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BRIDGE ACROSS MISSOURI RIVER AT OR NEAR ST. CHARLES, MO.

FEBRUARY 25, 1931.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. MILLIGAN, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 17244]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 17244) to extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Missouri River at or near St. Charles, Mo., having considered and amended the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. Amend the bill as follows:

Line 10, strike out the words "the date of approval hereof" and insert the date "March 2, 1931", in lieu thereof.

The bill has the approval of the War and Agriculture Departments, as will appear by the letters attached.

WAR DEPARTMENT February 25 1981. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce House of Representatives.

So far as the interests committed to this department are concerned, I know of no objection to the favorable consideration of the accompanying bill (H. R. 17244 71st Cong., 3d sess.) to extend the times for commencing and completing the construction of a bridge across the Missouri River at or near St. Charles Mo. PATRICK J. HURLEY, Secretary of War.

Hon. JAMES S. PARKER

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
Washington, February 24, 1931.

Chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
House of Representatives.

DEAR MR. PARKER: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 17244) transmitted with your letter of February 24 with request for a report thereon and such views relative thereto as the department might desire to communicate.

This bill would extend for one and three years respectively from the date of its approval the times for commencing and completing the construction of the

bridge across the Missouri River at or near St. Charles, Mo., authorized by act of Congress approved March 2, 1929, to be built by the St. Louis-Kansas City Short Line Railroad Co. The bill relates to a railroad bridge and is without objection so far as this department is concerned.

Sincerely,

R. W. DUNLAP, Acting Secretary.

The act of Congress approved March 2, 1929, is as follows:

[PUBLIC NO. 958-70TH CONGRESS]

(8.5835]

AN ACT Authorizing the construction of a bridge across the Missouri River near Saint Charles, Missouri

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the consent of Congress is hereby granted to the Saint Louis-Kansas City Short Line Railroad Company, a corporation of the State of Missouri, and their successors and assigns, to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge and approaches thereto across the Missouri River at a point about four miles south of west of the city of Saint Charles, in the county of Saint Charles, Missouri, to a point in Saint Louis County in said State, in accordance with the provisions of the act entitled "An act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters," approved March 23, 1906.

SEC. 2. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved.

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TO PROVIDE FOR THE FURNISHING OF FOOD TO CHILDREN ATTENDING SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

FEBRUARY 25, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. MCLEOD, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 17171]

The Committee on the District of Columbia, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 17171) to provide for the furnishing of food to children attending schools in the District of Columbia, having considered the same, reports back to the House with the recommendation that the legislation do pass, with the following amendments:

Page 2, line 13, before the words "a sum," insert "in a like manner as other appropriations for the District of Columbia.'

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Page 2, line 18, strike out "July 1, 1931," and insert in lieu thereof "as of date of passage."

Dr. Frank W. Ballou, superintendent of schools of the District of Columbia, issued a statement, carried in the local press within the past few days, showing that he had made a survey of conditions in the public schools of the District, and found that approximately 3,000 of the 77,906 pupils enrolled in the schools are in need of free lunches. The article referred to which gives a full report of the survey made, and the need for the furnishing of food to school children, is appended hereto.

The children of to-day are our future citizens, and the committee is of the opinion that this emergency legislation should be passed so that hungry or starving school children can be fed, for without proper or sufficient nourishment a child can not benefit by the education it receives.

[Washington Star, February 22, 1931]

THREE THOUSAND NEED FREE FOOD AT SCHOOLS HERE, QUIZ SHOWS-1,250 STUDENTS BEING FED DAILY, SURVEY REVEALS; 1,532 GET NO HELP Approximately 3,000 of 77,906 children enrolled in the public schools of the District of Columbia are in need of free lunches, according to figures issued by

Dr. Frank W. Ballou, school superintendent, following the compilation of reports made to him by teachers and officers during the official survey just completed. Of these, 1,532 who are believed by their teachers to be in need of such assistance are not now receiving free lunches, while the remaining 1,250 are being fed by various agencies. The group now being served free lunches includes the 225 pupils of the schools for crippled children and those of the tuberculous schools who are provided lunches at Government expense.

$83.80 DAILY COST

According to estimates contained in the statement made public by Doctor Ballou, the meals now being served needy children, exclusive of those provided tubercular and crippled pupils, cost $83.80 per day. The cost of feeding the additional 1,532 pupils believed by their teachers to be entitled to lunches without cost would approximate $95.65 a day. The meals now being served to cripples and tubercular pupils in those two special schools cost $45.50 a day.

Thus, while lunches now being provided are costing at the rate of $15,084 a school year of 180 school days, an additional expenditure of $17,217 a school year would be needed to provide for the pupils also believed by their teachers to be entitled to lunches.

$40,491 NOW NEEDED

On the basis of these figures a total appropriation for food alone for the children not now receiving lunches at Government expense would total $32,301. Such an appropriation would bring the total of money provided out of public funds for pupils' lunches to $40,491, since the Government already is granting $8,190 for the meals of crippled and tubercular children.

Doctor Ballou is of the opinion that since less than half of the total number of children adjudged needy are being supplied with lunches at present, the same assistance could be given the remainder of them "without difficulty."

"The results of the inquiry, instituted to ascertain how many pupils now are being served food, the number of additional pupils who are in need of it, and the way in which the expenses of serving such children are being met," Doctor Ballou said in a statement issued with the results of the survey, "indicate that only a small portion of the 78,000 school children are now being supplied with food, but that there is a still larger number of pupils who apparently are in need of food, but who are not now being furnished with it.

LITTLE DIFFICULTY SEEN

"The cost of serving additional pupils who need food can, it would appear, be met without difficulty."

Doctor Ballou's report will be considered at a special meeting of the judiciary subcommittee of the House District Committee Tuesday morning. This special meeting was called by Chairman McLeod in an effort to bring a favorable report on his bill, which authorizes an appropriation of $30,000 to pay for the necessary additional employees, as well as the food for free lunches. The measure is to be considered by the full District Committee on Wednesday and Representative McLeod last night expressed confidence that the committee will stand strongly behind him in his effort to get the bill acted upon in time for inclusion in the second deficiency appropriation bill.

ALL DETAILS AVOIDED

The data made public by Doctor Ballou avoid all details which might lead to the identification of needy school buildings or sections of the city in which the apparent need for food for pupils is greatest. The report treats the survey in general classes under the headings of "elementary schools," "vocational schools," 'junior high schools" and "senior high schools.'

Discussing elementary schools, Doctor Ballou's statement indicates that out of 51,556 enrolled pupils, 1,121 now are being provided lunches at a daily cost of $59.44. This expense is being met, his statement continues, by the surplus accumulated in the general milk fund for all pupils who have milk and cracker lunches, by parent-teacher and similar associations, and by contributions of teachers and principals. The inquiry shows further, he said, that there are an additional 1,373 pupils in need of food. On the basis of present expenditure, he said, it would take $68.65 additional per day to supply these children.

VOCATIONAL SURVEY

Of the 1,021 vocational-school pupils, the survey showed that only 5 now are receiving food and that 13 others are believed entitled to it. The present cost is 75 cents a day, while the additional needy children would require another $2 to feed them. The survey showed that the vocational pupils are being fed out of funds earned by the school lunch rooms and, "to a lesser extent from other sources.'

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Of 11,077 junior high school children 93 now are receiving free lunches and 2 also are receiving] breakfast at a total cost of $15.96 per day. This expense is being met by profits from the lunch rooms in the junior high school buildings and, to a slight degree, by financial contributions of teachers and home-and-school associations. The teachers and principals, however, feel there are 146 pupils who should be supplied with food. At the same rate of cost an additional $25 a day would be required to cover the junior high school needs.

THIRTY-ONE SENIORS GET AID

Only 31 senior high school pupils now are receiving free lunches. The total cost is approximately $7.65 a day and most of this cost is being borne by the cafeteria profits in each building. Doctor Ballou's public statement explained that most of the high schools reported no pupils receiving free lunches and none in need who are not now being provided for.

The contributions which school cafeterias make toward free lunches for needy children, Stephen E. Kramer, first assistant superintendent, explained late yesterday, come from the profits of their operation. The cafeterias, he said, are operated by persons hired by the individual school principals, and the prices at which food is sold are kept, at the direction of the principal, at a virtually profitless level. If returns from these cafeterias show sizeable earnings, prices are cut. Where the cafeterias are providing free lunches to needy pupils, however, the profits are permitted to stand to cover that cost. In some instances, Kramer added, pupils "work out" their meals by performing tasks in the cafeterias, though these energetic youngsters are not always "in need."

ELEMENTARY PROBLEM

In the elementary schools, Doctor Ballou's statement asserts, the problem is more difficult through the lack of lunch rooms.

"Funds for feeding the [elementary school] children," the statement continues, "are being furnished from the surplus accumulated in the milk fund established for all pupils by parent-teacher associations and by contributions from teachers and officers. Parent-teacher associations have very generously and efficiently promoted the program of milk and cracker lunches for all pupils. The Board of Education has suggested that the District of Columbia Congress of Parents and Teachers give special attention to the situation as it now exists and encourage and assist the local organizations in meeting this present situation.

"Officers of that association have indicated whole-hearted cooperation with school officials in the solution of this problem. It is believed that the sources of financial support that have heretofore been used and such other financial assistance as may be readily secured will be adequate to meet the present situation. One of the problems that it appears to be desirable to undertake to solve at once is a proper distribution of this financial burden more generally among parentteacher associations and the members of the teaching profession than is now being done.

UNITED STATES AID UNNECESSARY

Mrs. Joseph N. Saunders, president of the District of Columbia Congress of Parents and Teachers, said last night that the survey apparently indicated that the problem of providing luncheons for needy public school children is not too great for any thoroughly local agency or group of agencies which might undertake the task. She added that in her opinion congressional appropriation for the relief would be unnecessary as well as inadvisable.

"I don't see why, with the figures indicating as low a percentage of needy children of those contained in Doctor Ballou's report, we can not meet all needs confronting us," Mrs. Saunders said. "It seems to me we of our own community ought to be able to relieve the situation where the needs are found, but we should remember that the extent of the need for relief probably is an emergency condition requiring temporary relief, and not a permanent condition. I fail to see where congressional appropriations would be necessary.”

HR-71-3-VOL 2-71

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