The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-10
WithdrawS Support From
Fairgrounds If They
Are Barred.
DIFFERENT HOURS
CAN BE ARRANGED
Mrs. Mussey, Who Sympathizes
With Excluded Youngsters, Ex-
plains Reasons For Rule.

of the Washington Fairgrounds As
ISOLATION will not arrange schedules
whereby boys both above and below
7 the age of thirteen can have the bene-
fit Of the Fairgrounds, 1 shall advo-
cate and fight for the withdrawal of
! all school support from the associations
work.
I President James F. oyster. OF the
Board of Education, thus emphatically
/ expressed himself today, when inform
ed that after lengthy discussion yes
te7dsy afternoon, the directors Of the
Fairgrounds Association had upheld
the decision of Chairman Curtis not TO
admit boys over thirteen to the school
Fairgrounds. These boys have been
told 10 go TO the municipal Fairgrounds
only.
Protest From Older Boys.
At the regular meeting OF the Board
of Education Wednesday, a protest.
{ signed Boys Of the Public Schools
; over Thirteen, was read. insisting that
boys Of all ages had contributed 20 the
. Fairgrounds funds and It was unfair
to discriminate in this manner. Cap
tain Oyster asked that Mrs Ellen
=
board, bring the matter 10 the atten-
ton Of the Fairgrounds Association
yesterday This she did.
You may quote me as saying that
DO not approve and Will not tolerate. II
I can prevent. such exclusion Of the
school children from our Fairgrounds.
continued President oyster Il do NOS
believe that the board Will approve Of
such methods
Admitting that the school play
grounds are small. there IS no reason
that different hours cannot be arranged
FOR the smaller children and the larger
children. the contention OF the assOcla-
ton 20 the contrary notwithstandlng,
When those hours arrive, % VIII be
easy TO have the grounds cleared Tor
the particular class entitled 20 them
All Contributed To Fund
The Fairgrounds belong 20 the small
as well as the large children a boy
hardly knows how 10 play until he is
thirteen The thirteen-year-olds and
over contributed 10 the movement and
the school authorities do not approve Of
discrimination under such circUm-
stances.
If this is 90 continue. shall certain
" use my efforts 10 withhold IN the
future the school systems cooperation
with the association so far as permit
ting the association 10 control the school
Fairgrounds is concerned. You may
make that plain, for there must be far
play"
Mrs Ellen Spencer Mussey. who pre-
senJed the letter sent by the Board Of
Education, 70 the Fairgrounds Associa-
ton yesterday, said this morning that
the directors had threshed out the mat
ter very thoroughly and had denied the
petition OF the thirteen-year-OIds.
Mrs MuSsey With Bows.
Although l was the only woman
member present at the associations
meeting. 1 am for the boys first ana
last. and appreciate their position" she
said However. DR.. Curtis explained
that the plan was impraCtiCabIe: that
the boys above the age of thirteen play
ed too roughly for the smaller children;
that the promiscuous mingling of all
ages and sexes above this age was not
advisable, and that the plan OF having
different hours set apart had proved
failure.
"U'der the latter plan. he explained.
one crowd would wait for the advent OF
the other and separation was iIupOs-
Sib 2. Therefore, il was decided mat
exclusion OF those over thirteen was The
only way out OF the difficulty, and the
board so held"