Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-07
SERVICE CITIZENS
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- Continued from page
Mr. Chester IL. Wells. who came TO bei-
aware during the war PERIOD uhue' ~ ,
Stat,, Council of Defense, was taken 9No' ~
hv the Service Citizens, and We nave PM iI
- ~, ~ tba lisposal of the State Board
of Health. During the year ne mas nec,'
,,,,-,neratinr with that body IN the matter
~ no recording of vital STATISTICS com
n,nic,hle disease control; milk cohtfoi'
,,rcna ration of material Tor Il lhoh'hS
Nth bulletin; conferences on the pres
item of hubble health; revision oi
s',,,r,l rcqulations of the State Board oi
IIrYItb. medical inspection IN thessehoolS
,nd the establishment OF the bci,iwa!e
p,bL, Health Association. MI Neils
brought TO the attention OF the service
citizens the problem OF guaral'eclnE
,,,,,,. milk for public sale and we appro-f
i,,atad ~ tho State Livestock sanitary
l.ry,nission the sum of Sl,5OO Tor cN-
,,.,r;ne,ltal tuberculin testing ct daiFy
i.Is Within six months the Legislature,
~ sia,eiaI session, made an appropriation
nj S5a 600 for the cost OF tubercuiin leStihE
1 i has bcen said that this state action
vn,,lI MOI. have been undertaken but
FOR our experiment
AT tins point the activities oi tie
~cr,ice Citizens fall MAINLY under INC
bcad of experimentation IN the p"Nsi,,u-
tir- of democracy ! have mentioned NJ
Nclls work in connection with PupiiS
L,.,Ith and the medical inspection ol
schools Very fcw people reaiiIe iic u'
,,l,rablc condition of the nirai distilets
~ ,rncrica in matters OF health IT.
George +. Vincent president oi thG
Hockefcllcr Foundation, IN a recent ''d-
,lre.s an better health for rural commune
- makes some astounding statements.
pcccnt investigations of city high schooi
n,,pils and Of the pupils III typlcai ruIfu
Schools show that 81 per cent ol me
,,,,,l ,0,Dils give evidence OF mainutnhon
,,.biIc only ~ per cent Of the city pupils
80 suffer; 5S per cent OF the ruTal pu'is
suffer from eve defects whllc only Per
cent Of the city pupils show SlinliaF &c
fccts: 81 per cent OF the rurai pupoS
.,rn subject to auernia while only 20 per
cent of the city pupils show IKE "e''NI
rcss: only 10 per cent OF the rural pup1
no tooth brushes as against 50 per cent
- tho city Dupils; the Illness rate is higher
among rural pupils than among city pupllS
startling statement such rs that ol ~.
Vincent opcns up vlstas 0! the many needs
~ tbe r1lral communities. All OF our clticS
are oyer-croWded: there = q tanlnc 81
houses; in the rural districts MI over
t,ncrir, and IN Delaware there are farms
without tenants crops that 80 70 waste
for lack Of farm labor. and a general
Ji,contcnt with tho conditions 81 country
life This migration to the cities Is not que
entirely to the higher wages pald ID th'
urban industries, i II very lafgc.N ~,
cause Of the lonliness and isolation q
Ifc IN the omen country During the past
wear the Service Citizens have hcer
otndvinp the question 0t community
and neighborhood organization Ter th'
rnral n9rts of Delaware. Tho State II
rro,.idInr better roads which Is one ot the
Ers+ essentials. School houses arc beni
Manned for the State ol such type tina
thev NAV become genuine community
canters: but something moro Is needed Z
,riveaf 0f the people no matter how widely
Scattered. the full benefits OF moder:
civilization. Organized recreation am
amusement ought 10 pC as possible IN tn
country as in the city; the people Shou'
ne able 10 get together, not SIMPLY ~
their own economic benefit, but lor u
satisfaction Of their human needs frac
fifalv every state in the Omon, throug
~ state University, Is experimenting J
,bo direction Of enhancing the vital II
tcreSts and the real values OF the rlra
residents. DR. Cooper. the head 81 on
Educational Bureau. Is formulating pla
far similar work in Delaware and Is waltln
.nlv the word to begin. Last winter Y
financed q course Of lectures IN Dover n
members OF the faculty Of Delaware Co
laga hI14 this touches only ono phase Ot th
problcYn. Also we secured Mrs. FTiedewal
Tor a period Of SIX weeks to interpret modeT
English literature and drama and shc dl
ycrv acceptable work IN the meetings
the Farmers Institute and IN the publ
schools.
STUDY OF HOUSING CONDITIONS
The Octavias Hill Committee Of Wi
rninpton Is composed OF an equal number {
members of the Central Labor Mo
and the Service Citizens. Through an al
DroD-iation of the Service Citizens IN
committee obtained the assistance Of Y
New York Bureau OF Municipal Rcseart
10 make a study Of the housing CONDITION
and possibilities Of Wilmington, and !
report showed that l,500 dwellings We
needed Immediately IN this city. " prII
ed and gave wide circulation 10 the repo'
which received considerable attenu
from the local press and from halioi
magazines such as the Survey. Many cat
IN the country have requested copies
This pamphlet. which have been giac
sent. II has not been within the power
the Service Citizens, as NJ present organ
ed. TO create house financing corporate
such as the one which Is operating
successfully III Detroit.
Delaware has q Negro population
31.1S1 fifteen per cent OF the total popu
ton OF which 5,764 are enrolled IN
pubIc schools The Educational Comm
Of the Service Citizens is also the DelaW'
School Auxiliary Association which
extending 100000 of the T. :. du II
Trust Fund, for the erection OF Ne'
schools. These schools are TO be G.
eenters for the Negro people. During I
year we assisted in the formation q
Delaware Negro Civic League and hs
appropriated $1,000 lor organlzat
and field work.
The League IS organizing branc
wherever there is q Negro commun
and these branches Will be Of imme
assistance In developing healthy 3
happy community life. THIS work !
probably make il impossible for the pro
gandists Of Bolshevism TO secure any
gree of influence over our Negro popt