Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-23
Children Who Need Food.

Dr BaIlouS report on the number of
school children in need of free school
luncheonS emphasizes, in the first place.
the necessity for an immediate confer
ence between officials of the schools the
parent-teacher organization. the health
officer and the Community Chest. at
| which the findings should be analyzed
and discussions of the problem thus out
lined begun.
The significant point Of the report is
that while approximately 200 children
are receiving free food an additional
1,500 are as much in need of it but are
getting nothing. The fact that the 2. 700
children concerned - excluding. those
now cared for in the special schools
represent relatively small proportion of
the 1900 Washington public school
children is interesting and to some ex-
tent encouraging. But aside from that
1t in no manner minimizes the real ex-
tent of the need indicated by the school
report.
The conference to follow the report
should discuss, in the first place. what
is meant by free Luncheon. If free
luncheon means a few crackers and a
bottle OF milk, for which most school
children now pay IS cents a week. that
is one thing. If free luncheon means
more nourishing food, such as hot SOUP
the problem of supply is raissd. Few of
the elementary schools are equipped with
facilities for furnishing hot food. And
II the need for free food includes the
need for breakfast, where and how is
such a meal to be furnished at SCHOOL,
The school report is indefinite. For
that reason the Qualification is needed
that would naturally follow a confer
ence between the school officials, those
OF the organizations such as the parent
teacher group now supplying some chill
dren with food, and the experts in
charity and welfare work in the Dis
trict, whose advice is needed. In this
respect it is to be borne in mind that
help for the needy children is a re-
sponsibility resting primarily upon the
people OF the community and not upon
the school officials. and there is danger
in confusing the educational problems,
with which the latter must deal. with
the problem of charity, which lies be-
yond their proper jurisdiction The
child who goes hungry to school will in
all probability remain hungry during
the holidays. The schools furnish an
excellent medium for obtaining infcr-
nation. The parent-teacher organiza-
tions exist as a liaison agency between
the schools and the public And the
charitable and welfare organizations are
equipped for expert follow-up and in
vestigating work, Properly co-ordinated,
their efforts should result in a salts
factory plan to end a condition that
must not be permitted to continue.
DR.. Ballou's report will naturally be
considered in connection with legisla-
ton. now pending before the District
Committee of the House, to furnish an
appropriation of 100000 administered
by the health officer in supplying food
for children of the public, private and
parochial schools of the city in need of
such assistance.
The report shows that 5000 children
are in need Of, or are receiving, food
now, including In this number the
pupils of the tuberculosis schools and
the schools for cripples. That means
that the $4,000 appropriation would
supply ten dollars a school year, or
approximately five and a half cents
a day, for food for each child. This
is in the public schools alone. The
Mcleod bill includes private and
parochial schools, and if the Govern
ment undertakes TO furnish such food
free, the number of child applicants
will obviously be increased.
There may come a time when the
Washington public schools, in addition
10 supplying free educational facilities
and free text books, will supply
luncheons of nourishing food from
school kitchens, at the expense of the
| taxpayers. When that time comes the
| question will have been considered on
its merits. and, of course, it contains
| merits. But the $4,000 appropriation
proposal represents a half-baked idea.
The money is insufficient. The need
for governmental assistance has not
been established. The administration
of such a fund would set up another
! governmental agency concerned with
| the delicate work of discr minating be-
tween the able and the helpless. And
| until the members of this community
petition for such aid and relief and
admit their own helplessness, the pro-
| poSal should be dropped.