Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-27
UNDERFED PUPILS
PROMISED RELIEF
BY SEVEN AGENCIES
Conferences Bring First Step
for Alienation Regardless
of Pending Legislation.
MILK-CRACKER LUNCH
WORK TO BE EXTENDED
Food Also to Be Taken into Homes
of Capitals Needy Grade
Children.

Ignoring pending action on the bill to
provide free lunches for needy school
children of the District, seven Wash
ington agencies, including the public
school system and charitable organi-
cations, are setting in motion their own
remedies for the problems of the city's
own underfed children.
The parent-teacher associations have
agreed to assume the work of extending
their present milk-and-cracker lunches
in the schools to provide food for all
needy children, and various social
agencies have promised to take neces-
sary steps to supply substantial assist
ance in the homes Of those children re-
ported to be in need of midday lunches
First Alienation Step.
Two conferences were held at the
Franklin Administration Building with
Stephen E Kramer, first assistant su-
perintendent, yesterday, and the agree
ments reached in those sessions an
nounced by Mr.. Kramer today constitute
the first step toward the alienation OF
children's hunger. While he said to-
day tentative plans call for the distri-
button of more milk and cracker
lunches, Mr. Kramer explained that 1t
Is possible that the paren.-teacher
groups will undertake to serve hot soup
later. The chief issue, he added, Is to
launch immediate aid to needy children.
and since equipment is available at the
present time for the milk and cracker
lunches they will constitute the first
relief.
Grade Schools Concerned.
Yesterdays meeting conferred chiefly
about the need in the elementary
schools since it was agreed that the
problem in the junior and senior high
schools, where cafeterias are operated,
can be taken care of with little or no
administrative change.
Tentatively, it was agreed yesterday
that the proposed milk-and-cracker
lunches can be supplied, as they are at
present, for 5 cents day per pupil.
With 1873 additional elementary chill
dren reported in need Of lunches, the
daily cost Of supplying these meals"
would be $6865. On the basis OF rs
additional school days this year, the
program will call for the raising OF
$5,14s.75.
First of Meetings.
The first of yesterdays meetings was
held with the representatives OF various
civic groups. These included, with their
respective representatives, Council OF
Social Agencies, Mrs. w. A. Roberts and
Miss M E. Coleson; Family Welfare
Committee, Miss Louise Mcclure; AsSo-
ciated Charities, Mrs Walter S. Ufford
and Miss Louise Beall; Board of Public
Welfare, Miss Patricia Morse; Salvation
Army, Ensign Decker, and District OF
Columbia Congress of Parents and
Teachers. Mrs. Joseph N. Saunders,
president and Mrs. H. S. Parsons.
At this meeting Mr.. Kramer pro-
posed that the parent-teacher aSsocia-
tons set up an organization which
could care for the distribution Of the
milk-and-cracker lunches and could
finance the cost. The parent-teat her
representatives agreed that was in Il yeir
province and that they would under
take the task.
Distribution of Burden.
The chief problem confronting the
parent-teacher bodies, however, Is the
distribution of the burden of paying for
these lunches, since the poorer aSSo-
cations have the greatest number OF
needy children TO be fed. One asso-
citation in a colored school has only
S1.20 in its treasury at this time. while
the number of needy children in its
jurisdiction exceeds that Of much
weather. bodies. In order TO set up a
procedure by which the prosperous as
sociations may aid the more needy
ones, special committee of the Par
ent-Teacher Congress members who will
represent all sections of the city will
meet at 10 O'Clock Monday morning
according 10 an announcement today
by Mrs. Saunders
The personnel of this special group
OF nine members was not made public
today by the president of the con-
greSS, who said the names would be
withheld until Monday.
Need in Homes Discussed.
Having the assurance of the parent.
teachers representatives at yesterdays
meeting. Mr Kramer then asked tho
social agencies present through theil
representatives II they could under.
take TO relieve need in the homes Of
the children. He pointed out that
children generally are the last mem
bers of family to suffer from want
of food, and that if children were com.
ing 10 the schools without adequate
meals 1t is certain their parents arr
in even greater straits at home. HI
asked them If they would undertake
10 relieve these conditions and to pro
vide lunches for the children on Sat
urdays and other days when they arr
home. The organization representa-
tives agreed they would go as far a
their funds would permit them. 1t hat
been suggested that probably most 0
the families of needy school childrel
already are receiving aid from socia
agencies.
Following his meeting with the civil
bodies. Mr.. Kramer called in the super
vising principals of the school syster
in a special meeting late yesterday
These school officers agreed they woul'
be glad TO aid the outside organiza
tons in distributing food where 1t wa
most urgently needed.
Milk and Cracker Need.
Mr.. Kramer told The Star today tina
while he recognized in some cases tn
milk and cracker lunch is not ade
0uate. he is convinced that no NOR
rourishing food could be given childrel
with small finances and inadequat
luncheon facilities He declared tina
the milk and cracker lunch program
is a beginning. which would take tn
whole problem out of the class Of i'd
waiting for something TO happen"
with everybody who is interested
this problem definitely committed" M
Kramer said, I'VE will be able to atten
TO this problem in the wisest and mo:
efficient way and eliminate entirely.
time. the need which our survey ha
shown US. 1t is q local problem an
we all are able to cope with 1t. tn
business of raising SUFFICIENT FUNDS
feed hungry children should be- an
/ think Is, detail III the issue whlc
will be solved as we proceed Win ol