The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-10-24
CHILDREN SPLAYGROUNDS
THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE STATE
TO THE YOUNG.
Look After the Physical Well Being
and the Moral Wen Being will be
the Stronger.

Editor Star: In the evolution OF
modern society the state has come to
the consciousness of new responsible
tiles and acknowledges new obliga-
tions. 1t is not enough now days to
punish criminals, the state must UNI
dertake their reformation. 1t is not
enough to furnish education for the
intellect, the state must provide ,cr
the health aud look after the tcndcn-
cies to immortality i'm the commune
ty. 1t is gratifying to note how wide
ly and wisely the state is responding
to these new obligations. 1t encour-
ages thrift by the establishment of
postal savings banks; ii subsidies
technical education that its citizen;
may not be crushed under the burden
of industrial competition, asking in
vain in their ignorance, Who will en-
ploy us?
This community has taken long
step in advance of the thought and
custom of former days in caring for
the multitude of growing children in
setting apart as a public reservation
a suitable plot for a playground. But
is the work done when the Legislature
has made such reservation? The OK
ample of other communities ought to
quicken anew our activities in this
line of public beneficence.
Mayor Quincy of Boston has this
summer thrown open a number of
yards around the school houses Tor
poor children and their parents
| Though there was no special appro
priation to make the idea Il success.
much was done in an Inexpensive way
through private contributions. \ mat
ron has been provided, or kindergar-
| tener. to superintend the gathering,
averaging 125 at each yard daily, aud
see to it that such games are introduce
ed as shall furnish breathing as wei
as mirth-provoling recreation.
In Chicago $1,000 from the city coup-
ell provided for the necessary equip
ment and the wages of the custodian.
! The result was to lessen the tendency
to juvenile criminality. Juvenile ar
rests in any precinct demand the talk
| ing of young boys off the street. In
New York City the outdoor recreation
| league raised and expended about
$4,000 for those months. An addition
al feature was the establishment of a
summer camp at Pilpan Bay park,
which was i'm active operation for two
months. The spot furnished not only
I a.
good beach for bathing. Au open air
gymnasium between Fifty-seCond and
| Fifth-third streets proved such a poT-
ular place of resort that il is proposed
/ to keep it open for the greater part OF
the year. The league has secured AN
appropriation of 100000 from the
school board. The thirty Fairgrounds
it has opened have been under the
charge of college men and trained kim
| dergarteners.
Mayor Quincy is advocating the es-
adjustment of a vacation camp on one
| of the islands in Boston harbor. and
presents it as a part of the advanced
ideas for providing at public expense
vacation instruction of a ridicdlly diff
| ferent character from that furnished
in the SchoolrOOm. He proposes that
the school children should he enroul'-
aged to meet the expense, So per week,
| by saving their pennies for this OBJ
iect, though no distinction should be
made between those who can pay and
those who cannot. Boston has tukcn
the lead in providing public bathhoGs-
es also. This winter number OF
swimming tanks are to be opened.
Expenditure in this line is justified as
a measure of public education, and
cleanliness resulting in sound physical
and moral growth among the rank
and file of school children.
Mayor Quincy atiirms that soap and
water are most potent agencies OF
civilization. In his address on this top
ic before the American Social Science
Association, he says, "One of the most
important functions of municipal gov
eminent is that of promoting the feel
ing of community. 1t is not within
the power of the city to make all OF
its citizens educated or prosperous
but | believe that il can readily Sc
cure them sufficient facilities for
cleanliness. for exercise, for recrea-
ton. to raise materially the average
social standard of the community
and to promote in large measure gen
eral well being and contentment.
VIII not this community respond &c
such sentiment and do more than il
has done for the physical well being
and the moral welfare of those among
us less favored than those with such
privileges?