Audu Observation-Disclosures nuisance
Has Caused Annoyance Here.
Rev. Manfred ?. WeIcher of New
ork, field secretary of the Anti-Cigar-
cite League of America, spoke to the
high school pupils at SIS o'clock this
morning on the evils of the cigarette
habit and later spoke to the pupils of .
the graded schools of the village Mr. /
Welcher, who will close three years of .
service for the league July l, has de .
hvered more than $50 addresses in New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Con F.
necticut, New Hampshire and Vermont. /
His addresses cover the reasons for alb, .
staining from the use of cigarettes
from hygienic, eugenic, economic. ed
dcatiOnal and industrial standpoint, and
being thoroughly interested in his sub
| Ject, of attractive presence and a con
! Vincing speaker, he makes many con
verts to his viewpoint of the evil
/ In particular did he point out this
morning the convincing statistics that
/ boys in school who are smokers com
pose the greater proportion of the back
ward scholars. He quoted Prof. TAYLOR
/ of the University of Pennsylvania to
the effect that of 500 private school
/ boys Il per cent of those II wears of
age were smokers and in standing were
! II points below the non smokers The
principal of high school, after hear
lhg the address, said to him: Show
me book from anywhere containing
the names and standing Of the boys and
l will pick out the smokers I will
tell you when they began smoking. /
will not make many mistakes. - Other
instructors have agreed with that
statement, saying that they could 10
the same thing. Or. bio Lewis said
that while five-sixths Of the member
ship OF an Eastern university were
smokers not one of them had graduated
with highest honorS in 40 wears
He spoke of the fact that tobacco
hinders not only n boys mental devcl-
"pment but his physical development.
Ia his school 4liffssait. snot-a oD}s,--Eetards
his ability to hold his place in his
studies with the nou-smokers, but it
: prevents the success he might other
+ wise attain in athletics. 1t causes dis
ease Of the body as well as OF the
\ mind. Nicotine poisoning enervateS the
u bttN VI HukN IL III the HOStllti. II the
? soul oi m3laI character is debascd or
= dcbilitated the result is Il moral deIu-
D tGucrce and the jail becomes the home
The speaker led from the early life
to that period when the boy steps forth
iato the wcrld. to earn his living, and
I took up the increasing demand for non
smokers. Even employers who are
smokers want those in their employ who
do not use tobacco One man. who EN-
ploys some 200 clerks, said that he
found too many mistakes and upon in
ycs:igaton found that 30 of the clerk,
50 were smokers. This number, Is pc
/ cent OF the total force, proved to b,
making s. per cent of the errors.
Other employers say that the cfiri
ency of their office forces is reduce,
because so many Of the employers ar
watching the clock in order not to los
a second OF the time at the lunch hou
in which they Will be free to smoke
He asked where, if not in the school
and churches, the employer of tOda
! should look for those who do no
smoke He said that he had receive
from President Wilson confirmation O
his belief that the President does no
use tobacco in any form.
One of the great problems before tn
league is to convince the boys tina
employers do not want boys who smok
1t is difficult to impress that fact upo
the young mind, yet it is a fact. TIL
7 Legislature of Vermont has prohibitc
: the sale of cigarettes to minors, bl
what about the pipe aud cigar? Elm
mating the cigarette does not climnat
- the tobacco evil.
The principal of the Brattleboro hie
school and the supervisor of the grade
have experienced much annoyance fro
the cigarette nuisance, and they hoI
the addresses by Mr.. Welcher will he
i'll mitigating the evil.
Entirely independent Of Mr.. Welc
er 5 visit Principal Smith and Physic
Director Stolte sent to parents a fe
days ago a letter reading as follow
ITO parents whose sons are interes
ed in high school athletics: One
the few rules governing conditions
- which high school boys are allowed
IL participate in high school sports
this: Tobacco IN all its forms must
given up.
IF boy cannot give up smokiI
he is not wanted by Principal Smith
Coach Stolte on any athletic team. Y
20 believe this is just requirement, a
0lS your cooperation III seeing that I
rule is not a dead letter is asked f.
- For the Brattleboro high school teac
ers.
In his talk to the grades Mr.. Vel,
er quoted Hudson Maxim S statemeI
With every Whit the boy is eXhali
manhood and inhaliug imbecilitv 7
nicotine stains on his fingers are maI
of deeper degradation than is t
sas ball and chain. 49, lie also gave a DIET
80 ition of a cigarette As it was given
ooo him: ''It is a little paper tube fill
ght with tobacco, with a little fire at {
arm end and little fool at the other
Mr.. Welcher was much pleased "