New-York tribune., 1907-07-28

PUBLIC FAIRGROUNDS.
In the United States there IS effort being
made 70 replan cities 70 make adequate
provision for play for young and old our play
grounds absurdly inadequate. Until
1899 q section of New York City containing
100000 Inhabitants had open space whatever
for play The movement toward lettering this
condition Of things is vigorous and gem
eral thanks the efforts Of such philauthropists
Jacob Riis, and the results Of what has al
ready been accomplished in New York so
gratifying that great and continued improve
ment may be confidently expected. The city now
sets aside we are told IN the report of the United
states Commissioner OF Education. 5000 600 zach
year for the purchase OF Fairgrounds and $1,000
GOO year for small parks. Unfortunately, II
viii take 500 100000 to buy enough land 10 pro-
vide the 100000 children now In the city with
room enough to play in.
Chicago has over seventy-thrce acres OF play
grounds, PHILADELPHIA 10 acres Brooklyn 40, and
Boston. the most intellectual city IN the coun-
try. has the largest area Of Fairgrounds. nearly
two hundred acres In each OF the new play
| grounds Of New York, which were opened In
seven Of tho smaller parks I'm 1903, there We're
gyInnastic and kindergarten instructors in
charge These are for children under fifteen
Chicago has five or six such Fairgrounds and
ten more were 70 be opened In 1903 The new
municipal playground In Seward Park In New
York. Is probably the best In the world II cost
the city $2500.OO0 There from two 70 three
thousand children playing there most Of the
| time when the schools not IN session. and at
| 7 r m from six thousand to seven thousand are
there practically every day. philanthropist
| has offered 20 spend $4.000000 IN laying out and
eouipping playground, a bathing pavilion ana
! q beach on Staten Island ana providing a steam
! boat 70 take a large number, probably q thou
sand poor children from New York 70 the '@ach
and back every day. So long ago as 1902 there
we're ten roof gardens provided in New York
| Citv at each Of which tho average daily attend
! ance was 1000. There were besides twenty play
| certres and seven recreation piers. swimming
! baths were also provided and fifty swimming
| teachers In Glasgow the first municipal
! rIaveror1nds and be Il observed IN passing ulIs
was one Of the first cities in the word 70 ADOPT
municipal ownership Of public uthueS---l'I'
| Richard c. Newton IN the Popular Science
| Monthly
WHAT BRITAIN SPENDS FOR DRINK
| There are not quite forty-one million persons
| T., the Tinted Kingdom. but they annually spend
| for spirituous liquors sum equal 70 one ana
| taIr times the national revenue, or 10 all tho
| rents Of all the homes and farms In the coui-
! -, Tho rubllc house the English name for the
saloon with its barmaid, is as much a national
! institution as the Houses of Parliament. Ihere
! T.. ono nublic house 10 every three hundred IN
| babitapts in England and Wales; in Scotland
| one to every SEQ persons; IN Ireland one 10
| every 271. , -,
| whereas in the days OF our forefathers, the
| ,,oret drinking was among the nobility and gen
| trv. to-day the poor and working classes are py
| far the most Incorporate. The fact that uIlhk
| is habtual among the women OI II4ls Si'N@A0
| as well as the men IS the most serious teaIuIe'
| for when women do go to the dogs the very
| ntteruost depths of degradation arc usually
| reached before the end comes.
| A. meal times throughout the United King
| dom a procession of women with pitchers, buck
| cts or cans may be seen going 70 some one or
| the many public houses, never more than a
| s+one,s throw from their homes. and often not
| so far AS a rule. the omnibus, the faVorlte
| british mode Of local transportation, has stop
| in frOu of houses
| ontside seat on the bus top, especially in Lon
| don and other cities, full view may be had or
| the interior of the public house, crowded always,
! and on Saturday nights Jammed TO the point or
| euffocation Old women, young women, girls
| are there mothers with infants in arms ana
| not uncommony with other children tugslng at
| their skirts-little ones whose fretful cries are
| stilled by sips from mothers glass of gin.
! WorkingInen drink just as much as working
| women. A manufacturer. an employer OF hun
| dreds of men, asked If English manufact-
| urers ever made any restrictions about drink
ing when taking on men. His reply was.