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October 3Oth, 1936.
<br />
<br /> From May until September of this year, our Nurse~' has been caring for from
<br />25 to 30 children during the day, and 4 to l0 children at night. Our Board provides e large,
<br />comfortable house, heat, gas, lights, laundry, abundance of nourishing food, pure milk sad
<br />daily baths. We pay for a oractical nurse, a cook, a Janitor, and gave a home to a house -
<br />mother, who looked out for ~he children at night°
<br /> We felt that we were making progress; but our f~n~ds would be e~qausted in
<br />tim?; and ~e felt that the children were not receiving the training they should have.
<br /> Further persistency on the part of Mrs. Williams and our Board resulted in
<br />securing for our Day Nursery a nurse~/ school~ which Zs a proJec~ of the Education Dept. of
<br />the W.P.A. This innovation has caused us to change our policy in three particulars: Zee.
<br />(1) in Sept. 1936, we changed the locatiOn of our Nursery from Y~5 Emmett St. to 315 Wythe St.
<br />(2} By moving ~nto the district from which most of our children are drawn, we no longer have
<br />to t~ansport them. (3) To comply with the Nursery School, we had to ~oandon our policy of car~
<br />lng for children at ni~t. All of these children have'been placed in satisfactory homes.
<br /> Moving our residence was most expensive; but our Board though~ the benefits
<br />derived from the Nursery School most desirable~ The Government thinks it is is cheaper to
<br />spend money ~o give underprivileged children a right s~art in life, rather than provide Jails
<br />for h~rdened criminals. So they are most anxious to es~olish their Nursery Schools in desir-
<br />able locations. They have promised us two Nursery teachers, and a food allowance of $55.00 per
<br />month, plus $5~O0 for N~ser~y supplies. Of course, thi~ help will be splendid while it lasts;
<br />but there is no certain~y of its continuing.
<br /> The Nursery has been operating for thl~esn months, and we csn see th~ differ-
<br />ence ~ha% wholesome surroundings, good food, milk and intelligent care has wrought in the lives
<br />of these neglected children. They come to us dirty, hungry, ,mtrained; end from homes either
<br />of working mothers, or where there are so many babies that conditions are undesirable. One of
<br />our little girls was more like a little animal than anything els~, whenshe entered our Nursery
<br />a year ago. She spent mos~ of her time under the ~able, and at four years of age could neither
<br />talk nor knew anything about play. Now she is most friendly, 'and can both talk and loves to
<br />play with the other children. Her tonsils have been removed~ and the chanMe in this one child -
<br />not to speak of the benefits derived by the huAdreds of children who ?~ve been in our Nursery,
<br />m~es the members of our Board feel that ours is a vital factor in the character building
<br />forces of ouc City.
<br /> We are, therefore, respectfully requesting that you help ~o put the Portsmouth
<br />Ds~ Nursery on a oermanent basis, with an allowance of not less than Seventy-five ($Y5.OO) Dol=
<br />lars.per month. We feel that we are not ~nreasonable in our request as the NillerDay Nursery
<br />is receiving ~ allowance each month.
<br /> Thanking you for your vs~ued co-operation in furthering ~his ~o~t worthy pro-
<br />Jeer, we beg to remain~
<br />
<br />Yours ve~ truly~
<br />
<br />{ Si=~ned} {Nrs.
<br />
<br /> gary Phillips Sykes
<br />Gen. Chairm~a,
<br /> Board of Directors,
<br /> Portsmouth D~V Nursez~.~
<br />
<br /> Bill of J. ShirIey Hope, $~ate Game Warden, for destroying eighty-eight dogs,
<br />at $2.50 each, amounting to $220.00, was read.
<br />
<br /> ~otion of Mr. Hutchins to authorize the Treasurer to pay same from funds in
<br />her hands from collection of Dog Taxes, was adopted.
<br />
<br />The following letter was read~ ~ud on motion of ~r. Hutchins, referred to the
<br />
<br />Cit~ Msnager:
<br />
<br /> ~We have three offices located in the City Market building that takes care of
<br />approximately 3000 unemployed people for the City of Portsmouth, sad in these offices are three
<br />young ladies and four men handling the work ~of placing these people into employment.
<br /> The floors in our offices are concrete, and last winter the entire office
<br />force experienoed a tremendous amount 'of sickness due to the bare concrete floors. I am taking
<br />this mee~s of asking you gentlemen to please appropriate a sum of ~250.00 to cover the three
<br />floors with inlaid linoleum. It is true that this is the best grade of linoleum but I feel
<br />that if this appropriation is made t at the be~t should be furnished, as I am quite confident
<br />that the National Reemployment Service is to be a permanent organization~ and in the long run
<br />the best grade linoleum would ~e much cheaper.
<br /> Trusting t~at you gentlemen will act favorably upon this request, I aSsUre
<br />you that I will do in the future as I have done in the past, not bother you with any more
<br />propria~ions than it is absolutely necessary. ! ~ould not ask that this appropriation be made,
<br />bu~ I feel that the employees' heslth in our service is involved, and I am certain you gentle-
<br />~en will feel the same.
<br /> Tours truly,
<br />
<br />H.J. ~ounie,
<br />Manager, District
<br />U.S. ~_m~oloyment Service.
<br />
<br />The following letter was read:
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth Post #37, American Legion, is now formulating plans for the par-
<br />ade in observance of Armistice Day to be held in this City on November llth.
<br /> It is requested that the usual holiday be declared and also that you honor
<br />us with your presence on the reviewing stand during this parade and on the stage during the ex-
<br />~rcises immediately following.
<br /> Vsr~~ truly yours,
<br /> Portsmouth post ~37,American Legion
<br /> by Arthur Emmerson, Chairman,Parade
<br /> Committee.~
<br />
<br />
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