New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-29
FRESH AIR HOST SHOCKED
BY HOMES OF CITY CHILDREl
Man from Auburn Investigates Conditions Surrounding
Youngsters Here, and Marves That More
Money Is Not Given to Send Them Away.

One of the Tribune Fresh Air Funds
field representatives, the Rev. Leon A.
Losey, of Auburn, y. Y, has been IN
New York for the last two days in
vestigating the conditions amid which
the children sent out by the Fund live
Each year during the summer Mr.
Losey spends most of his time per-
suading people in the neighborhood or
Auburn 20 open their homes TO Fresh
Air bows and girls. Not infrequently
in the course Of this work he has found
persons who would not be convinced
that the home conditions of the Fresh
Airs" were bad. His present investi-
cation is being made 70 gather data TO
meet the objections of these persons.
Yesterday he spent in visiting the
homes of boys and girls of the lower
East Side who had passed Fresh AIR
vacations near Auburn this season.
What he had to say about what he saw
is of interest as giving the point Of
view of the people away from New
York who are actually entertaining IN
their own homes the children sent out
by the Tribune Fund.
Confusion said Mr.. Losey, els the
word for what ! saw. Confusion in the
streets and in the tenements; outside,
a confusion of humanity and OF traffic,
Of dirt and of noise; inside, a coniu-
sion Of smells, of 'sd air, of household
arrangements.
IL do not see how it can do other
wise than lead to a confusion of NOR
ais, of intellect, of manners and Of
everything that has to do with the
higher side OF mans nature.
"Of all the homes went into there
was not one that consisted of more
than three rooms, and yet many Of the
families were made up Of as many as
seven persons the father and mother
and four or five children. In most OF
them there was only one bed in evil
dence.
Conditions were simply unspeak-
able. Only one Of the rooms in each
case was light The sleeping rooms,
which were always the inside rooms
away from the windows, were dark and
airless. | realize now why you call
this a fresh air campaign. The recol-
lection of what | breathed in those
places makes me shudder yet.
And was struck with the fact that
the present Fresh Air work doesn't be.
gin 70 meet the situation. Here and
there as stopped 70 talk TO the groups
of children playing in the streets
found a boy or girl who had been 20
the country, but for every one of these
there were hundreds who had not been.
1.-THE worker from the Recreation
Rooms and Settlement whom you sent
with me told me that there are still
$50 children on her lists alone who
have not been given outings, although
they are greatly in need Of them, and
that, moreover, she knows of hundreds
OF others whose names were not taken
because Of the certainty that they could
not be sent. Doubtless other organiza-
tons would tell OF the same situation.
where are your people of means
that they do not provide funds Tor so
practical work as this? Why, there
is no limit to the number OF children
the country folk will receive If you can
only get them TO us"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
James A. Hesrn & Son.................. 100 o.
From the people OF sasaponack, y. y. - %