The sun., 1919-03-04
LUNCH COMMITTEE
Is WELL ROASTED
Board of Education Accused of
Letting $4,000 Fund
Lie Idle.
SCHOOL NEEDS SHOWN
Pressure In Behalf Of Children
Uurged at Meeting in the
Cosmopolitan Club.

The committee on school luncnes Of
the Board of Education was well roasted
and done TO turn at a meeting last
evening in the Cosmopolitan Club. Mrs.
Frederick Peterson, wife OF DR.. Fred
erick Peterson and one of the most tire
less agitators for school lunches; DR..
Mary s. Rose Of Teachers College; Miss
Sally Lucas Jean. director of the Pub
JIG Health Association, and various per-
cons speaking from the floor testified
to conversations with the chairman of
the committee. Mrs. Emma Murray.
These conversations, they declared,
proved that there was no prospect Of
The $4,000 appropriated by the Board
bf Estimate and Apportionment for
school lunches being used for the bene-
NJ OF the children unless the public APP
piles pressure to the Board OF Educa-
ton.
Mrs. Peterson. following n statement
from DR.. Rose that Mrs. Murray had
told her that no outside supervision of
the lunches would be necessary" re-
marked significantly: Evidently there
a no intention that $1,000 a year
job shall go to an outsider"
Tho situation is" she added, shat
the $4,000 appropriated January for
Education placed the matter In the
hands Of a committee OF three Of it's
members. and the money still lies idle.
and there have been less school lunches
This year than last Mr.. Somers. presi-
Gent Of the board, and DR.. Ettinger,
superintendent OF instruction, are In ia
yor OF the lunches, but apparently they
cannot get action from the committee
s II saw the committee recently and they
showed me letters affirming that New
York children are not suffering from
}nalnutrition." said DR.. Rose. The idea
Seemed to be that unless children are
ectually starving they are not in need
Of school lunches. Why. the mere price
pf milk this last year was enough to in
duce malnutrition.
The chairman of the committee told
me that she did not think expert super
vision Of school lunches was necessary.
tho teachers In the schools could attend
20 the matter. Now those teachers, with
fhe best of intentions. can't manage the
SCHOOL lunches. They are young. they
pre- not trained and 1t would be a case
bf giving the teacher one more thing to
DO. The thing would go heller SHELTER.
why, in one school visited they re-
Fused to make cocoa on the score that
putting the kettle on the gas stove would
epoil the top of the stove.
\ 'Only most strenuous urging on the
bart OF the men and women of New
York will get action out OF the school
Bunch committee"
Miss Katherine Blake, principal OF P.
y 8, told how she had organized daily
lunches on a small scale in her school
and how 1t had resulted in better health
Pnd capacity for study on the part Of
eome OF the underfed ones. There
.ehould be a midday meal ut school for
livery child in New York" she said. ut
would only take $4,000. 900 to do It,"
Miss Jean asked everybody to write
10 the Board OF Education. "They are
kfraid Of letters" she said. TRY to
write them before their next meeting on
"Wednesday
Before the discussion Or. Emmett
Holt. chairman Of the National Health
Organization, spoke on the gospel OF
child health, and Dr. George e. Vincent,
president of Rockefeller Foundation. put
everybody In a good humor with a de-
liShtfully witty speech.