Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-25
RESULTS GRATIFYING.
Report Of Superintendent Of
Public Fairgrounds.
COMMITTEE MEETING
REVIEW OF THE WORK DONE THE
PAST YEAR.
Permanent Work Recommended
COMMITTEE MEETIN G
Permanent Work Recommended
Statement Made by Treasurer of
Receipts and Expenditures.

Permanent establishment and adequate
equipment of Fairgrounds in all sections of
the city for white and coiored children was
the general theme of the recommendations
of DIR. Henry S. Curtis supervisor of pub
lie Fairgrounds, read at the regular fail
meeting of the public Fairgrounds COM
mittee of the Associated Charities yester-
day afternoon
Mr.. Cuno H. Rudolph, chairman, called
the meeting to order. There were present:
Mrs H B. F. Macfarland Mrs Ellen s.
Mussey, Mrs. Edward Gilfillan, Mrs.
Charles F. Weller, Mrs +. M. Bailey, Mrs
Edna X. Bushee, Mrs. Giles S. Rufter,
Mrs s. c. Fernandes, Misses Clara j.
Van Trump, Mabel Tawner, Ida A. Green,
DR.. George r. Kober, Messrs. Charles F.
Miller. Wallace Hatch, A. NJ Craig and F.
L. CardoZo
After the reading of the treasurer's state
ment the effect that receipts from all
sources amount to s,9Ol.o5 and disburse,
ments $4S91 %, showing a balance ON hand
of &c. acknowledgment was made that
small deficit exists owing to some outstand-
ing bills. The report and recommendations
prepared by DIR. Curtis were read. The lat
ter being referred to the executive COM
mittee to be put into final shape for pres
entation to Congress.
The general success of the Fairgrounds
through the season resulted in motion,
the object of which was to have the Com
missioners ask Congress to create the Of
flee of supervisors of public piaygfounds,
at a salary not less than $3.50 annually.
An effort will be made to establish at least
two model Fairgrounds, Supervising Prin-
cipal +. L. Cardozo making special plea
that use should be given for the colored
children of the southwest.
Report of DR.. Curtis.
The report of Dr. Henry a. Curtis Is as
follows:
ITO the casual observer tie most obvious
progress which has been made is that the
number of Fairgrounds has been increased
from eleven in 1904 to nineteen in 1903. The
number of children who have attended
these grounds has been quadTupled. FROM
an attendance of about 30 Coo to 10000 in
1904 it has increased to an attendance of
229, 626 in 1905. But the real progress which
has been achieved in the Fairgrounds can
only be partially measured in this way.
Perhaps the thing we have greatest reason
to compliment ourselves on is the number
of able and women who have been in
tereSted to give their thought and effort to
this work.
But the interest aroused has not been
confined to the members of the playground
committees. The business men, the par
ents of the children and the community at
large have manifested a growing interest
in the work throughout the summer.
The number of organizations which have
manifested an interest In and take an in
creased share in the responsibility and Ct
fort in this movement is considerable.
Among these may be mentioned the wo-
mems clubs, citizens assoc; ations, the Cen
trail Labor Union, the churches, the athletic
organizations in the city, the schools
through the children and their parents and
the teachers. The gain which has been
made In this direction cannot be measured
by results during the past year, as the
work was begun very late, and nearly all
these organizations had practically d.s-
banded before there was time for them to
off. EnfiN on tfnV ~,
Especially promising is the interest which
the parents of the children have manifested
through the schools. The contribution of
the children for the work this year amount
ed to S13J0 The interest of the teachers
is shown from the fact that 50 many vol
unteered to contribute their services before
it was assured there would be any money
to pay for their services. Very consider
able sums many of them have paid out of
their own purses to provide manual and
other work for the Fairgrounds of which
they We're directors.
Progress Noted.
apart from the increased interest and
the larger number of Fairgrounds and the
greater amount of money expended upon
them progress in certain other lines is cas-
lily to be seen. Most important of all these
is that the Fairgrounds have now become
a public rather than private movement
The appropriation of So 800 which was
granted by Congress this year has given
governmental sanction to this work and
placed the whole movement on quite diff
ferent plane. The amount, of course, was
inadequate to carry on the work for the
summer, but it was granted by Congress as
an experimental fund, with the promise of
a larger amount If the Fairgrounds proved
successful
"A second way in which the Fairgrounds
have been changed from a private to a
public enterprise has been the opening of
twelve Fairgrounds in connection with and
,rrldar no nf hn Crhn hn1 rl Jlr.t
perhaps that which has marked the most
decided advance during the work of the
summer has been the employing of paid
teachers for directors in all of the play
do