Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-16
SCHOOL LUNCH SYSTEN
OF EDUCATION BOARD
HERE PROVES SUCCESS
Miss Emma Smedley, Who Fur.
nishes Eats" to Army of
Little Ones, Tells of ''
Fine Work
$4,000 ARE BENEFITEn

One OF the finest child welfare svs,.,,.
ever launched I'm any city has ius, 60.
pleted its first month OF practical sn.,,
cation with great success
This is the system introduced n, NJ,
adelphia's Board of Education. ava Hn-
pervised by Miss Emma smedlev. ~ ~, su-
nishing TO tens of thousands of phi. Ut ~, +.
phia's school children penny portions ~
IN the hlgh schools !, and cent po,.
tions) of good. substantial and nouyt.s
ing food during recess periods 'n'f q
When the Board Of Education ..,..l y,
Miss Smedley as superintendent ~ No.
school luncheons, the official title ~ .san
woman director, its choice fell unor ~.
woman fitted, without doubt. mora ,h.e e
any other person In the city TO carr, an "'aa
a big task satisfactorily. Vus
When the idea Of school mncbos :.
first proposed six years ago. ana AS,as
Smeuiey undertook the work in one hIeh
school, she entered upon her dut,es .,ss ss
an exceptional knowledge of every hr..ss11
of dietetics, which her experience as ~
structor In dietetics at Johns Horsi--
Hospital for four years. preceded hy -
years as Instructor in domestic scj..sN
at Drexel Institute, had given her.
Twenty-Five thousand school childrs.
trudgng breakfastless or improperlv ~
" tieh CldsstS' touay are receiving food :
at recess periods in splendidly eou,nn.S
lunchrooms the equipment of whlch ~ I
also come under Miss Smedley's suns,,
vision. 'a
This woman has an expansive sr,,ts A.
greet the person who is interested ~
her many thousand youngsters ~
whose little "tummies' sake she sn.rs. 4
many hours each day engrossed in great
columns of figures.
While she knows onlx, toa -,
little owner of an empty and insistsn,
stomach cares much for ANYTHING ma
proteids or carbohydrates, she, neverthss
less, has it all figured out lust bo.
many fuel-producing units, via nov,
of soup or dish of pudding, shah be rer.
lstered' up In small interiors at so many
calories per capita. --Ss.
Miss Smedley's blue eyes dance with
enthusiasm and whole-souled Interest IN
her work as she talks. =
There is one thing 1 should like cor.
rected," said Miss Smedley earnestly
and that is the misinformation given ths
public in one of the daily papers that Guns
of coffee were served the little ones Wa
do not serve coffee in penny portions 10
small children; we do not consider coffea
a food.
The children in the elementary schools
are served penny portions Of cocoa or
soup, varied sometimes with creamea
cotash, macaroni or rice and tapiooa
pudding. Where the school is smaller, Of
course, the variety is not so great Penny
portions of sweet chocolate, soda or +.
| graham crackers and good stick candy
may also be had.
I'VE are operating, at present, lunch
| rooms in IL elementary and Is high
schools, feeding on an average of 5000
! children daily -
within the next two months, with the
| opening of more lunchrooms, the num-
| Der fed daily will reach the 10000 mark -.
! Miss Smedley emphasized the fact that
the whole system was self-supportng,
! covering every expense in connection with
! the service, except the equipment Of the
| lunchruoms which was done by the
! Board of Education.
She also spoke enthusiastically Of the
| suppers, which were served to night stu.
! dents in the William Penn High School
! for Girls and the Trade School at ntif
! and Wood streets, and remarked that
the whole atmosphere of the Trade
| School had improved since the introduc-
! tion of the evening meals, Girls and
| boys who are taking special work may
now come directly from their places Of
! employment and receive in one, three
or five-cent portions a good substantial
meal before proceeding with their
studies.
Miss Smedley is the author of book
called "Institution Recipes" which critics
| pronounce the most complete Of its kind
| ever published.
She is one of the highest paid women
holding office in the city today receiying
1 a salary of $1,000 annually, but the salary
goes hand-in-hand with a big job. All
the purchasing of foods, employment o.
help, general oversight of all menus
paying of all bills and bookkeeping tof
the entire department is supervised pys'
her together with approving all piani
! for building and equipment OF lunen-
rooms which are submitted to her by inc
architects engaged.