The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1917-03-07
HIGH COST or LIVING.

Z
III IN interview today with DR.. r.
II Claxton. commissioner Of educa-
ton il the department Of the inter-
ior. he made the following statement
regarding the high cost Of living and
u partial solution of III.
High cost Of living. Is on the
lips Of all people in all cities, towns,
suburban communities, and manu-
featuring and mining villages In the
United States. 1t lis discussed In the
editions Of every newspaper and
| magazine. To millions OF laborfng
people and professional people on
small salaries it IL a very real thing.
TO hundreds OF thousands with large
families of children to support and
euncate, ii has come To be d fearful
thing: I'd many, torture and death.
For tssx high cost u Living there
ars ms causes. Two OF these are
!, I5ta rs4.al lack af funti and tic
, faot ina most "a lie foed II AZ
snraaa faf from The IIaca III probe
sion, which makes the consumer ~ II
the cost OF storage and transport =
ton. and the profits Of the midd Il
men. many OF whom, Il times Ike
these, take advantage OF the warts
OF the people to make profits larger
than they should.
Is there<a remedy There is a
partial remedy at least, but not Who'll
II in Investigations or legislation
This remedy is SO simple and close
al hand that. as is so frequently the
case, ii Is overlooked. I'm the schools
of the cities. towns suburban Gem
munities, and manufacturing and
mining villages of the United States
there are approximately 5000, GOO
boys and girls between tie ages oil
nine and sixteen. Most q them are
idle more than haEf af tIae year Tsseg
are Id school less than 1.e01 hours
in the year, and allowing 10 hours
a day for sleep, are out OF school
mare than geo waking hours, more
than an average of nine hours day.
not counting Sundays National and
state laws make it impossible for
most Of them to do any profitable
work in mill. mine. shop, ard many
of them are forming habits of idle
ness ana falling into vice. Even
during fire vacation months only
about 10 per cent have any profit |
able employment: only about s per |
cent Of them 60 away from their |
homes except for d few days. Still,
they must live and be fed and |
clothed.
For four millions of these theret
j access to back yards, side yards, |
'front.' yards. and vacant lots, which
night be cultivated as small gardens
FOR the growth OF vegetables and
mail fruits. Many live where space
sould be easily had for chickens,
iucks, or pigeons And there are not
ess than 5000 600 older boys and
iris and adult men and women for
rhom an hour or two Of work each
lay III q garden would be the best
orm of recreation and rest from the
Outline Of their daily labor in of
ice or shop or mill or mine, and =
Who might easily find the time
or it.
with some Intelligent direction,
hese school children and older boys
nd girls and men and women might
.asily produce on the available land |
n average Of SIS each in vegetables
nd trait for their own tables or
af sale Iii their Immediate neighbor-
iUoi. fresh and crisp through all
he growing months and wholesome
j canned and preserved for use in |
gister. nls would add $759.00Q.-
la8 IL tbs best form OF food suIplyi
i The enIaary without cost 9ft
va4aapor tlaH or storage ard With
MT profits OF middlemen. The es i
nate is very conservative, as h Is
,een shown BY many experiments.
..In addition TO the economic pro-
its, there would be for the children
health and strength, removal from
to vice, and EDUCATION Of
he best type; and for older persons,
rest and education in the open air
and the Joy OF watching things grow
'sThis might all be attained a.
little cost by putin
into the public schools for every hun
dred children between the ages Of
pine and sixteen. one teacher in
and paid for all the year.
One such teacher could easily direct |
the work OF 100 children, and OF the |
80 older persons beioneing 10 the !
families OF these children or living |
i'll their ealaaallait ThNs 10000
=