The Washington herald., 1908-02-09
SPEAK FOR CHILDREN
Banquet by the Washington
Playground Association.
STIRRING ADDRESSES


and Judge BENJAMIN b. Lindsey,
of the Juvenile Court of Denver,
Colo, Chief Among the Orators.
Brilliant Assemblage in Hall.
4 brilliant assemblage of Washington
men and women gathered about the ban
quet tables at Rauscher's last evening. In
attendance upon the second annual dinner
of the Washington Playground Associa-
tion.
Stirring addresses by the British Am
bassador and Judge Benjamin b, Lind
sey, Of the Juvenile Court of Denver,
Colo. the father Of the Juvenile court
movement, made the occasion d notable
one In the history Of playground agita-
tion.
The banquet hail was deliberately deco
rated, Palms. evergreens. and flowers
adorned the tables. and the red, white.
and blue streamed from the walls and
dO0rWays.
Decorated with "a Flag.
The speakers table had as "A back
ground a huge American flag. The menu
cards We're particularly attractive. bear
ing on the cover an embossed picture in
color Of children at play, underneath
which was inscribed: "The child without
a playground is the father Of man
without "a job.
Assistant Attorney General Afford ".
Cooley presided. Hon. James Bryce. the
British Ambassador. was the first speaker.
He spoke to the topic THE city child 8"
The speaker told Of the work done for the
city children Of England. and made a
strong plea for the extension OF the play
ground system IN Washington. His re-
marks We're frequently interrupted by ap-
plause.
Address by Mr.. Bryce.
Ambassador Bryce said:
The provision of Fairgrounds for chill
dren. and open spaces in cities for all
inhabitants. has received so much at
tention in England during the last thirty
years that / cannot refuse to come and
tell you how warmly we sympathize with
your efforts on behalf Of the young
folks in American cities We all know
that the more open air and the more ex-
ercise Ia the open air, the better for all OF
us. so FAR as health goes. But il IS not
only health we have % think of. The
childs mind and character, the chlld's
tastes and habits are ali affected, far
more than those Of gTown-up people, by
the conditions that surround IT,
"Of an The changes which the last sev-
enty or eighty years have brought with
them. that which has most told upon daily
life and habits is the aggregation in cities
of an ever-increasing proportion OF the
people. The process is apparently ire
sistible and since we cannot correct it.
we must try 70 investigate its effects.
"In olden days the child grew up amid
the sights and sounds OF nature Il
gamb0led upon the green grass. 1t
climbed the trees. it waded IN clear,
ripping streams. il heard the songs Of
birds. Now. the city child is c0oped up in
a dense mass Of houses. II has its choice
between an overheated room indoors and
the street, perhaps crowded with
vehicles. It may run about the asphalt.
learning at least the aiertness needed 10
avoid being run over.
"Or. the little girls may sit on the door
steps and talk, and the little boys may
learn the rudiments Of gambling from
the older ones and form the habits Of
loahng, because the conditions don't per-
nit Of the games and sports which child
hood loves. Dust and noise and dirt.
without little chance Of healthy exercise
these are the alternatives out OF doors
to poring in a sitting room over some
tales. perhaps Of adventure. perhaps Of
crime.
Those Of you who remember your own
days Of childhood in the country know
what that meant to you. The sights and
sounds of nature, the changing seasons.
the winds. the sunsets, the trees. and
flowers, all spoke to US with a voice
clearer and stronger than they speak in
later life. because we we're ourselves
nearer 20 nature. the great neither. These
are. indeed days when there are grown
men, to whom. as Wordsworth saws, a
primrose by the rivers brim is a yellow
primrose and nothing more.
But to most of Us the love of nature
I ~ dS5btAGkt4 Win the NGAS With IOtAS
and trees were wonderful, and every
flower that grew had a charm Of its own,
and all the creatures seemed ready to
speak to as and 10 understand our curl
osity about them. as 1 have known chill
dren to repeat the conversations which
they fancied they had held with the birds
These were the things which filled and
stirred the imaginations of boys and girls
in old days. and kindled whatever sparks
of poetry law in their souls. To-day the
city child can't have these things. for
the short summer trip gives only a
glimpse of them. But al least we can try
to secure for it something better than
the street
THE child may have a little space
of green where It can play, with trees
which it can see first budding and
blooming in full leaf. and turning to
rich colors IN the fall. The birds come
to sing among the branches, and the
children may romp around them. and
run races or play games upon the grass.
Even within the dusty, noisy city. there
may be a little oasis enough to show that
nature is not wholly expunged from the
daily round of life. What we have ar
rived at in England is TO have within a
quarter of a mile from every house some
spot of at least half an acre where the
children may. play, or may sit IN quiet
II too young for games, under the charge
of an elder sister. We have in London
turned disused burial grounds to account
for this purpose. But half an acre is too
little
in q city like Washington. where
many plots of ground still remain unbuilt
upon. it should be possible to have larger
Fairgrounds and in some Of them 10 have
enough space for such games as baseball
On the outskirts of the city you have for
tunately reserved some beautiful parks.
and adjoining some of these there are
bits of woodland still left which I hope