Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-09
Friends of ChiIdren's Play
grounds Listen to Addresses.
THREE HUNDRED PRESENT
Ambassador Bryce and Judge Ben
Lindsey Among the Speakers.
DINNER GIVEN AT RAUsCHER's
Visitors Present From New York,
Baltimore and other Cities.
List Of Guests.

Friends of the public Fairgrounds move
ment, workers in the cause and their
| friends joined last night, at the second
annual banquet of the Washington Play
grounds Association. in enthusiastic trib-
ute to the value of open-air recreation
| for the youth Of the cities. The dinner
was given at Rauschers. covers being
| laid for about 800 persons. Many guests
| were present from New York, Baltimore
| and other cities. Afford w. Cooley acted
| as POSTMASTER and the speakers includ-
| ed James Bryce. the British amba ssador;
Judge Ben b. Lindsey of the juvenile
court of Denver, Col; Commissioner II.
B. F. Macfarland and Maj. Richard Syl-
vester. superintendent Of the metropolitan
police department. Miss Alys Bentley,
supervisor of music of the Washington
public schools, sang a number of chill
dren'S songs.
Committees in Charge.
The committees which carried the af-
fair to a successful conclusion were as
follows:
Banquet committee-Mrs. Wallace Rad
cliffe. chairman; Mrs. Afford w. Cooley,
Mrs. Richard Davenport. Mrs. Truman
Newberry. Mrs Robert s. Oliver. Mrs.
Henry T. Rainey, Mrs. Wendell z. Stat
>. ..
w. Woodward, Mrs. Thomas Nelson
Page
Arrangement committee-Cuno H. Ru-
dolph. chairman, president Of the Wash
ington Playground Association: William
H. Baldwin. Miss Elizabeth Brown, DIR.
Elmer Ellsworth Brown, Afford W. Coo
ley. Dr. Merrill E. Gates, Mrs. Justina r.
Hill, Mrs. William II. Hoeke. Mrs. Grace
Porter Hopkins. Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mus
sey. DR.. Charles P. Neill, Mrs. Arthur
T. Ramsey, Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter. G.
a. Weber, Charles F. Weller, Miss Edith
c. Westcott. James E. West. DIR. Henry
s. Curtis, supervisor of Fairgrounds.
Mr.. Macfarland's Review.
Briefly reviewing the history Of the
playground movement in Washington,
Commissioner II. B. f. Mcfarland, who
was the next speaker. gave voice to a
most optimistic prediction for the future.
I'VE Of Washington know that we must
have a perfect playground SYSTEM he
said. "Other cities led the way by their
successful experiments, so that we have
good warrant for our playground move
ment. The only possible objection lay
against its name, for 1t ought to have
been called the outdoor school instead of
the playground. Playground is a mis-
homer to many people. like the congress
man who suggested that we send up toy
balloons from the White House park
children instead of having such expensive
Fairgrounds. AT first, as in other civic
undertakings here. private citizens bore
the whole burden.
Not until the usefulness of the play
grounds had been shown by actual ex-
pertinent. by the time and money Of our
own citizens, did Congress take them up
as part of the municipal program. The
Commissioners, who had been cO-operat-
ing with their fellow-citizens. represented
strongly to Congress the desirability of
adding Fairgrounds to the municipal
budget.
side what has been done elsewhere, but
our plan is relatively large and our pur-
pose thoroughly determined. We have
been very fortunate in having as our
municipal director of Fairgrounds the sec
rotary of the Playground Association of
America, DR.. Henry S. Curtis, recognized
everywhere as an expert authority and
known here for his conscientious and in
telligent devotion to duty. We feel that
the prospect OF the playground movement
in Washington is bright with promise.
and that we are slowly but steadily APP
preaching the ideal Of our hope"
Address by Ambassador Bryce.
THE City Child was the subject of
an address by Ambassador James Bryce
THE provision of Fairgrounds for chill
dren and open spaces in cities for all in
habitants has received so much attention
In England during the last thirty years
that I cannot refuse to come and tell
you how warmly We sympathize with
your efforts on the behalf of the young
folks in American Cities" he said. we
all know that the more open air and
the more exercise In the open air the
better for all of US, so far as health goes.
But 1t is not only health we have to think
Of. The childs mind and character. the
child's tastes and habits are all affected,
far more than those of grown-up people.
h1, the condifions that sllrround IL