The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-23
Delegation Headed By Miss
Cornelia Bradford and An
drew ]. Steelman Plead
With the Board of Educa-
ton for Playground
ONE FOR WAsRlaGTON STREET
DIRECTOR HERMANN TALKS OF.
THE DETERRENT INFLUENCE
OF RECREATION ON. JUVENILE
cRIME-PETITIoN REFERRED
TO COMMITTEE

A delegation of men and women, IN
eluding Miss Cornelia Bradford. head
worker of Whittier House, in Grand
street, and Andrew j. Steelman, presi-
dent of the Nei ghborhood council of that
institution. appeared at last nights meet
ing of the Board of Education to ask
the use of the park on the northeast cor
.ner of Grand and Washington streets to
be fitted up as a summer playground for
children and the basement of No.
Annex School which the park adjoins,
to be used for imparting physical IN
struction. The park in question is one
of four at the intersection of Grand and
washington streets. The idea is to keep
the children of the neighborhood from
the dirty streets during the summer
months.
Mr.. Steelman said the project grew
out Of discussions of the needs Of the dis
trict at the Whittier House. He said
the matter was taken up last spring and
1t was the intention att the time to secure
some vacant lots to be used for the pur-
pose. But one place could be found in
the deeply congested tenement district
This, 1T was found, was owned by the
American Sugar Refining Company,
which was about to make use Of it.
Miss Bradford talked along the same
Sines as Mr.. Steelnan. She wants tents
and swings erected in the park.
Peter Hines, member Of the delega-
kion. said that he thought it was no more
than right that this park should be used
Us a summer playground 10 keep children
off the streets; that at present it was
used by buns to sleep in.
Director Lewis called attention to the
fact that the School Board had no con-
troll over the park-that it was under
the control of the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners.
Director Coyle said he did not doubt
that the Board would lend its co-opera-
ton.
Superintendent of Schools Henry Sny-
der said that the Board had a Commit
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nittee had done good work, but was
hampered by lack of funds. He said the
movement for children's Fairgrounds had
extended throughout the country-not
only for Fairgrounds, but for summer
schools. New York city, he said, was
spending thousands of dollars annually in
this direction and that Newark had eigh-
teen such schools and Fairgrounds. He
said that they were absolutely essential
and he did not see why the children
should not have one of the four parks in
question exclusively as a playground, but
it involved the consent of the Street and
water bod1a. sStdTt Oue SUN pay slVuhu
in this congested district, he said, and it
would lead to the establishment of 9th
ers
Director Hermann said that as the
project was backed by the Whittier
House it was tin to take the matter up
He said much OF juvenile crime. was
committed because children have no
proper playground. He was heartily in
favor of the project.
President Ridgeway told the delegation
that the matter would receive prompt
consideration. It was referred to the
Committee on Fairgrounds.