Evening star., 1935-11-09
NURSERY SCHOOLS
ASW.P.A.PROJECT
MAY Be RESUMED
Ten Closed CenterS in Line
for Funds if D. c. Pro-
gram Is Pushed.
$138, 900 ALLOTMENT
MUST HAVE APPROVAL
November Is Is Deadline for
Change to New System of
Administration.

Responding to the plea Of group
of mothers for reopening the 10
nursery schools in the District that
their babies might get proper food and
attention, DR.. L. R. Alderman, who Is
in charge of the Nationwide educa-
tional program under the w. P. A.,
pledged today that the needed relief
would be forthcoming very, very
Soon."
1--WE are approving as rapidly as
possible the educational program for
the entire country, of which the
nursery schools are a vital part" DR..
Alderman said in explanation, land
the District program already has re-
ceived the approval of our Projects
Committee"
DR.. Alderman said the $4,000 al
lotment to take care of the needs OF
the nursery schools in the District,
closed since Monday as result of
the shift from direct relief to work
relief, will have to go through the
routine channels of the White House
and the controller generals office
before the fund is made available.
but everything is being done to
expedite it," he assured.
Allen in Charge of Plan.
Since the District is regarded as
the forty-ninth State in shaping the
w. P. A. program, DR.. Alderman ex-
planned that project for the nursery
schools is up to Commissioner George
E. Allen, works progress director for
the District
I'VE are not telling Commissioner
Allen that he must put these schools
in operation" DR.. Alderman said,
'but We are sure that the pitiful
plight of so many mothers and babies
will convince him of the very urgent
need for them"
As mater of fact, Allen is very
anxious to get the program under
way with all possible dispatch to carry
on the good work that was accom-
plished here in the 10 schools before
it was necessary to shut them down.
Once the allotment is turned over
plans are ready to put it into i'm
mediate execution.
DR.. Alderman said he hoped the
project would be ready before Novem-
Der Is, which is the deadline for
the change over to w. P A. admins
tration of relief.
Mothers Make Appeal.
Such assurances of hope as were
given the mothers followed a pathetic
scene yesterday afternoon at the Dis
trict Building and at Federal relief
headquarters
Some so mothers, each holding or
leading baby or child, visited both
places, seeking audiences with Com.
missioner Allen and Administrator
Harry L. Hopkins. Neither official
was able to see them, but the mothers
were turned over to sympathetic aides
who heard their story and promised
that the condition would be remedied
soon.
The procession aroused wonderment
as the women and children, some of
them malnourished, waited in the
corridors Of the two buildings where
many strange delegations have visited
In recent months.
At the District Building, visited first,
Ross Haworth, speaking for Commits
sionner Allen, told them the $4,000
program for the nursery schools was
awaiting approval and was expected
to be in operation soon.
Plight Told by Mothers.
When they reached Hopkins Office
1ofn hn n{cfr t1v EoI
just returned from lunch and turned
them over to Dr. Alderman. He took
them into the first floor auditorium
and heard some of them tell of condi-
tions that confronted them now that
the nursery schools are closed.
He gave them the same assurances
that he repeated this morning. His
words greatly heartened the despair
ing mothers. There was a general
clapping of hands and tired, worried
faces broke into smiles.
While DR.. Alderman told them he
hoped the schools would be operating
by November is, he believed there
was a possibility of the matter being
expedited. Every days delay, he real
lied, makes it just that much harder
for the dependent families.
The program for the nurseries has
been worked out by supervisors in the
Board of Education. The only thing
now standing in the way is final
approval by the White House and
Controller General McCarl.
Definite Assurances Given.
AS Works Progress Administrator In
the District, Allen has the power of
exercising his choice of projects to be
carried out locally under the w. P. A.
program. There were definite assur-
ances, however, that the nursery
schools would be included in the gen.
eral program.
Each child at a nursery school is
given q food allowance of IL cents a
day. This is sufficient to provide a
fruit juice in the morning, a nour-
1shing, warm luncheon and milk in
the afternoon. That Is only one Of
the important phases of the school
program. The other is necessary
medical attention which the babies
and children may receive.
One of the mothers yesterday COM
planned that it was impossible for her
to buy cod liver oil for her tuberculo-
sis-infected child from the small sum
received from relief.