HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1926-03-11, Page 3HEALTH AND THE RURAL SCHOOL CHI
- Country Youngster* Don't G
Well'
The consolidation of rural schools
with the provislen of one graded
ochool in place of ten or more un-
graded echoole, and with motorbus
transportation for the ohildreti who
live at a distanoe, hes been found juet
as economical, and in many cases
more so, than the continued mainten-
ance of isolated aud antiquated school
buildingswhich cannot provide the
things that mean either good edema-
tioe or good health. This. is the goal
for which we should aim; but if we
cannot attain it at once there are still
tn'any other ways In wields the meal
school child can get a square deal and
in which the rural school may be
Wade safe and wholesome for our
•chilaren.
One of the questions asked in one of
the surveys that I have made was di-
rected toward the teacher and she wee
xequec3ted to state what, in her opinion,
was tie gieatest need of the rural
s •schoisd.
The answers to this question were
almost identical and the teachers
seemed to exclaim with one voice,
eTh,e thing tisk the rural school moat
needs is the interest of the parents" I
wonder how many fathers and moth-
ers living in rural communities really
do know the condition of the schools
Their children ttend. There le no
need to quote absolute statistics on
this subject. They are borings But
to those of us who have sauteed the
matter the insanitary and unhygenic
conditions that are definitely affecting
the health of our rural school children
are such simple indications of neglect
that it is almost impossible to believe
that they could have continued as long
as they have and that they are still
present to such an overwhelming ex-
tent.
Take the simple matter of clean'
ness, for example. One would sup
pose that the mere sweeping out of
echo -DI building and keeping the insid
of. It clean would be easy •of accomp
liehment, and yet in the majority o
cases it hae been found that rura
schools are swept not more often tha
once each year.
Over half of our rural schools stil
have outdoor privies of the most ram
shackle and filthy type. Drinking
water for a large proportion of the
rural schools is take t from old .near
by wells that are rarely cleaned and
often polluted.
The inside of OUT rural school build-
ings does not present a much better
aspect: Blackboards so worn and rim
that the writing on them is hardly
legible, subjeoting the children to con-
stant eyestrain and thee defective vis-
ion that inevitably results from this;
old desks that do not fit the Size of
the child and so must be blamed for
the many cases of spinal curvature
that are found; cross -lighting from the
windows or a lack of proper -lighting
as it is understood to -day.
Overheating, lack of ventilation and
the constant stirring up of dust all
contribute to some form of lung dis-
ease.
We talk about the health handicaps
of the vity child, and yet •a country
child is suffering from handicaps which
are immensely greater. judged by the
results.
know Your School.
et a Square Deal in Physical
Being,
ren begait quite voluntarily to pay at.
tentiou to their own cleanliness and
tidiness, including well -brushed hair,
clean teeth, eleanhands and finger nails
and clean clothes with the buttone all
on, wee carried out by the children
titentselvee.
Probably one of the most serious
drawbacks to rural school life is the
deficiency in the kind of noon meal
that meet of these children aro able
to have,
There la rarely time for the rural
school child to go home for lunch and
share the family meal. Hie lunch box
too often contains food that is wholly
improper and certainly does not give
him the nutrition he requires. But I
have known many sohools where the
mothers of the ',wheel children have
banded together to see that the school
lunch is provided.
Mothers Get Hot Lunches.
In some schools there has been an
initial expense in the puvehase of a
fireless cooker or a small oll stove.
Uten,sel.s for cooking the lunch have
usuallybeen contributed by the moth-
ers. The cost or the raw foodstuffs
is met by each child contributing' a
few cents a day.
Bach mother has agreed to be re-
sponsible for the lunch for one week
at a time, the mothers serving in ro-
tation, so that the work is• not a bur-
den for any one of them.
I have already spolte.n of the lack of
ventilation and of overheating in most
rural schoolhouses. These two harm-
ful things combined are responsible
for more cases of ill healtli than prob-
ably anything else that we might men-
tion. It does not need any artificial
or costly system of ventilation to keep
a room well aired. As a matter of fact,
open windows are the best means of
ventilation that have ever been de-
vised
a '
In the country schoolhouse open
windows may mean. drafts and diecom-
fort, but there is a simple device to
prevent this and still get all the bene-
fits of abundant fresh air. The panes
of glass should be taken out of the up-
per -sash of one or more windows. and
strong unbleached cotton tacked over
the opening. Sufficient air will come
through this screen to provide ade-
qaate ventilation without dealt.
Outdoor Play and Work. .
The careful mother should not feel
-content until she has visited the
school and satisfied herself that the
building and grounds are clean and
sanitary and kept so; that there is
good light and air in the classrooms;
that they are not overheated -68 de-
grees maximum; that the drinking
water is pure, and cowmen cups or
glasses not permitted; separate towels
provided; facilities for washing the
hands available; n•o dust in the school
air; clean and,saaitary toilets Metal-
led; no elates used; quarantine rules
observed; time for play allowed; no
exchange of pencils, rulers. and books,
or other school spaplies, windows and
doors opened frequently if not con-
tinually; school furniture fitted to the
child rathr than the child fitted to the
furniture, and proper facilities• for out-
door play and healthful outdoor work.
'For instance, undernourishment, or
what is sometimes called malnutrition,
is probably the most serioue physlcal
disability -that ony child can have. For
undernourishment means .a lack of
resistance to disease of allforms.
And yet it has, been found that al-
though eight of every one hundred city
school children aro undernourished,
sixteen out or every' hundred country
school children are suffering from an
equal or greater degree of undernour-
ishment. All the other physical de-
fects common to childhood occur in
about the same relative proportion.
Now the reason for the conditions
that I have •described is not hard to
discover. In our great cities we have
long recognized that the children's
health was bound to be affected ,by,
the conditions of pity living suttees
the most cereal planning and super-
vision were followed.
'So in, our cities we have built 6
systems of health care of School child-
ren,
From the knowledge 1 have of rural
eel -tools In this country 1 ani perfectly
sure that what we need in order tet
bring our eural schools up to the stand-
ards of health and sanitation that are
Dresden Porcelain.
John Frederick Boettcher, born in
1682, was. eo stupid during his day's
work that he was reproved by his em-
ployer, who then learned that John
spent his nights, making eynth.etic gold.
In the presence of his employer and
many witnesses he turned eighteen
pennyweight of silver into pure gold.
ale was leach talked about and the
king sent for him. Fearing arrest
John fled into Saxony but was brought
back before the king, who supplied
him with money to make gold. For a
long time John wasted the king's
money without result, but in 1705, to
appease the wratlx of the king, the
man. invented what has ever since
been known as Dresden porcelain. The
king made him •a,baxon and head et a
big factory, but kept him a prisoner in
order to retain the Secret,. John died
in 1719 with not enough money to pay
for a grave and was buried as a pau-
per,
.-4........____
Rice 'RiSNICS.
In the procees of poi/ailing, rice '
loses all the etateneoluble vitamin B
obtained lu most of our city schools that, it once had. Persons. who eat
1
is not money but intelligent intere,st. such rice rapidly hereto') the disenee
In other words, the slogan that the bereberl,
rural father and mother should follow The antidote of this deteaso is, of
Is the slinple one ot 'KNOW YOUR course, in the discarded "polishings'
SCHOOL.
What One Teacher Did.
I live hi a rural community, and
• .' down the road from my home there is
a typical one -room country school.
Two 'yetsio ago 11 was a forlorn, un -
Minted :and depressing object.
Last year an energetic teacher came.
She, interested the neighborhood to the
extent of getting a donation Of enough
paint to cover the Schoolhouse both
inside and outside.
With the help of some of the ()tier
boys she painted that echoolhotese her-
self. The trustees became interested
and foundthat they bad a entail fend
which might be used to buy new
equipment The inside of the achool-
house wee transformed. Very little
money was spent, but working with
the children she renovated the destY
old bleekbeatel.s,, Weaned the windows
and put the (leeks in order,
la the clean selteelhoese the child-
•
Thesse are now treated o obta in tract ('cuteining the aecessory food
rector.
In the Federated Mala' Strata
where - beraberi le. rite, 5,151) fluid
ounces of the: extract were prepared
during 19e4 and lc:Auld:to doctors.
• A Litorary Diet,
mttn becomes what he eats." :
Thcn n man who encs alphabet seep
must beccine a -man of lettors/!
"They're just lsfully," H.R.H. said of the Leicestershire farmers, as he
attended their annual dinner in the Cora Exchange. This photo, which was
taken at the dinner, is the first to be made since hisrecent hunting accident
in which he broke his collarbone.
The Sane Driver.
They call me slow and poky and they
say I take no chances,
. For I never race tine signal at the
busy thoroughfare.
And I neverspass a corner without tak-
ing both -way glances.
I may sometimes lose aminute, but
I've always that to spare,
And I never see a youngster with a
hoop or ball or top
But I press the brakes a little and get
ready for to stop.
They laugh about my driving and they
call me an old lady
Just because I never hurry when a
eignal change I see;
But I've never paid a visit to Inspector
Tom O'Grady,
With a traffic violation :slip some
cop had handed me.
And night or day at streetcar lines I
check my motor down "
Because I think. our city morgue's the
coldest place in town.
I've never missed a railroad train be-
cause of careful driving,
I've never hauled to hospitals the
victims of my speed;
I'd rather by e little care melte cer-
lain arriving
Than flirt with death to try to save
a minute I don't need,
I may be slow and poky, but my
friends will all agree
No one wil be a nervous wreck who
takes a ride with me.
---Edgar A. Guest.
Canada's Busy Bees.
It is estimated by the Department of
Agriculture that the bee -keepers of!
Canada gather 21,000.000 pounds of
honey a year.
Cut Out the Milling.
Transferring wheat directly into,
dough without flour milling process
has beets accomplished in France.
w1101•1•1160eIMMOMG.••••• 1•11•1•11,114
The Cheerful Carpenter.
The window was wide open. Through
it floated a snatch of song Inside the
small room, on a low box, eat Cornelis,
the owner of the voice, polishing a
newly finished teak chair. The room
was in glorious disorder, toola tumb-
led about, the floor a sea of shavinge.
It was early' morning the time of hope
and joy, and euergy. Cornelis felt
happy in the thought or another chair
completed, fashioned by his own work -
hardened hands.. 14e took a simple
pride in work well clone and was sing-
ing for sheer joy.
In an adjoining room stood seven
other cbairs, radiating brightness„
awaiting the advent or their mate,
number eight. They were destined to
grace the living' room or some far -
'away farm.
1 All the dorp knows Cornelis. The
Beer beanates of carpentry are outside
I the range of his technique, but lie can
construct a chair. Probably he in- I
herited the 'cult of chair -making from
his Dutch forbearswho were cabinet-
makers par excellence. Give Cornelis:
an order ter some- chairsand there is
uu shine in his heart during their leak-
ing, and lire is to him a lyric of delight.1
His specialty is the plaits pattern of;
the old Dutch style with leather-
thenged seat, sturdy and solid, some-
thing that will perpetuate- the maker's'
name to a second or third generation.
He feels a secret and strange satis-
faction. when lie places his, name in
Ink Muleaneath the frame of a finished
chair, immediately below the words
"Made by."
The outside world and events oper-
ate but dully on Cornelis. He loves
his work and is content. to carry on in
his humble and happy way.
Free For Ali.
Hamm ---"Why did you leave before
ho fight was over?"
Aig---,"Not enough action."
TIaitim----'"Fh-e real fight didn't start
until the referee gave his decision."
PROGRESS IN CANADA
--easeseasse
Sinee 1910 the province of Saa-, Steamers on the Mckenzie river
katchewaa has erected 5,151 m1109 ofieee beam adapted to burn oil fuel,
telephone pole 11p, has opened; 281 which will be provided by the .011 wells
new exchanges, and 364 toll Offices, at Neeileees. feeeeseeare weed has
There is a telephone installation for !been tested for etearteraising
every eight of the population,
I , From the Imperial Oil Company's
n Saskatchewan 1,468,480 acres
wet gas well in the rurzeer Valley,
have been set aside for road allow -1
iSoathern Alberta, 600 barrels of na-
antes; there are 1,293,500' acres Ala per day is being extracted from
forest reserves, and 1,113,674 acres of
Ibe natural gas, while the gas, after
Indian reserves.
Canada in 1925 produced 1,522,2171.rease -ay Calgary for domestic par-
Ipaseing through a ecrubbing plant, is
te= or newsprint, 88 per cent more ismea
than its 1921, Tbe United States pro-)
nixed 1,530,318 tone, 25 per emit. more Canada, which has the world's
largest kraft wraPping paper mill, ex -
of 1925 Canada's production exceeded
than in 1921. ' For the last four months
Ported 20,535 tons of this paper in
,e
that of the United Slates, The new 1925, even China and Japan taking
co.nsiderable quaatities. Outside of
mills and adaltional machines being
the United Kingdom, New Zealand and
started in Canada will definitely place
her in the lead in 1926. South Africa were the largest cuss
tomers.
Duty collected on Canadian imports
in 1925 amounted to $137,858,088, cons-
The Laurentian forest area of Que-
pared with $123,162,781 in 1924. The bec is estimated to contain 75,000,000
average of ad valorem rate on total acres, and lumbering operations have
imports In 1925 was 15.5 per cent., and been carried on for more than 100
in 1924, 15.2 per cent. • years. The principal specials are
Canada's imports in 1925 amounted spruce, pine, cedar, tamarack, maple,
to $1,270,986,854, or at the rate of $141 birch, ash, elm, basswood and poplar,
per capita on our 9,000,000 people. Grand Fella, on the Hamilton river,
United States exports were $4,908,783,- northern Quebec, have a sheer descent
259, or $44.62 per capita on 110,000,000 of 802 feet. Under the •conditions per -
population. United States favorable taining to the country, it is estimated
trade balance was$648,517,297, while that the falls could he developed to
Canada's was $392,831,447. produce 120;000 horsepower.
,In the year 1925 Canada exported Manitoba, though classified as a
wood and paper products to the value prairie provinoe, bas 70 per cent. of
of $273,725,823, the highest since 1920, its area that may be termed forest
when theyamounted to $291,812,295. land. Forest reserves in the province
There has been a considerable de- amount to 3,729 square miles.
crease in prices in the meantime how- The Nelson river, carrying the drain -
ever, with a consequent increase in age of the prairie provinces from Lake
quantity. Winnipeg to the Hudson Bay, is, esti-
Canada in 1925 produced 3,580,770 mated to have a power development
barrels of apples. Ontario led with 1,- possilsility under ordinates minimum
587,848 barrels, with Nova Scotia 956,- flow of 2.443,320 horsepower.
056 barrels and British Columbia 857,- The density of population in the
570 barrels.
Prairie Provinces is only 2.5 persons
Ontario and 13ritis.b. Columbia are per square mile, yet these provinces
Canada's peach growing provinces. in 1925 produced 394,556,000 bushels
Ontario in 1925 producing 199,716 of wheat, 336,247,000 bushels of oats,
bushels. 95,315,000 bushels of barley and 12, -
In the past three years Ontario has 085,000 bushels of rye, besides other
produced $85,761,904 in gold from the crops In -cOmparison, the United
mines iu the northern portion of the Kingdom has 329 persons per square
proviuce. mile.
I G.
emonts‘ismnstags
ADAMSON'S ADVENTURES
A Cutting Remark
"Why it it that before our marriage
aul we dirt was spoon, and now---"
"Yes, now—all 1 do is fork up."
Increased Lobster Catch.
The lobster fishing emcee of 1925
on the Atlantic coast of Cunada closed
with sus inereeseed .catch over the pre-
vious year of 7,436,200 pounds. The
total •catch since the commencement
.of the lobster fishing season was 33.-
839,000 pounds. from which. 8,313.400
pounds were shipped in :shell, and the
balance moied. making 127,544 cases.
In the same period .in the preceding
season the catch was 26,402,800 pounds
of wheel 6.177,800. poundswere used
fresh and 101.215 cases canned.
Rayon Works in Britain.
Twenty-seven artifivial siik works
are already working Or planned in Eng-
land and the silk is now used ta the
weaving of over 1.000 fabrics.
(Copyright, 1914. t,t, Tht 1rc11 St.rndicAtc. Trie )
Victoria Merry -Go -Round
Amuses King and Queen
King George, who isfond of listen-
ing to the radio at odd moments, and•
Queen Mary, who does cross -word puz-
zles now and then, have a new amuse-
ment it they care for it in watching
Londou's newest system of "merry-go-
round" which bas been introduced
around the Queen Victoria. Memorial,
directly in front of Buckingham Pal-
ace, to help solve London's traffic prob.:
'Underlesse
the new scheme all vehicular
traffic approaChing the Memorial must
proceed around It in a .clockwise direc-
tiint until arriving at the point of exit.
Half a dozen policemen have been on
duty to help drivers get accustomed
to the rules, which create a whirling
picture of an endless line of motor
eawrit.siall day long and most of the
n
1 The traffic experts, by the "merry-
go-round" hope to eliminate traffic
croesings altogether at this important
I mid aristocratio center, where an aver-
age of forty cars pass each minute.
' The stream of machines flowing in
graceful curves around the circular
base of the Memorial is plainly visible
from the apartments of the palace.
_se
Old Bible is Bought
for the Sum of $106,000
A copy of the Guttenberg Bibles, the
first, book ever printed from movable
type. was bought at the Anderson Gale
leries, New York. for 2106,000, by Dr.
A. S. W. Rosenbach„ The highest pre-
vious price for a copy of this rare
book was slightly leas thau $60,000,
Paid by Carl Pforzheimee, New York
broker, for the Mazarin copy which he
bought from the Rosenbach Company
in 1923.
The Guttenberg Bible is one of the
rarest books in existence. The Belk
copy, which was recently sold, and
one other ,are the only perfect opies
ever likely to come on the market.
As it was the first book printed from
movable type, its appearance proved
the practicability of printing. The
whole of the Reformatiou has the
printed Bible as its background, Al.
though the c-opy sold was prihted 40
years before the discovery or Anted -
est, while Columbus Was still a email
bey pisying in the streets or Genoa, its
Pagt‘s are as fresh and clean as if they
had come only receptly froie the pub-
lisher.
World's Costliest Rug
Now Exhibited in Paris
Par!,s has been boasting in the post
tew days of possession of the most
beantifill and costly rug in the world,
O Petsian masterpiece made in 1550
and presented by Shah Saill to Peter
the Great of itueeits as an expreesion
of the friendship between 'Russia and
Its nlue is put Ht twenty mil-
lion francs.
The rug tmly ift the imperial court
nt Kt. Petersburg aft 1111 reveled=
:or 1918, when it rimed it S vay lo the
!museum or Vienna. and then into the
bands of an lihiglish company, ily this
company ix was leaned to the Museum
.• ;' of Decorathi, Arts in Paris where it
now is. •
In Norway Wit• meals a day -tee cuS.,
.17:ct a Nice, Pill Dog.. tomnry.
Frequency in Meal e
44