The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-17

~ HE best governed cities in the
United States are amonog those
that have given most attention
to the subject of Fairgrounds. The
| cities noted for their political corrup-
| ton are among those where the city
playground is neglected or at best is
but feebly handled by the politicians
in control.
| The municipal playground is, or
should be, the high school of the tene-
ments. Most of h young people of
the tenement toilers are compelled to
leave school when they arrive at the
age when the law allows them to go
into the shops and factories and begin
their lifelong task of earning a living.
The advantages of the grammar and
high schools are denied the children of
the poor. Those educational %luxuries
which add so much to the taxpayers
burdens are reserved for the children
of the rich and the well-to-do. The
little toilers of the tenements must go
forth into life as meagerly equipped
with education as they often are with
clothing and food.
We spend thousands and hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually for the
education of the children of the fav-
ored ones and as much more for the
criminal prosecutions and maintenance
of penal and reform institutions for the
children of the poor.
Driven to Crime.
The Youngsters of the tenements are
driven to crime, ara lured into vice,
and in later years become charges Upon
the public. simply because our benefit
cent government, which ooks SO ten
derby after the welfare of the children
of the well-to-do, neglects the little
mes of the poor.
Our city, county and State officials
feel that they have done their full duty
when they have provided for the chill
dren of the big taxpayers and when
they have supplied money for the
prosecution of the children of the un-
fortunate poor who happen to run con-
trary to the law.
Until a recent late it had never APP
parently entered the minds of official
dem that the State owed any other
duty to the children of the poor other
thai giving them penal and refoyma-
tory IT. situations. 1t has only fbeen
brought out prominently of late hat
the population of our prisons, jails,
reformatories, etc, would be consider
ably less, with a corresponding de-
crease in the cost of maintenance, If
more attention was paid to the duty
we owe the children of the poor after
we turn them loose educationally half
baked.
Conditions Changed.
The adult of today of middle age
does not always stop to think that the
street conditions have changed con-
siderably since they We're youngsters.
The middle-aged Newarker when he
was a youngster had innumerable va
cant lots and alluring fields to play
in. The children of today have only
the streets with their congestion and
traffic dangers.
The municipal playground will go
further toward relieving evil condi-
tions, will do more toward advancing
and uplifting our young people han n
other means at our command. The re-
suits of twenty years Fairgrounds and
kindred work in Boston, Chicago and
New York has shown that the properly
conducted Fairgrounds are a big saw
ing to the city financially and morally.
They reduce the number of arrests in
the localities where they are situated,
and decreased arrests mean decreased