Evening star., 1937-10-03
Workers Aid Poor to
Learn Useful Occupations
Contented LabOrers Under w. p. A.
Are Part of Great National
Training Project.

The unloading of eight carloads OF
sweet potatoes absorbed the attention
Of the working staff at Surplus Com
modities, when our tour led us to that
project Barrels Of dry skim milk,
neatly put up in paper sacks, printed
With simple instructions for using.
crowded the corners OF the warehouse
not flled with potatoes. Mounds of
dried prunes. quantities OF cereals.
were being apportioned to suit the
demands OF the individual applicant.
ON TIERS of shelves in another
room were the products Of the
sewing rooms We had recently visited.
There were bundles of cosy knitted
sweaters for men and women and chill
dren, neat dresses to make a proud
appearance in the Autumn school
room, blankets and quilts to make
house home. A list signed. by the
case worker in his district makes the
applicant eligible for these supplies.
Though the rooms seemed to us
filled with bounty, the supervisor in
charge looked sadly at the meagerly
filled shelves saying that at this time
last year they had been overflowing
with warm garments and other nee
cessities. In reply to a question: he
answered that requests were greater
than year ago, but that the reduced
appropriation meant increasing diff
Guilty in giving comfort and sustenance
to the Districts worthy poor.
The school lunch is another project
which so far this season has failed to
produce sponsor to insure its sue
cessful continuance. Through its bene-
flts. hundreds of needy children are
nourished and fed. The quantities Of
food used in a day give to the un-
initiated slight conception of the
eating capacity Of District school
children.
During last year, the cooks and
sandwich makers employed at the
Wisconsin Avenue Central kitchen
used daily the following list of foods:
1000 pounds of potatoes, 200 pounds
OF beef rounds, 900 pounds of carrots.
200 pounds OF onions, 200 pounds of
turnips, so gallons of tomatoes, $50
pounds of peanut butter, $50 pounds
OF butter, rs gallons of applesauce,
5000 pounds of bananas, 1000 pounds
OF oranges and $500 pounds of apples.
1t required 238 workers daily. to
carry out the highly skilled plan which
gave free hot lunches to the needy
children OF 81 schools. To the credit
OF the teachers and others in charge. it
is worthy of mention that there was
never any evidence that any children
felt embarrassment at receiving a free
lunch. Often they sang in the dining
room, and some effort was made to
inculcate good food habits and accept
able table manners at the same time
Also answering the needs of children
are the playground and nursery school
projects as we'll as the community
center and children's art classes.
AN OUTSTANDING accomplish
ment in the art educational ac-
tivities of the Federal Art Project
has been in the free and creative draw
ings by children's classes. Attendance
at these free classes has been bene-
flcial to about $500 children weekly
in the District of Colubia.
Russell c. Parr, regional advisor of
the Federal Art Project, has an
nounced the opening of a children's
gallery to be devoted exclusively to
the exhibition of childrens work. and
the work of adults especially interest
ing to children.
According to Mr.. Parr, this is the
only gallery in the 20 Federal Art
Centers throughout the country de-
voted exclusively to children's work.
Ten teachers working in the District
in settlement houses and other centers
choose the work OF their classes as
contributions to the gallery, without
thought of competition, however
Two rooms in the Professional Prof.
ects Building at 8l6 independence
avenue have been transformed suitably
for exhibition purposes. In this build
ing, too, are the Historical Records
Survey, and other white collar prof.
ects, with two rooms on the second