Evening star., 1918-01-20

the people. Herbert c. Hoover. food
director. says it must be won by the
conservation of food. DR.. Harry A.
Garfield. fuel director. tells the public
that without mathematical precision in
the handling and dispensing of the fuel
supply the savings of the people cannot
be available, the food cannot be con-
served and the war must necessarily be
prolonged. In word, without coop
Grafton in all branches of supply and
demand the great wheels of the gov
ernment machinery that have been put
in motion. to round out the resources Of
the nation will be clogged.
The schoolhouses of the republic
since its first years have been the meet
ing places for the working out of
neighborhood reforms. In the country
Henry Clay and Daniel Webster
helped to mold public opinion and edu-
cate the people in the responsibilities
of citizenship. There Abraham Lincoln
which welded together the American
people and enabled them to stand today
as the leaders in world wide democracy.
The community centers of today in
the beautiful public school buildings
are the natural evolution of the little
red schoolhouse of the early days. Now
these places for social service are of
a larger growth and are fast becoming
public marts for the sale and purchase
OF provisions. for simplifying trans
portation. eliminating waste Of time
and produce, thereby releasing to the
government forces which are congested
and which must be loosed.
President Wilson. in an address de-
l1vered on October 25. 1911, before the
first national conference on civic and
social center development, at Madison,
Wis, said:
'"The very definition of community
is a body of men who have things in
common, who are conscious that they
have things in common, who Judge
those common things from single
point of view, namely. the point Of
view of general interest Such thing
as community is unthinkable, there
fore, unless you have close communi-
cation; it is necessary that
simple means should be found which
by an interchange of points Of view
we may get together. for the whole
process Of modern life. the whole
process Of modern politics. Is process
by which we must exclude misunder-
standings, exclude hostilities. exclude
deadly rivalries. make men understand
other mems interests. bring all men
into common counsel, and SO discover
what is the common interest. And it
seems to me that the schoolhouses dot
ted here. there and everywhere over
the great expanse OF this nation Will
some day prove to be the roots of that
great tree of liberty which shall
spread for the sustenance and protec-
tion of all mankind"
Edward J. Ward. specialist in COM
munity organization, United States bu-
reau of education, an authority in civic
and social center development and the
author of the standard book on the sub
ject when adviser in civic and social
center development of the university
extension department of the University
of Wisconsin, had the honor of intro
Cow Wilson in this movement.
Mr.. Ward. In speaking Of the long
strides made by the different states in
community organization and co-opera-
tive buying. told of the splendid re-
suits being actually enjoyed during the
present stress OF high prices and short
age in food supplies. He said that in
the light of present events the words
of President Wilson at that first ma
tional conference seemed almost pro-
phetic, that the community center of
the public schools is not only spread
ing the gospel of liberty to Americans
and aliens alike, but in practical
way Is demonstrating to its members
that in helping themselves solve the
present economic conditions surround
ing them they are at the same time as
sisting m adding to the resources Of
the nation.
In 1907 Mr.. Ward started the social
and civic center movement at Roch-
ester. N. T., advocating that the public
schools be thrown open to the people
s3tsr school hours and he used ~ uset-