Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-07-31
FRESH AIR CHILDREN.

Miss Juiette Arden, who has been in
Middlebury for the past ten days, or
ganizing committees in this and sur
rounding villages to care for the fresh
air. children, sent out each year by
the New York Tribune, is a settlement
worker of wide experience and her
STORY of the slums" is one of the most
striking documents of humanity that
has ever been written on the subject
MANY people thoughtessly look up
on the problem of the slum children of
New York city as purely matter of
local interest and responsibility, said
Miss Arden, ''but it is not. 1t is mat
ter of national responsibility.
New York has over 700, 600 children
of school age. Less than a third of
them are properly taken care of by par
ents. That leaves over 400, 900 children
to be looked out for by various charta-
bic and phlanthropic societies of which
the New York Tribune is one of the
largest
"Over $4,000 is spent each year
sending children away for two weeks
change. Twelve homes are provided
for which take care of 5000 chill
dren. With all the fresh air work of
the combined charities, however, only
about l0O,0 900 children are sent each
year.
Nothing can be worse than the condi-
tions under which some of these chill
dren exist There are $4,000 rooms
without windows in New York city
made possible by previous building
laws, which allowed the landlords to
build all over the lot, thereby making
many inside rooms without air or light
The streets where the children play all
day are narrow, crowded and filthy.
Many of the children of different
races are forced by their parents to sit
all day from the age of two years. max
ing artificial flowers for manufacturers
at three cents a gross. Still others are
forced to sew all day and far into the
night by sweat shop methods. No one
who has not been there to see for them
selves can have the slightest realization
of what it means.
People may help by entertaining one
or more in their homes for two weeks.
Friends may combine in the same child
or children, each entertaining them one
week Two are easier to entertain
| than one because they amuse each
other People who can not entertain
them in their homes may subscribe
money toward the board of one, 81 80 a
week per child People who cannot
board free may board them as above
People may select sex and age, ) to
y years. All the children are exam
ined twice by physicians before they
leave to make sure they are free of
disease. They are cleaned up by trained
nurses. Their clothes are brought in
in wash bags. No dress suit cases or
satchels allowed
Miss Arden spoke at both the Congre-
gational and Methodist churches Sun
day morning, giving an outline of the
work being done in the interest of the
children Of New York city.
party of fresh air children will
come to Proctor, Pittsford, Florence,
Brandon, Salisbury, Middlebury anC
Vergennes on August IS. The party
coming to Middlebury will be divided
between this village, East Middlebury
Weybridge and Cornwall. The chill
dren will remain for two weeks. Name:
of entertainers must be in the hands OF
the committee by August Sth. The
following are the committees: Middle
Mrs. L. C. Russell Mrs. Charles R
= Cheney, Mrs. j. E. Weeks, Mrs. vii
= liam NJ. Jackson, Mrs. Lasher, Mrs
5 Ernest Reynolds, Mrs. John A. Fletcher
Miss Nan Price, Mrs. John X Dyer
Mrs ~ j. Sanford.
= Salisbury 5. p. Cloyes, Mis-;
= Sedan, Miss Cora Beach.
D Cornwall-Mrs. Manchester.
Weybrdge- Mrs. Samuel Wright.
Vergennes Mrs. Willard Bristol
chairman; Mrs. Jonn Donnelly. Mrs
= Thomas Mack, Mrs. William H
e Wheeler Mrs. Edwin Bristol, Mrs
, Henry Foote, Mrs W. A. Dalrymple
Mrs Charles Grandey, Mrs. Georg,
Middlebrook, Mrs. C. E. Parker, Mrs
= John Harrington.
1 Mrs. John +. Weeks and Mrs. Viii
liam M. Jackson, who were appointed
on the general committee for the enter
tainment of the fresh air children, have
appointed the following ladies from th'
Methodist Episcopal church as sub
5 committee: Mrs. E. H. Martin, Mrs
n w. S. Huntey, Mrs. H. M. Balm, Mrs
n L Rohinson Mrs G. Hinman