Evening star., 1942-09-22
Nursery School
Bill Backed by
Miss Lenroot
Presidents Fund
Might Be Used for
Preliminary Work

sS'''''''s0I/ w YIN
Praising the Randolph Bill which
would establish nursery schools In
the District public schools and re-
store WPA nurseries in the District,
Miss Katherine Lenroot, speaking
at Mrs. Roosevelt's press conference
today, said that funds from the
Presidents Emergency Fund Of
100000 might be used in the Dis
trict for administrative or legal"
costs even before the bill is passed.
Both Miss Lenroot and Mrs.
Roosevelt stressed that neighbor-
hood cooperation on nursery schools
and cooperation among the many
governmental agencies in the child
care field is necessary to make
nursery school programs effective.
"EleaLor Clubs" Discussed.
After Miss Lenroot praised plans
OF District groups for nursery schools
to care for children Of working
mothers, Mrs. Roosevelt shifted dis
cussion to a report that the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation had
been able to find no trace Of "El-
eanor Clubs" in Mississippi, North
Carolina, Alabama, Florida or the
District.
One report Of an Eleanor Club
here came to the White House re-
Gently, Mrs. Roosevelt indicated.
Mrs. Roosevelt emphasized that
she not only had been unable to
find such clubs organized for better
pay and working hours for colored
domestics, but also that she was sure
the Congress of 1nductrial Organi-
cations would not touch" such
limited category. The CIO would
be much more apt, she indicated, to
concentrate on q union for all do
mestic workers, as the Presidents
wife said she had heard reported
for many years.
Indorses Randolph Bill.
1ndorsing the Randolph bill, Miss
Lenroot went on to say that some
other center could be used if the bill
was held up too long for Lanham
Act funds to be used. She empha-
sized, however, that no program
should be held In the District in any
center without being passed on by
a committee OF health, welfare, edu-
cationAl and employment groups.
The District Board of Education on
September 9 stressed In its indorse-
ment of nursery schools in its build
ings that 1t reserved the right to
pass on educational qualifications Of
the staff.
Miss Lenroot called on mothers
to remember that their war con-
tribution could be opening an after
school center in every block.
To explain her interest In these
smaller units OF supervised play
after school, Miss Lenroot indicated
that school-age children have been
much more seriously affected by
widespread employment Of women
than babies under 5. She sug-
gested that parents, or the COM
munity. If the parents are not able,
could pay one mother in each
neighborhood to care for school
age youngsters left unsupervised
from pm. to or Z pm. The
compensation. she added, would be
necessary not only for the time
spent, but for the wear and tear
on the home"
Presidents Fund Discussed.
Miss Lenroot explained that the
Presidents emergency fund could be
used only In the District, as well IS
everywhere else in the country, for
administrative or legal costs" to
start nursery schools, not for the
operation of them. To get such
funds here. she explained, some
agency would have to have request
approved by the Once Of Defense
Health and Welfare Services, the
Children's Bureau or the Once of
Education.
Mrs. Roosevelt said she feels
strongly that married man without
children should in many cases be
considered side by side with the
single man with local draft boards.
She concluded her conference with
the comment that she felt the plan
to pay next years income tax in
advance on this years income and
then to be recompensed by the Gov
ernment-if the estimate turns out
Wrong-would be extremely difficult
to administer" She approved of any
plan to save ahead for taxes, how
ever.
The White House has been turn
ing a good deal to the use of fish.
Mrs. Roosevelt said, as meat grows
scarcer. Mrs. Roosevelt often orders
eggs or a cheaper cut Of special
meat, she revealed, when she finds
she isn't able to get what she Or
lginally wanted. knowledge of where
to find nutritional values besides
meats is getting to be most essen
tial, she said.