New-York tribune., 1918-09-10
For Children

Sir: ! have read with interest the plea
of Drs. Fisk and Holt and others for bet
ter care of the undernourisned children Of
the poor, and | note the argument that saw
ing the children is ultimately saving adults.
incidentally, may | add to that argument
the consideration that saving children is
saving at once the children themselves. who
when properly cared for get more un-
alloyed happiness out of their little wears
than toiling and troubled adults ever
hope for?
But I writing to call attention of
your readers to an organization which does
a large amount of skilled work for the
betterment Of New York children. but
which is not as widely known as it de-
serves to be, because it has hardly been
advertised at all The Peoples University
Extension Society was Incorporated in 1898,
with Rossiter johnson as president and !.
Eugene Whitney as secretary and treasurer
both of whom have been in office con-
tinuously. Among the best known gentle
men that are or have been members Of it's
board of directors are Henry A. Stimson.
D. D.; Jacob Riis, Loyal Farragut. Charles
c. f. Brown, Frederick s. Dellcnbaugh and
James Howard Bridge Its motto is: "Help
to self-hclp." It's title is perhaps little
unfortunate, as it is not devoted to OK
tension upward in the direction Of post
graduate study, but downward to those whe
have. lacked educational opportunities.
This society is supported by voluntary
contributions. 1t discovers, examines and
approves competent teachers of SEWING.
cooking, dressmaking. millinery, mechanical
drawing, basketry, chair Gaming, hammock
netting, toy making, cobblng and other
useful employments and it sends these
teachers to settlements, vocational churches
and other places where there are classes
for them. AS the society gives the teachers
fair compensation for every lesson. It is
benefit to them as well as to tho classos
We also have women physicians and reg
istered nurses, who give to classes of moor
mothers the instruction they need for tho
care of their children apd their homes. We
able to give some OF these lecturos IN
Italian.
Perhaps the most gratifying of all our
work is that which is done directly for the
children. We have two or three exncrts IN
corrective exercises, who have produced
wonderful results in treating cripnled and
defective children and in curing speech DO
fects Our classes have included children
and young people of twenty-four nationali
ties. In one year the largest number Of
lessons for crippled children on anv one
OF the fifteen subjects was 1923 in correc-
tive exercises, The whole number Of los
sons to crippled children was 4.0sO. Ono
OF our largest classes in corrective exor-
cises is instructed in cooperation with the
Brooklyn Committee on Prevention of
tuberculosis.
Recently we have set large number oe
our classes to work for the Red Cross.
If we had more funds we could accom-
plish more of this good work. We Issue
an annual report, which shows every dollar
we have received and every class we have
taught This will be sent to anv person
who writes for it to the secretary. No. III
Fifth Avenue, room SIT.
ROsSITER JOHNSON.
President of University Extension Societv
New York, Aug IA, 1918.