Macon beacon., 1917-03-09
EDUCATIONAL


Editor the Beacon:
The following letter from the Blu eau
of Education on the solution of the
high cost of living seems to me to be
worthy of the thoughtful considera-
ton Of every citizen Of the Republic.
The great war has clearly demon
strated the proposition that nations
most important phase of preparedness
Ia its food supply. We have always
Enown that for the great mass of hu-
manity life has been largely a "meat
and bread" proposition. However,
our nation, lacking strongly central
lied government, has not reached the
position where it could inaugurate by
national legislation such plan az that
outlined in DR.. Claxton's letter. Un-
less driven to it by necessary like that
which faces Germany our national
government may never have this
power. Like most movements that
sweep our country it must come from
educ ated p,blic opinion and come
through individual communities. Al
ready many towns and cities have
garden teachers whose duty it is to
direct the gardening on yards and
vacant lots. Many other towns and
cities are considering taking up the
werk and before long its advantages
may be SO clearly demonstrated that
all towns and cities will make the
necessary provision. Right now in
Mississippi and, to bring it nearer
home. right here in Macon what we
can do is to give encouragement to the
club work. The direct financial profit
from this work is considerable but it's
educational results in the lives of the
children is far more valuable. Indeed
for it's educational Importance the
schools must make it their business to
encourage and direct the work.
If you are interested in the economic
welfare Of our community and in the
future of the community's children
read the following letter and then en-
courage every child to grow something
this year. Yours very truly,
JOE l.. MCMILLIN.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Bureau of Education.
HIGH COST OF LIVING.
IN an interview today with Or. Pep.
Claxton, Commissioner of Education in
the Department of the Interior. he
made the following statement regard
ing the high cost of living and par
tial solution of it:
High cost of living" is on the lips
of all people in all cities, towns, subur-
ban communities, and manufacturing
and mining villages in the United
States. 1t is discussed in the editions
of every newspaper and magazine. To
millions of laboring people and profess
sional people on small salaries it is a
very real thing. To hundreds of thou
sands with large families of children
to support and educate, it has come to
be a fearful thing; to many, torture
and death.
"For the high cost of living there
are many causes. Two of these are
the unusual lack of food, and the fact
that most of the food is consumed far
from the place of production, which
makes the consumer pay the cost of
storage and transportation, and the
profits of the middlemen, many of
whom, in times like these, take ad-
vantage of the wants of the people to
make profits larger than they should.
"Is there remedy? There is a par
tial remedy at least, but not wholly in
Investigations or Legislation. This
remedy is so simple and close at hand
that, as is 80 frequently the case, it is
overlooked. In the schools Of the
cities, towns, suburban communities,
and manufacturing and mining villages
of the United States there are ap-
proximately 100000 boys and girls
between the ages of nine and sixteen.
Most of them are idle more than half
Of the year. They are in school less
than 1,e0O hours in the year, and al
lowing 10 hours day for sleep, are
out of school more than 1000 waking
hours, more than an average of nine
hours a day, not counting Sundays,
National and state laws make it impos-
sble tor most of them to do any profit
able work in mill, mine or shop. and
many of them are forming habits of
idleness and falling into vice. Even
during the vacation months only about
10 per cent have any profitable en-
ployment; only about 5 per cent of
them go away from their home except
for a few days. Still, they must live
and be fed and clothed.
,LNo~ four ro;lliona of these there ia