New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-06

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terms how the English working classes amuse
themselves under the present restricted con-
ditons of their social life. 1t also considers the
Possibility of inducing them ato aim at those
. organized. highly skilled and disciplined forms
sof recreation which make up the better pleas
sure of life" The projected. APeople's
Palace on the Mile End Road in the heart OF
East London encourages him to hope that
some of his ideas and aspirations may be trans
ferred from the region of theory to that OF
practice.
What sources of recreation does East London
now enjoy The chief one is reading. But
books are dear, and English workingmen cannot
afford TO buy them; and there are few, II any,
free libraries. The newspapers are filled with
Parliamentary reports and foreign news, and
contain little that this class cares to read III
the workingman takes any interest in politics.
he prefers talking to reading, and as there are
no clubs organized for men Of his station, he
must either discuss public affairs on the pave
ment or else frequent public-houses. The ex-
cursion train and cheap steamboat are great
gain, and parks are not inaccessible, so that
there is something to do on holidays and Sun
DAYS in summer. Theatres are too far away )
outside tho West End there are only half
dozen for three millions OF people. There are
music halls, but seldom any concerts OF higher
class and here and there is tea garden
Working people who can afford few pennies
for amusement have to depend mainly upon the
cheap excursions, the parks and the pubic
houses. Those who cannot spare the pennies
can walk about the streets on Saturday after
moons and Sundays. These meagre recreations
in Mr.. Besant's Judgment, point to the fact that
| working people must have play as well as work.
| and since they do not know how to amuse them
selves more nationally, they must be taught.
| The Peoples Palace, which he hopes may be
built I'm the centre of East London, will contain
| c]ass-rooms. where all kinds Of study can be
| carried on: concert-roOms, where good music
can be heard; a theatre; conversaton-rooms
for political discussion gymnasium, a library,
q ing-school, a ballroom and winter
garden 1t will be a bazaar of recreation where
men and women can read and study, II they are
disposed to do 80, and amuse themselves as they
| like winter and summer.
The Peoples Palace is eventually to be con-
Quoted by the worldng-people themselves
Graduates are to teach in the class rooms, man
the library and reading room, supply the con-
cert room with an orchestra and the stage with
a theatrical company, and possibly in the course
of time furnish drawings, paintings aud sculp-
ture for art exhibitions Meanwhile the work
ing-classes must be taught both to like all
these things and 10 do them themselves. Their
education must be intrusted, therefore to
voluntary workers of higher social grade
and here Mr.. Besant's plan is open to criticism.
He insists upon excluding religion from the
PEOPLES Palace. He says that the institution
must be carefully watched to prevent the rise
of the suspicion that there are any religious
influences at work. That is an element when
he thinks must be kept out OF the place. But
the voluntary work, upon which he would nave
to depend in the first instance before he could
train working-peOple in the art OF rational re-
creation, could scarcely be performed by
irreligious agents. Religion alone could supply
a motive strong enough to induce men and
women of a higher class to interest themselves
i'm the recrcatiOns of the poor
4 more practical method of accomplishing
this end, at least in American cities, is the
organization of wOrkingmens clubs in cOnnec-
| ton with churches. An ideal Peoples Palace
i'm the centre of Manhattan Island is hardly
moro than a flight of the Imagination. 1t Is,
however, entirely practicable for twenty-five or
fifty of the more influential churches to form
workingmens clubs, meeting one or more even
ings every week for recreation and instruction.
Three churches combining for this purpose IN
| Germantown have provided this class with
clubhouse containing a library, reading
room chess, billiard and smoking rooms, and a
general assembly hall. A Brooklyn church (St.
Lukc's on the HilD has entered upon the same
field of work with marked degree of success
Once a week committee meets about fifty
mechanics in the parish hall, entertainS them
with popular lectures, concerts and III various
ways, opens library of thousand volumes
for their use, supplies them with tobacco and
pipes, and allows them to anluse themselves
with chess and checkers at their leisure. Meet
ings of this sort can easily be rendered pop
uar. 1t is a simple yet effective way OF teach
ing the poor the secret OF rational recreation.