Bill Morris

When a Briton named Bill Morris turned up with his Bible in Buenos Aires' Boca dock section in the late 1890's, that district had five saloons to the block, two policemen on every corner to keep murders down to about four per day. Bill Morris, a shabby little street-corner preacher, had been looking all over the world for just such a place. First thing he did was to pick four homeless ragamuffins off the street, install them in a garret. He taught them himself, begged money to feed and clothe them.

In ten years, with the help of neighborhood thugs, he had five schools under way. The Government took notice. Bill Morris became a great figure in Argentina, his schools the nation's foremost philanthropy. By last week there were 150,000 Argentine citizens who owed their education to him. In 55 Morris Schools 15,000 urchins were being trained. But the cycle which began in a Boca garret had almost swung full course.

Government subsidies to the Morris Schools were 250,000 pesos ($68,425) in arrears. Teachers, payless for two years, were sending each other memoranda on the margins of old newspapers. Pupils were doing their sums on the backs of used envelopes. Unless the Schools could raise 700,000 pesos in six months, their 15,000 children would go back to the streets.

There was talk of the Government taking over the Schools. Most people blamed the trouble on Depression. But there were some who doubted that even Depression could have stopped the Schools if Bill Morris had not died four years ago.

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