Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-15
Exhibition of Interest Upon Part Of
Prominent Citizens.
WILL APPEAL TO CONGRESS
Work Originally Started in Wash
ington by Private Benevolence-
Suggestions and Incidents.

children was evidenced at the mass meet
ing last evening at the Church or the cove
nant During the meetings preceding and
following the recent organization OF The
playground Association of America, IN
tho nress and in a number of addresses by
prominent persons interested In the move
mont. the main purpose-that OF upbuild-
inc the character of the children while at
pls. in the outdoor schoot'-has been re-
iterated and emphasized.
DR.. Teunis s Hamlin, in welcoming the
audience said he thought II would be less
difficult to interest Congress IN TINS I'M
portant matter If II could me more cIoselS
identified with the established school sys-
tenn. The true idea is that the playground
Is a vacation school, and dennlte aiu
should be given to this important part Oh
the education Of our children. tie thsh
introduced Commissioner Macfarland. VINO
declared that, ALTHOUGH keep OF lhe
grass is not seen so often now IN the
parks of Washington, the chlldreh eeHeI-
allv must play in the streets II they pay
elsewhere than at home. private DeheNo-
lence in a simple and rudimentary way
first made the experiment OF plays,ouiIus
i'm washington. The work is no longer
in an experimental stage. Learning Is Sne
object OF playing and the direction OF play
is Of the utmost Importance. Recently ~
became evident that the matter snouiu ue
come the interest Of the municlpal gov
ernment-that Is. OF all the Peop4e Oh ~
terprise Of the state. ss.L
lie said that the children paid one-ntth
OF the amount spent last year "neiI -, IN
teen Fairgrounds were established III w ASH
in ron There must be two sorts or play
,yTounds-those for the school children proper
and others for the general puDllc' iiol'
has been done here is small IN eompaFison
to what has been accomplished IN olhef
cities notably in New York and chicago
Srhs south Park system in Chicago is the
benedcent result of a special tax levy, anu
large sums have been expended, with ex-
traordinarily satisfactory results Inc us
trict Is asking only 1000 for maintenance
ana S65 900 for purchase of Fairgrounds
This wear The word playground uoes
not adequately enlighten most minds as 70
the real and extensive good there Is III ing
movement. II is not play, IN the sense -
mere play, II is education III " iHsH anu "
pCrtant sense. -, .z
The theory is that In meeting the neeus
of the child We meet the needs OF the state
W. want 10 upift the ciuZenship-to
strengthen the character of the people.
Whatever Is accomplished by good WORKS
for children should be the work OF all ana
a work of the state
Miss Americans Address.
Miss Sadie American, upon being intro
duced. said that while she could not speak
"a many in one audience. she could reach-
hundreds of thousands If the people are
not so busy with Easter as to fail 10 re4o
the papers. Play IS life 1t is expression
and not repression; it is learning without
deliberate trying We must not forget the
meaning OF play, she said. II Is natural
essential. healthful. How few people 40
we see on the street who indulge IN reai
hearty laugh of merriment and content
The stress and strain of modern industrial
life have depressed the children as Wen 40
tho crown folks child confined to street
play has horror of the cop on the UllS
side the property owner on the other' we
want the child TO feel that he gets pom iii9
mental discipline and free recreation a.
school Miss American related a pathedc
Incident of a ragged child from the cry, d
sfxth-grade Chicago schoolboy, VINO aSkGu
the teacher on the country trip: MISTER Is
all this beautiful country United states ana
ours2' %
In cities, she said. we protect property al
the cost Of character. Children having no
outlet TO their animal spirits read ana taIk
81 adventures and actually begin 10 sleal
and destroy property In Chicago some
small boy had made a hole in banh-a
species Of "brgands' cave Vand nlled II
with all manner of small portable arucIes
and provisions. These children IN no man
ner realized the thefts they had committed.
They merely took supplies necezJy 10
support the "brlgands' cave"
''The state ought TO take part in the up
l,illding OF the character of youth-of the
men and women who are to take our places
and our responsibilities. Louis XIV is
probably blamed for substituting gaming
Tor games among the French.
Work is the cardinal principle OF Amer
lean life" she declared. The gentleman
of leisure I'm London was a loafer in Chi-
cago because he had a half million ana dld
no work Play is the child's work IN
play they voluntarily learn obedience ana
self-rollance; they comprehend self-imposed
authority Organization, initiative, is
learned at play.
a beautiful city but the city beautiful.
There is. indeed, difference In these Two.
All this country's instinct OF play is crystal
lized IN this newly formed Playground AS
sociation OF America. The children must
have place and space to develop them
selves" go
Miss American asserted that she liked
creation and formation rather than recrea-
ton and reformation. We shall gain on
these lines by giving our children an open
ing TO do well for themselves.
She then closed by referring in words OF
high commentator 20 the sympathetic at
titudo OF the President toward the general
movement
DR. Curtis Heard.
DR. Henry S Curtis was then introduced
and said he had often in New York con-
gested sections taken crowds Of boys to the
marks TO play base ball. but could not in
duce them 20 take up team work. Each
one wanted to he captain or TO be first in
something and usually selfish in all things.
Children. II taught 10 play honestly until
fourteen years OF age. Will, he said, prob
ably be honest men and women. II they
form good habits in youth they do not for
get them IN the serious work OF after life,
In England sports are compulsory; the
master plays with the pupils. In this coun-
try II Is not so. The result OF this IS that
the young Englishman Is trained IN sports
manshlp. good manners. self-control and
consideration for others. while under the
American system these advantages are lost
because the boys play alone and have no
model of fair play, honesty and good will
I'm sport
Il was announced that al All Souls Uni
tartan Church. this evening at O'Clock.
Miss Mcdowell will give an exhibition OF
pictures Of the South Park system of play
grounds OF Chicago.
Plan for Washington.
The resolution adopted at the afternoon
session yesterday of the Fairgrounds Asso-
citation OF America. embOdying plans for o
model playground system for Washington
declared that since all children stand IN
need OF public places OF recreation, such
places should be provided In Washington
where they would be available to all tht
children of the city. IL was set forth that
Notwithstanding the excellent park system
of Washington. the association believed
that the circles, triangles and other parks
here are almost a negligible quantity so fan
as Fairgrounds are concerned
Another section of the resolution declared