The age-herald., 1898-06-24
Summer Fairgrounds
For Poor Children

The Association for Improving the con- dtion of the Poor, at New York, are de- termined upon undertaking to provide tif- teen public school playgrounds for the peo- pie through these warm summer months when the tenement districts of the metrop- oils, become uncomfortable to the men, wo- men and children, who are huddled like cattle into sti1ing quarters.
 By a comparative recent enactment the public are allowed the use of the New York public school houses and grounds for purposes of recreation and diversion, but no money was provided by the city for car rying out the provisions of this bill When it became known that the school author ities were not equal to this phianthropic enterprise, because of lack of necessary funds, certain influential charitable socie- ties became interested in the matter and presented it to the Association for Inn provement of the Condition of the Poor and requested this organization to undertake the work of making the lives of New York's poor more bearable during the pres ent summer.
 Plans have been outlined and details are being arranged so that there is every pros- ,pect of success for the charitably inclined, philosophical citizens of New York, who are concerned about the sufferings of the poorer classes. The association has re- quested the use of the roof and basement playgrounds of fifteen public schools, and will proceed to prepare them for the use of New York's children. An exchange in writing of this matter gives the following details:
 The plan is simple but promises to be effective. It contemplates providing for each playground one or two kindergart- ners who will be on duty all day long, and whose province it will be to lead the games of the children. They will doubtless be supplied with simple kindergarten material suitable for out-of-door use. It is believed that they will be able to maintain order with the aid of the janitors. Into each school yard will be dumped a wagon load ot clean sand and in this the children will be allowed to dig or burrow to their hearts content.
 The advantages of the playgrounds are evident The. basements of the schools af- ford clean cool, healthy substitutes for the dirty, hot streets, the usual play grounds of poor children. The roof play grounds, on the other hand, afford still more desirable places for recreation. They are above the noise dust and foul air of the streets and instead afford the nearest substitute for the pure air of heaven to be found down town.
 The use of these playgrounds will give the people some return for the capital in- vested m school property, which otherwise |, would be entirely unproductive during the vacation months of summer. Many of the school buildings cost, with their sites, over $300,0 ,000 each. These buildings hitherto have been used on an average but 250 hours year. The rest of the time they have been idle, giving no return to the city. By allowing the public to use the buildings in the way suggested, it becomes possible to use the citys school property for nearly 5000 hours each year.
 That the return in benefit to individuals would be great has been proved by pre- vious experiments. The Educational Ali ance during last year threw it's roof play ground open to the public. The average at- tendance was 5,166 daily, while in the even- Ing it was found that not less than LOOT visitors were in regular attendance. The capacity of the schools will probably moi 1'be so great, but much smaller attend ance when multiplied by fifteen, the num- Der of schools to be employed, will give a small army of people liberty to enjoy the school playgrounds.