Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-01
BETTER HUMAN BODIES,
POSTURE LEAGUES AIM
Organized to Teach Correct Methods
of Standing and
Sitting.
Membership of Body Composed of
Prominent Educators and Teach
ers of Physical Culture.

NEW YORK. April Announcement
was made today of the incorporation at
Albany of the American Posture
League, a national body, whose en-
deavor will be to get people to sit up
and stand up straight.
The new organization is concerned
particularly with the sitting and stand
ing postures of children in schools and
of adults in shops. offices, factories and
elsewhere. 1t hopes to effect a more
general use of scientific and health
full principles in seating accommoda-
tons for such purposes and for pub
lie audience rooms and vehicles.
"A child cannot achieve proper chest
development" is the authoritative
statement, while the shape of his
school seat and of his coat forces him
for many hours each day into faulty
attitudes. Thousands of children who
carry heavy loads of school books are
forced into distortions of posture that
in all but the most robust must have
d serious effect on health and develop
ment Round shoulders are to be eN-
pected in a child whose clothing is sup
ported without proper regard for the
anatomy and mechanics of the Shout
der.
THE fatigue of the factory operative
comes not more from running the fac
tory machinery than from running the
bodily machinery-heart. lungs and
digestive organs-at a mechanical dis
advantage, through ill-adapted chairs,
stools and work benches. Measures to
relieve tuberculosis, anaemia and NAL
nutrition are all placed at disad-
vantage by the constant molding in
f1uence exerted on habits of posture
by much in furniture and clothing"
Standards Have Been Lacking.
No organized attempt to STANDARDIZED
these various conditions has ever been
made before. Individual orthopedic sur
Seons, and in a few instances special
commissions. have attempted improve
ments, but the skill and judgment of the
experts have never been combined in
united effort. The new American Pos
ture League includes in its membership
Leading orthopedic surgeons, physical
trainers and educators who have spe-
cialized on these subjects.
The league hopes by systematic educa-
ton to establish a demand for healthful
standards in what may be termed posture
engineering. For example. it is already
assisting with expert advice the enSi-
neers of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company, the seats of whose new subway
cars are being constructed in accordance
with the leagues specifications. 1t is in
touch with several large organizations of
workers engaged in the standing occu-
pationS-Such as motormen and shop
sirls--and purposes issuing official buile-
tins for their benefit, illustrating the cor
rect standing postures both for work
and rest.
Bulletins taking up the various phases
of school and factory hygiene that al
feet posture, and making constructive
suggestions. will also be issued to school
superintendent and other officials
throughout the country as we'll as to
heads of private schools and colleges and
to efficiency managers. Lantern slides
will be prepared and circulated to supple
ment a country wide campaign of educa-
ton by means of bulletins