Why Cut Federal Lunch Program?

HELLO FOLKS — I don't know the President's thinking behind his desire to cut federal costs on the school lunch program. However, from this view it seems very unwise to seem to be interested in the health of the underprivileged on the one hand and then place in jeopardy the very program that should give many of the nation's needy some of the nutrition they need.

I do think that in the past the federal government has footed too much of the cost of the school lunch program. It is certainly wise for the state governments to share substantially in the costs; just as it is well for the local governments to share. This way there is not apt to be waste in the project. With local participation there will be more local control and local citizens own funds used unwisely if they can help it.

Equal Sharing

It seems to me that the program should call for about equal sharing between federal, state and local.

Even in our own communities, where there is hardly reason for poverty to exist, there are children who are not getting the proper nutrition. The reasons for this lies with the parents. Perhaps a drinking father or mother or both; indifferences as to what constitutes good nutrition; laziness when it comes to providing or the offspring and working mothers, more interested in earning money than to develop the citizens of tomorrow.

For many of these unfortunate children school lunches are the chief source of good nutrition. It does not seem good sense to put these lunches in jeopardy just to provide the proposed "pie-in-the-sky programs" into action.

—o—

DOES THE GROUCH get richer quicker than the friendly sort of man? Can the grumbler labor better than the cheerful fellow can? Is the mean and churlish neighbor any cleverer than the one who shouts a glad "good morning", and then smiling passes on?

Just to stop and think about it. Have you ever known or seen a mean man who succeeded, just because he was so mean?

When you find a grouch with honors and with money in his pouch, you can bet he didn't win them just because he was a grouch.

Oh, you'll not be any poorer if you smile along your way, and your lot will not be harder for the kindly things you say. Don't imagine you are wasting time for others that you spend: You can rise to wealth and glory and still pause to be a friend.
– Edgar A. Guest.

—o—

SPEAKING OF being friendly, I just finished making the rounds on one of the numerous charity drives that take place this time of year. I wasn't turned down once and when I went to one home which had already given they gave again. Not only did they all give but they did it gladly. Not a grumble, not a grudge.

I don't know what this all indicates, whether it is because there is more money around or it is because people are getting more charitable. But one thing I believe it is all for the better.