Evening star., 1933-12-15
FREE LUNCH NEED
IN SCHOOLS VIEWED
DR.. BaIIou Seeks Information
to Guide Allen in Asking
U. S. Relief Funds.

A croSs-section Of the need for free
lunches in the District public school
system is being sought by DR.. Frank w.
Ballou, superintendent of schools, to
be used in guiding Commissioner Al
len in his efforts to provide food out
OF Federal relief funds.
DIR. Ballou held an executive meeting
with his officers, including, besides his
administration building assistants, the
presidents of teachers colleges. prin-
cipals Of senior and junior high schools,
and vocational schools, and supervising
principals Of elementary schools, short
ly before noon today.
Asks for Data.
Outlining for the officers the tenta-
tive plans for providing lunches for
school children whose parents are f.
nancially unable to care for them
adequately. DR.. Ballou requested his
staff to submit the following data not
later than noon Saturday:
/. list of elementary schools and
vocational schools where hot lunches
were served in the middle of the day
during a portion of last wear. together
with the total number of pupils who
received these lunches.
2. The extent to which Junior high
schools, senior high schools and teach
ers' colleges furnished lunches to needy
pupils during last year, with the num-
ber of individual pupils served.
3. A list of elementary schools and
the number of pupils in each school
which the teachers and officers now
think are in need of similar hot lunches
in the middle of the day.
4. The Junior high schools, senior
high schools and teachers colleges
where hot lunches are needed this year,
the extent to which that need Is being
, met now and whether the school can
handle such need with its present re-
sources.
S. What facilities, If any, are avail
able in public school buildings for cook
ing hot lunches to be served children
within their respective schools or to be
served in the homes Of needy children,
indicating the time of day within which
such facilities could be used for that
purpose.
6. What cooking facilities outside Of
the public schools are available within
reasonable reach of the schools to be
served, where preparation of hot
lunches for children or needy homes
might be made.
Allen and Ballou Confer.
Commissioner Allen invited DR.. Ballou
to confer with him yesterday on the
need for providing pupils lunches. In
that conference, it was reported after
ward, the school authorities expressed
the belief that the need for such service
is greater this year than last, when a
limited number of pupils were given
lunches through funds provided by pri-
vate contributions outside the school
system. It was estimated roughly that
SIS 900 would be required to provide the
luncheon service for all pupils who are
in actual need.
Commissioner Allen indicated that If
the school authorities would certify the
actual need, public funds would be
available for the project.
DR.. Ballou, in calling today for the
data on the needs, expects to be in q
position to provide the Commissioners
with the information he requires to
launch the hot-luncf relief project.
While definite plans still are lacking,
it is likely that the foods would be pre-
pared by the Civil Works Service from
supplies given by TIE Federal Surplus
Production Corporation. Thus not only
would needy children be provided with
lunches, but, through the C. w. S., en-
ployment would be provided additional
unemployed in the preparation Of the
lunches.
In any plans promoted by the Dis
trict for the relief CT children Leroy A.
Halbert, District emergency relief di-
rector, would play leading role.