UNDERFED CHILDREN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 142, 16 June 1906, Page 15

UNDERFED CHILDREN.

■ •> A White Paper has been issued containing information collected by the Board of Education and tho Foreign Office with reference to methods odojiu ed by the great Continental and American cities for dealing with underfed children. New York. According to the document, there is no central organisation for providing food or clothing in .New York, but the Children's Aid Society and tho Female Guardian Society, buth of which are connected with the Board of Education and the City of New York, have established schools which provide tor underfed children. These schools are licensed by the Oit> Superintendent of Schools, and are under the supervision of thu Hoard ot Education, but no financial assistance is reserved from public funds, either State or local,, neither is assistance given in the form of buildings. 1 Food is provided in the schools on five days of the week during nine months of tho year, and about one-hdlf of the children avail themselves of the meals (dinner, and occasionally fast,' when required), which are served in the dining-rooms of the schools. The societies have not found that parents who can afford to feed their children neglect to do so. The Children's Aid Society maintains nineteen day and ten evening schools, with ail average daily attendance of 7454. The average number of meals provided all over is 5540, and the voluntary contributions received annually amount to about £3227. Berlin. In Berlin a municipal department in certain circumstances leeds and clothes necessitous children attending ekmantarj schools. The Berlin Society for Feeding Pont Childivu assists the former body. No part of the cost is borno by the Stat«. Breakfasts only are provided, and only during the winter months., and "sunh children as the headmaster considers *o require them,'' are supplied with meals. No action is taken to recover any part of the cost of the food. Barents cannot buy tickets, but theie are private societies which supply tickets entitling tbfi chLdren to food. No figures aie uvai)able as to the number of childreu provided for. Paris. In Paris the system is such that elch of the twenty arrondisaem-ents has its own organisation directed by tho "Caisse dcs Ecoles," which, presided over by the Mayor, receives an annual subvert tion from tho Municipal Council of Paris. Canteens are installed in tho city schools, the city buying and keeping in order the cooking-stoves and tables, and the canteens are in operation every day of the year. -One meal, itt ,-noou, «.ia provided) but in sthno> nifondissements soup is given in the morning and a gouter at four o'clock when the school closes. All childien are, entitled to feed at the canteen, bpfc only the children of poor families are supplied gratis, the others paying a sum not exceeding 15 centimes per meal. In 1904 10,660,923 meals were provided. The municipal subvention amounted to one million francs, the Caisses dcs Ecoles subvention to 26,642 francs, and voluntary subscriptions to 459 francs. Parents paid 359,093 francs ; and the total cost was 1,461,305 francs.