The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-02-14
Lack of Proper N0urishment
and Warm Clothing Forces
Many to Fall Behind in
Work Principals Declare.
SOME GOTO SCHOOL
WITHOUT BREAKFAST
Treasurer Jordan of School
Board Says it Would Be an
Economical Policy to In
stall Lunch Rooms.

Desperate conditions existing in
hundreds of Richmond homes are re-
Elected in reports made today by prin-
cipals of two public schools, one in
Riverdale and one in Fairview.
Conditions among the poor people
IN Riverdale are the worst / have ever
observed in the seven years I have
been connected with the Whitewater
school" declared Prof. D. d. Ramsey.
the principal OF that school.
large number of children at the
Sevastopol school are members of fam
lilies which are suffering from abject
poverty. and constant assistance has
10 De given such children to keep them
In school, said Prof j. w. Outland. of
that school.
investigations made in these two
schools have revealed the fact there
are quite few children who attend
thelr classes so poorly nourished that
lnes cannot keep up with their studies.
ms condition is most noticeable at
the Whitewater school
know of several children who fire.
quehtly come to school in the morn
ing without having had any break
lasts bluntly said Prof. RAMSEY.
School Board Active.
The school board has been activa
this winter in the relief of school chill
dren OF poyerty-stricken families. SUD-
plying clothing. shoes and i'm several
cases. eyeglasses. but the board has
no authority to provide food for DOOR
ly nourished children.
treasurer Charles Jordan of the
school board. however. concurred in
the suggestion made TO him rodsv
that local charitable Organizations
could do no better work than provide
the finances for operating small lunch
rooms In the schools attended by the
greatest number OF poor children.
Not more than $3.50 or 5000 would be
required it is believed. TO purchase
enough supplies for such schools. and
the school board. should such relief
be provided. would furnish every
'hihg necessary TO prepare the food
Tor the children who have heard IN.
growi of the wolf throughout the win
ter.
Supply Eye Glasses.
IL costs about $40 per year for each
school child's education" said Mr.. Jor-
dan. If for some cause which couId
nave been remedied child fails i'm
his class work and has To do il over
again the next year. then the state is
placed at an extra expense for thar
child education We probably hay.
exceeded our authority i'm purchasing
eyeglasses for some children. but such
policy has been an economical one for
In nearly every case of this kind the
glasses have permitted the child To
keep up i'll its school work"
II any child works most of its school
day without proper nourishment. il
necessarily falls behind in its studies.
therefore from an economical stand
point the best policy for the state
would be to provide sufficient food for
such child which fact is recognized
by the local school board. but il can
not act as it SO desires I'm such cases
because the state laws will NOT n..>
nit the proper relief"
Today fund of s1,15O was turned
over to the Associated Charities for i,s
general relief work the money being
the receipts of the recent charity con
cert at the tabernacle, and it probably
VIII be suggested that some of this
money De used for feeding school chill
dren coming from homes where the ut
most destitution prevails.
Would Provide Luncheons.
conditions at the Whitewater
school this winter have been the worst
In my experience" said Prof Ramsey
today. Il have wanted to provide
iuncheons for the children. but the
school board has no authority to fl
nance such plan so 1t could not be
established.
Ihere are 315 pupils in my school
now and at least half of them come
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