The Washington times., 1905-06-17
MRS. HOEKE'S PLEAS
INTEREST PUPILS
School Children Contribute
to Playground Fund.
SHE TELLS OF HER SUCCESS
Teachers Predicted Small Returns, But
This View Has Been Largely
Disappointed.
SHE TELLS OF HER SUCCESS

Mrs. Elizabeth Hoeke, at whose sug-
gestion school children are contributing
to the fund for public Fairgrounds, yes
terday gave some interesting data on
the progress which is being made to-
ward the collection in the different
schools of Washington
Following the letter which she wrote
the children Of the Washington schools,
Mrs. Hoeke has been visiting the va
rious buildings and talking TO the chill
dren. The result is that they are be-
coming more and more interested each
day in helping to establish and main
tain their own Fairgrounds.
Mrs. Eoeke has for years been con-
spicuous in philanthropic work in WASH
ington, and has been especially inter-
ested In the children She believes that
the establishment of sufficient number
of well-equipped Fairgrounds means the
greatest help and pleasure and better
health, winter and summer, for the little
ones. and that it should be made the
object of the efforts of both teachers
and children to contribute reasonably to
the fund.
Teachers Not Hopeful.
Mrs. Hoeke says:
"As have visited the schools to speak
of the collections from the pupils, a
number of teachers lave said we cannot
expect more from this collection than
we get from the Christmas collections.
But why should we not expect more?
1.-THE giving of Christmas presents is
not a school activity. while the play
grounds are to be under the regular
city teachers and are a logical extern
sion of school work. When we consider
hon eli fho cncfn of he Yfl or rr16Q
Is per child and that these children are
going to be under carefully selected
teachers. / think we may say there Is
no other school fund of equal size that
will yield so large returns in health and
strength and character.
THE Fairgrounds. being school ac-
tfvity. should be maintained, not in
part but in entirety, by the parents and
the children. There is no other way a
parent can get so large return on his
money.
shudder as they think Of the summer
and the street life for the children
1ney will find the Fairgrounds and the
care of trained teachers a Godsend
whose value cannot be measured by
money.
Big Sums Received.
In many other cities the Fairgrounds
are supported from the school funds.
Some teachers seem to be expecting to
collect only about a dollar from class.
Yet where l have spoken to the chill
dren and asked how many could collect
or save ten cents for the Fairgrounds
every face has lighted up and every
hand has been raised.
Principal Murch collected SIG yester-
day forenoon at the Force School He
guaranteed that the entire sum would
not be less than 500. The Morgan School
held lawn fete for the playground
Yesterday evening.
Miss Isabel Resell teacher in the
Lincoln School for colored children. has
asked her children 10 raise S4.o0 for the
Fairgrounds. She saws she will make
up any deficiency in this amount herself.
IF the other teachers would take UP
the collecting in this spirit, and with
such interest the playground fund would
be raised at once.
lon Tuesday we expect to publish q
list of each school in the city. and
what each has contributed to the play
grounds. We hope that each school will
be proud of the figure opposite Its
IN q