Evening star., 1930-06-22


izing that the country is passing
through period of economic de-
preston, humanitarians and philanthropic or
ganizationS have been working overtime In an
effort to relieve suffering among the jobless.
And now just as the status is returning to quo
problem rearS its tousled head.
For school is out and the children are at
home again. disorganizing the lares and pen
ates. 1t is very jolly for about two weeks, but
after that a period of domestic depression sets
in We are all familiar with the sad spectacle
of a hungry jobless man sitting on a park
bench, with nothing to do because he is too
old at co." but Sadder still is the spectacle OF
hungry, joblesS boy kicking his heels against
the porch railing, with nothing TO do because he
is too young at six.
Bread lines, benefits and give a job till
June" campaigns do little to improve the juve-
nile unemployment situation. The dole system
does not work; whatever the dole-a nickel,
bedtime story slice of bread and brown
sugar-it merely evokes an insistent clamor for
more Harassed mothers find themselves listen
ing unconsciously for the welcome sound of the
school bell; then, with sinking of the heart,
they remember that there will be no school
bells until September
In East Teabone parents look to Mrs. Chanis
for a solution of their difhculties. MRS. Challis
can always be counted on TO provide the jobless
Juniors and Betty James with an outlet for
opportunity for few afternoon maps.
Though her enterprises are not always sue
cessful, at least they take up lot OF time.
One Summer she organized swat-the-1y cam
paign, with the East Teabone Chamber Of Com
merce as her financial hacker. Children were
paid q penny dozen for swatted flies. and 1t
was predicted that within month East Tea
bone would be entirely free from the little pests
(the f1ies that Isl.
RUT complications developed. The supply Of
~ dead flies soon exceeded the demand Boys
and girls storned the Chamber Of Commerce In
droves all day long bearing SquaShed offerings.
No one would have believed that there had
been so many flies in the world since the
plaques of Egypt. The young ladies who had
volunteered to assist in the tabulation OF NOR
tality statistics threw up their carefully glOVed
hands in despair. The finance committee after
listening to the treasurer's report reduced the
bounty to half cent a dozen. But stall the
flies poured in.
The principal collector of this bounty was
one Buddy" Gilkerhaut. Where others dealt
in hundreds he dealt in thousands. At the
end of three weeks the fly fund was exhausted
but not Buddy. Mrs Challis took him aside and
questioned him.
do you realize that you have brought II
more flies than all the other boys together?'
she said. Nov that is very praiseworthy
Buddy, and I'm sure we all appreciate you
euOIJS 10 make East 4cdpOAlc q CACdAlCIs SNCCOC
place to live in. But, tell mellow do yO'
do it?"
At first Buddy was retieent bat after
lengthy grilling he broke down and confessed
I'VE got bunch of dead fish out in the alley,
he explained briefly. That was the end Of tn
swat-the-f1y campaign.
Another Summer Mrs. Challis organized al
anti-dandelion crusade. It was part Of he
city beautiful program. Through the gen
erosity Of Mr.. Squattulucci, the proprietor c
an unaccountably prosperous coal and ic
business, she was enabled to pay the boys an
girls 25 cents a bushel for freshly dug dande
lions Mr.. Squattaluccis motives were, h
assured her, purely altruistic; he wanted to sc
the lawns of his fair city unblemished b
noxious weeds.
The children set to work with more vigc
than judgment. 1t was with something of