The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-06
CHICORY, NOT RUM,
IS PASSAGES PERIL
Truant Officer Discovers Cause
of "Intemperance" Among
Children.
POLICE CHIEF SEES PLOT
But Herman L. Weber, Jr.,
Fathoms Reason for School
'. Principals Complaint.

l.. Weber. Jr., be silent for the nonce,
Chief of Polico Gustavus Schmidt "
Passaic, n. j.. expressed himself with
his customary point and brevity:
This attempt on tho part, Of GER
tain persons to embarrass with innu
cndo, and from behind the skirts OF
an earnest but mistaken woman 10
bring discredit and obloquy upon the
men responsible for the safety. health
and fair name OF the municipality II
which I have the honor to be chief of
police shall fail. fail utterly, and as it
deserves to fail, and before another
twenty -four hours have passed over
this head"
And motoring Truant Officer Weber
once again TO maintain the silence COM
patible with his Office, Chief Gustav
picked UP the Office copy of the Pas
sale Daily NetCS and read aloud from
it's burning editorial:
Miss Alma L. Smith, principal Of
School No. 2. in Second street, has per-
formed a great public service in I'M
covering the dreadful conditions re-
lated last night in the Ne1os regarding
the feeding Of alcohol to children.
who Are These Human FiendsS
Miss Smiths duty requires that she
| 20 through with this to finish, and
| the duty Of every public officer having
| Jurisdiction in the matter is to rem
der his services without stint in the
bringing to justice OF those guilty OF
this dreadful crime. For no other
/ word than crime fittingly describes the
| slow physical, mental and spiritual
numbering OF children in the manner
so graphically described.
For the government OF Passaic and
through the government the people o.
Passaic are partners in this crime.
The city shares in the revenues Of
grog shops. Each and every con-
scienceless saloonkecper has to pay
the city 1901 a year for the privilege
| OF doing business. And so long as this
partnership exists there will be evil re-
| sulting from 1t. But that evil should
not be crime. Where school teachers
| and ordinary passers by can see scho u
children fetching pals OF beer from
| saloons, the police, whose eyes are not
more dim, should be able to see them
! Also
Truant Officer Herman L. Weber,
Jr., spoke up. That last sentence
takes all the wallop out of the artl-
Gle"
You were not asked to say some
| thing" rasped the Chief. the row II
medals across the uniform coat rising
and falling as he ragged inwardly. You
said this afternoon the chicory made
you sleepy. Now when there is an
| audience listening in my Office you are
not so sleepy that it prevents you
from butting in"
Herman L. Weber. Jr., Has His Say
But the sharpest official reprimand
Is as nothing in the eager life Of
| Truant officer Herman l.. Weber, Jr.
Il spoke Of chicory." he purred. your
! news sense, II you have one. should in
dioate to you that chicory is your
vindication. I am ready to release the
results OF my investigation for publ
cation in the press. as I have pre-
viously reported them to you.
II knew-which Miss Smith al not
know, for she has taught all her pro-
fessional life in n school in a select
residence section OF this city and has
been but recently transferred 10 the
foreign, or mill hand. section of the
city-that In the section from whIch
pupils are drawn 20 her school there
are forty-seve nat!onallties, practi-
cally all Of them with habits and fam
! i'll customs brought with them from
their homes in the Old World. Briefly,
with some Of the nationalities Of l:u-
rope II Is customary to give light wine
" little beer to the young. and they
think themselves none the less Chris
tians for it, So, as I have said. In
vestigated.
But I found that IN the main much
OF the Old World usage had died ont,
both with the absorption o! American
ideals and with the mounting price of
GROWERS. which in this city. under the
present high liquor taxes, have bc-
come practically prohibitiye. So that
my Investigations along bd World
lines led me to nothing at all. There
fore I Investigated further.
1T investigated until finally I dis
covered that many Of these people had
brought with other customs from the
old World that OF drinking a mixture
boiled from chicory instead ~ CNnN".
They deem 1t cheaper than coffee and
imagine II TO be nourlshnE as well.
Since the war II has ceased to be
cheap, hut that is detail Al all
events they supply II TO thcir children
in large quantities. ut their MONDAY
rcpasts Il is served invariably.
II secured some samples, had them
prepared and drank them. The eftcct
was distinctly sopornc. In fact |
went home and slept like a horse.
That evening was compelled to fore
go most worth while social engage
ment. But when awoke I cried
Eureka like the Greek of old. for
I knew my Investigations were at an
end. My report, reduced to writing,
is on file with the proper officials"
But the Chief Of Police Will not have
It otherwise than that the whole agi-
tatlon is a deep political plot 20 dis
credit those responsible for the city's
administration and fair name.
THE Judge OF the Children's Court
Is awaiting a report and has promised
20 act; the Commissioner Of Public
Safety has promised to act, and the
Superintendent Of Schools has prom
Used TO act. Miss Smith was silent
yesterday except TO say that II the
again.
And the single person 10 be pitied
profoundly In Passaic IL his Honor
Edward y. Seger. its Mayor, who is
NJ home with the Spanish influenza,