Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-24
| House Group Backs
School Lunch Bill
Free Meals Due
To Rise in D.
High Schools
BY ALEX r. PRESTON
Star star Writar

Legislation to allow the Dis.
trict to pay for free lunches for
needy high school children was
sent to the House District Com.
mittee by one of its subcoln.
mittees today. W
The Senate-approved bill was
amended. however, to require
the school administration to
make annual reports to Con.
gress on the number Of lunches
served and their cost.
Representative Davis, Demo-
crat of Georgia. sponsored the
amendment after George Reyn-
Odds, administrative assistant
for the Board of Education,
testified that about $4,000 free
lunches are being served this
year to INDECENT children.
This number viii increase by
5000 to 10000 each year TOR
the next several years." he est.
mated.
why is this SOP" asked sub
committee Chairman Abef.
nethy, Democrat of Mississippi.
More Swallow Pride"
Mr.. Reynolds replied that the
economic situation and a rise
in unemployment has resulted
in a lot more children being
willing to swallow their pride"
to accept benefits of the pro-
gram for needy families.
Implied in his answer was
another reason that Robert E.
Mclaughlin, president Of the
Board of Commissioners, and
others have been giving Con.
gress in urging an increase in
the Federal payment to the
District from an authorized S23
million to $32 million annually.
Today's statement by Mr..
Reynolds seemed to support
arguments for a higher Federal
payment based on the conten.
ton that the District is losing
tax revenues because higher
income families are moving
into the Maryland and Vir.
ginia suburbs. arg
The bill cleared today for
full committee action was in.
troduced last year by Senator
Morse. Democrat of Oregon,
and passed the Senate last
August. 1t was an outgrowth
of hearings on the hungry
children" of Washington.
The legislation applies to
high school children only be.
cause the city's elementary
schools are not equipped with
cafeteria facilities to handle q
hot lunch program. Only last
week a school official, in dis
cussing the Districts proposed
public works borrowing pro-
gram. explained why this came
about.
WaShington's elem entary
schools. he said, were built on
a community" basis; that is,
being close enough to students
homes to make it possible for
them to eat at their homes.
Cafeteria facilities were built
only in the junior and senior
high schools.
Cost $4,000 for Year
] After discussing the expected
increase in free lunches. DR..
Carl Hansen, acting school SUI
perintendent. said the admin
istration would set up a system
of strict control to keep the
number from getting out Of
hand.
Representative Hyde, Repub-
lican of Maryland, figured that
the cost to the city this year Is
about SIS, 900. based on an ex-
pense of IS cents per lunch.
At present, cost of the free
lunch program is being borne
by junior and senior high school
students able to pay for their
hot lunches. The Morse bill
would end this kind Of subsidy
1t would authorize appropris-
tons to be made for children
CA of families receiving pub
lie assistance; (B) of large
families of low or reduced in.
comes, and CO. those suffering
from malnutrition or referred
by a school nurse or doctor.