The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-07
BACKLESS SEATS EXPLAINED.
Scientific Use q Discomfort in the Benches
I'm PubIIc Places.

Il have often wondered said a man
who finds time TO wander o more
or less in places frequented by the public,
why the seats provided in public places
were not made more comfortable.
Il sometimes find in such places seats
without backs, or seats with backs too
straight for comfort, or seats too low, and
l have wondered why these seats could
not all have been made comfortable as
well as not; but a man who knows about
such things tells me there is a reason for
IL. He says that in providing public seat
ing there should always be kept in view
the good OF all; and that, contradictory as
it might seem, this requires the installation
in such places Of at least some seats in some
measure lacking in comfort.
"In extensive public parks, for instance,
he says, where there is ample space for the
placing Of practically innumerable seats,
who desire to sit, the seats may well be
made very comfortable-as comfortable, in
fact, ms they can be; but even in such places,
he holds, it is well to intersperse here n
there seats without backs, seats less COM
Portable.
For, he holds, the primary purpose OF
the park seats is not so much to provide
comfortable Longing places as to AFFORD
convenient resting places; and II all the
seats here were very comfortable they
might all be continuously occupied and
there would be no places for those really
tired Of walking or Sightseeing n now
seeking a place to rest. But the backless
seats are not sought by those seeking
only comfort, and are less likely to be 90
cupied, or they are occupied more briefly;
and on such seats, nyway the really
weary are likely to find opportunity to
rest a while before walking ON.
Park seats, or the most OF them, he
says, should indeed be made very COM
Portable, to add to the comfort and pleasure
OF those who sit in them TO watch the pass
ing throngs Of people and ~equipages or
TO survey tho beauties OF the park itself.
but scientific park seating, he says,
should include In it's arrangement a scat
tering hero and there Of seats without
backs.
And II provision should thus be made
to insure comfort or rest for really tired
people in extensive open spaces, like parks
where there is room for many seats, then
obviously such provision must be far moro
carefully looked after in enclosed build
iRgs housing exhibits open 70 the public,
where the visitors may be many, but where
the number OF seats that may be placed
is necessarily limited.
Here a system OF seating to insure
the most TO be desired results would re-
quire that all the seats should be not too
comfortable. They may be made slightly,
even artistic, pleasant to the eye and in
viting and comfortable, but they should
not be too comfortable.
@For il they are so they nay be occupied
continuously by people who sit in them
for comforts sake alone, or thoughtlessly,
TO the exclusion OF others who may need
these resting places more. Whereas II
the man who has settled into one Of those
seats finds presently that the handsome
back Of it js a little straight or that the
backless but broad and comfortable APP
pearing bench upon which he had seated
himself is not quite 80 easy as it had looked
he is likely to rise n stroll on, leaving
that seat vacant for somebody Nho might
really need IL for rest and who would In
due time stroll on, too.
And IL might be observed that in public
places of this character In which there are
found many children visitors the seats
thus provided may well be made a shade
lower than the standard height. such seat
ing giving no discomfort 10 elder people,
while IL does AFFORD a greater degree of
comfort TO the little folks