The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-20
TOTS PAY COST OF
GROWTH OF CITY.
Open Spaces Where Children
Gathered in Years Gone By
Now Built Up.
DANGEROUS IN THE STREETS e: s
More Fairgrounds Needed, and
Mothers Blub Sets Out to
Get Them.
DANGEROUS IN THE STREETS

The proposition to establish threc
additional Fairgrounds in Richmond
for the summer months is meeting
with consid era bic favor. To the FEEDER
alton of Mothers Clubs belongs the
credit for this latest movement, as that
organization is preparing to petition
the city School Board for the use Of
Elba and Central School yards.
The School Board already allows the
use OF the yard Of Marshall School as
childrens playground, and 1t is not
anticipated that there will be. any OBJ
lection to the use Of the other yards.
Few Open Spaces Now.
The need for public Fairgrounds has
in recent years become acute In Rich
mond, as the city has become closer
and closer hui t up. until now in the
|. central. section there is scarcely an
| open lot on which a party OF little
people may play in the sand, or
group of older boys engage inn game
Of ball.
Until q few years ago there We're
here and there a number Of fine open
spaces which party Of young peo-
| pie might preempt but tAe children
are having to pay the penalty for the
| advance in property values and the
| building up of Richmond.
Various naakeshifts havefbeen intro
duced in recent years TO iIgive the
iyoung peopiefa tpl see forhlIaalthy exer-
! else. and a chance to work off their
| animal spirits. Several youn peoples
/ clubs have been projected along
limited lines. and some of the churches
are experimenting with gymnasium
work for their growing boys
4 The conditions presented were one
4 Of the strongest of the arguments
brought out in the recent Y. NJ. G. A
4 campaign, the need for a special and
4 enlarged boys department being ap-
4 parent to all who inquired into the
A subject. "a ,ts,i,.r5 Eli
A Dangerous and Uncertain.
With the general introduction of The
silent-treaded automobile and thu
q thickening Of general traffic on thu
streets, playing in tho streets Is boil
;. dangerous and uncertain. Then, too, !
is in violation Of a city ordinance, ant
! though the police are in nearly every
case kindly disposed to the young PEG
pie, their duties require them to pro
! hibit ball games in the city's thor
) oughfares.
\ The conventional grass plots an,
\ swalkways in the city parks do not af
afford a suitable playing place, eyln 70
tI.little children. There is always tn
: park keeper with his keep or tn
1 grass signs, until some of the younl
!, people have como to the not unnatura
conclusion that every instinctiv
: pleasure they have is against the law
, The proposal of the Federation Q
I Mothers clubs is admittedly but
;. temporary arrangement. 1t is pur
:, posed to fit up the school yard wit
: swings, sandpiles, and possibly som
outdoor gymnastic outfit. a compe
. tent Kindergarten will be always O
: hand to preserve order and to look ri
ter the safety of the little ones. 1t
= believed by the ladies in charg
that by giving an object lesson tn
e summer the influential people of til
community will see the need of til
work, and either through the Soho,
e Board or otherwise will make SON
- provision for permanent playin
:, places.