Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-02
Pitiful Evidences of ID
treme Want Discover
in Many Places by Chi
of the b reau of Col
pulsory Education.
Boys and Girls, Eager to Il
prove Their Minds, Fore
to Remain Away Frd
Glasses Because They Ha|
Not Proper Apparel.

Some day, according to the socialI|
optimists and other wel-wishers Il
orally, all the little girls and boys In
community are going to have eno|
food to eat and plenty OF warm CLOTH
to wear, but in the meanwhile there
hundreds OF children. according to IIe|
J. Gideon, chief of the Bureau of Cd
pulsory Education, who, despite tI|
willingness, haven't sufficient wearing
parel to enable them to ger out to sch|
Penned up in their miserable hon|
cold and ill-fed, these kiddies. in defa|
Of the law, which says that children
their ages must attend school daily.
forced to sit around alphabetically 4
await the coming OF warmer weau|
This happens practically every yd
but never IN the knowledge of Mr. Gid
has the number been so great as d
season.
Tie case of Tommy Hendricks Is
one of the many. Tommy is an aneI
little boy of IL years of age and the wi
blows cold down where he lives at
South Hollywood street, because
near the river. Tommy wouldn't mi
this so much IL he were dressed up wal
enough and had good stout shoes.
But all I've got" he says sheepish|
us this coat and me pants / amt
no umderclothes or thick Shoes
Mrs. Hendricks, the boys mother, bud
sewing on some garments supplied by
Emergency Aid, nodded her head sad
and bade Tommy hold UP his feet
There were no soles to the shoes
He's o bright boy" she said with NJ
ternal pride, land | hate to see him nj
his school like this, but what can bd
do? L used to work in the mill before |
husband deserted me, and then we wl
able to get along nice, but now work.
slack, and it's all i can do to buy enou|
to eat with what 1 can make washing d
days in the week and sewing the re|
I'm back in the rent three months, al
also on the insurance I've taken out
the children, in case anything should nd
pen to me. Naturally buying them shd
is out OF the question"
At this moment Elizabeth Hendricks,
intelligent looking little girl of 12, cal
into the room. Elizabeth has acquired
Is without shoes, and therefore canT|
go TO school.
'She went down grade this winter l
the first time" the mother said m
what can l do about It? haven't d
heart to send her out on days like the|
though she cries sometimes to go
school,"
Outside tho thermometer registered
degrees. inside there was no thermol
eter, but it seemed just as cold, col
like shoes, being a luxury to the He|
bricks family this winter.
These children are not isolated exa|
pies. They are but two of many whc|
wardrobes number one, two or thr|
garments at best. Shoes are alwa|
scarce and underwear is never plentif|
In fact. the conditions this year are
alarming that Mr.. Gideon made an al
peal recently to enlist the services of q
public in supplying these children vii
wearing apparel. Only yesterday u
Girls High School sent n wagonload
which they had collected. TH
will help some, but there'll have to
many wagonload If all the underdress|
kiddies in Philadelphia are to take thd
places in the schoolroom.