Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-22
HIGH COST Of LIVING
Vegetable Gardens in Back
Yards Suggested as Remedy.
Could BE Titled by SIX Million Boys
and Girls Of Country Between
AeEes Of Nine and
sixteen.

all people in all cities. towns suburban
communities, and manufacturing and
mining villages In the United States, says
DIR. +. +. Claxton, United States COM
missioner Of education. 1t is discussed In
the editions Of every newspaper and
magazine. To millions of laboring people
and professional people on small salaries
1t is very real thing. To hundreds Of
thousands with large families of children
to support and educate. It has come to
be fearful thing; to many, torture and
death.
For the high cost of living there are
many causes. Two Of these are the unusu-
al 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 mid
dlemen. many Of whom. in times like
these, take advantage Of the wants Of
the people to make profits larger than
they should.
rs there remedy? There is a par
tial remedy at least. but not wholly in
investigations or Legislation. This remedy
Is 80 simple and close at hand that. as
Is 30 frequently the case, It is overlooked.
In the schools Of the cities. towns, sub
urban communities and manufacturing
and mining villages Of the United States
there are approximately 100000 boys and
girls between the ages of nine and six
teen Most Of them are idle more than
half Of the year. They are in school less
than LOO hours in the year, and allowing
10 hours day for sleep. are out Of school
more than 1000 waking hours. more than
an average Of nine hours q day. not
counting Sundays. National and State
laws make 1t impossible for most Of them
to do any profitable 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
employment only about five per cent. Of
them go away from their homes except
for a few days Still, they must live and
be fed and clothed
For four millions Of these there IL
access to back yards, side yards, front
7 yards. and vacant lots. which might be
cultivated as small gardens for tho
growth Of vegetables and small fruits.
Many live where space could be easily had
{ for chickens. ducks or pigeons. And there
are not less than 100000 older boys and
, girls and adult men and women for whom
an hour or two Of work each day in a
garden would be the best form of recre-
alton and rest from the routine Of thsey
daily labor in office or shop or mill or
mine. and who might easily find the time
!, for II.
:. with some Intelligent direction these
school children and older boys and girls
and men and women might easily produce
on the available land an average Of 81
each in vegetables and fruits for their
own tables or for sale in their immediate
neighborhood fresh and crisp through all
the growing months and wholesomely
canned and preserved for use in winter.
Thla a. IN "a haa opy,a
Of food supply Of the country with
out cost Of transportation or storage
: and without profits Of middlemen The
estimate 10 very conservative. as has been
Z shown by many experiments.
I'm addition to the economic profitsL
=. there would be for the children health
y and strength. removal from temptation
to vice. and education Of the best typo;
= and for older persons, rest and recreation
t. in the open air and the Joy Of watching
y things grow.
X This might all be attained at oompar1-
10 lively little cost by putting into the pub
s lie schools for every hundred children
d between the ages of nine and sixteen. one
5. teacher skilled in gardening and paid fol
Il all the year. One teacher could easily
j. direct the work OF 100 children. and oi
d the 100 older persons belonging to tn
It families Of these children or living II
s. their community. Thus 1000 teachers o.
- this kind would be smncfent for tn
n country. These teachers might easily b.
n had for an average additional salary d
l. $500 or a total Of H0.oooooo. There woult
n be some cost for seeds and some for fer
le tilizers and tools. but after the firsi
year the cost Of these last two ftem
would be comparatively little The pro
1. ceeds would represent profits TO great
!" er extent than in any othor kind Of pro
- duction. The miracle Of It II In bringing
IN together idle land on the one hand am
~ idle children and tired people on tn
;. other. Alone. neither 10 productive
~ but all would be- benefited BY the com
20 bination even II the vegetables and fruit
70 produced had no value: the land BY tn
% cultivation. the children by the health
. giving. education labor. and the oide