The Washington herald., 1908-06-21
WANT MORE FAIRGROUNDS
Promoter of Movement Finds In
terest Aroused Everywhere.
Local fractional Spirit About the
Only Hindrance to Full RenIiza-
ton of Practical Plans.

New York, June 20 That the great ma
tional playground boom planned by the
Playground Association Of America is
well under way is being shown daily by
the reports which Lee r Hammer field
secretary Of the association, Is forward
ing 10 the associations headquarters, 62i
Madison avenue. Mr.. Hammer. who might
well be called a play drummer. has Wis
tied sixty-two cities between the At
lantic and Pacific coasts during the last
two months. and in each ne has found his
wares 10 be in great demand.
Almost every town and city 1 have
been IN wants playgrounds.' he wrote in
one Of his recent reports. only a few
Of the people I have encountered have
| failed 10 be enthusiastic on the subject.
The demand for adequate play facilities
/ for children IS being recognized every
| where. and the right Of the children 10
| have public Fairgrounds is spurrng hun
/ dreds OF persons and organizations 20
action. This is especially true among
/ the womens clubs and the Young Mems
/ Christian Associations.
/ up TO date I have not visited town
or city in which both these types Of or
ganizations have not volunteered 20 do all
| in their power 20 stimulate the play
ground movement in their localities. II
| they keep TO their promises there will
soon be great chain OF public play
grounds for children extending from
/ New York To san Francisco and from
New Orleans % Seattle
The only apparent obstacle to establish
/ ing Fairgrounds in every town and city
| in the country. according TO Mr.. Han
mers reports. is the facuonal difficulties
which may arise IN some places. An in
/ stance of this character arose in a West
| ern city. where an anti-saloOn campaign
/ was recently waged. The refOTmerS
/ there so embtteTed the brewers and
liquor dealers in this anu-saloon cam
paiEn that when an attempt was made
later to start a playground campaign the
antl-prohibiuOnists opposed il, solely on
the principle apparently. that they would
oppose anything which the reform ele-
| ment supported.
In some of the small Western towns
the playground movement has been op-
posed BY educators of the old fogy type.
who frOwn upon everything except read
in. ritin', and 'rithmetic." Such persons.
however. are becoming exceedingly rare.
and their opposition. according TO Mr..
Hammer will in no way impede the great
national play movement. Among the
cities which he has already visited and
started active campaigns in are Clinton.
Iowa; Peoria, m Terre Haute, Ind.
Omaha. Sioux City. Iowa; Duluth MINI.
Kansas City, Mo; Dubuque, Iowa; Elgin,
III. Portland. Greg and Spokane and
Seattle, Wash
St. Louis and Chicago Chicago are al
ready supplied with a splendid system Of
Fairgrounds. which is being improved an
nually. In st. Louis which Mr. Han
mer visited on May ,. a block OF tene-
ment houses in a congested section has
been obtained and will soon be cleared
for a great public playground. The pub
lie baths and wading pools which have
been established there are also 10 be i'm
creased I'm number, and a public school
athletic league. modelled along the line
OF the one IN New York Is soon 20 be
organized.
So popular has the playground move
ment become in Missouri that the whole
State will soon be adequately supplied
with Fairgrounds and play facilities Mr.
Hammer reports that Prof c. w. Heth-
: erington. of the University Of Missouri
B. is planning a great State extension move
J ment, which aims 10 it every town anC
city in the State with Fairgrounds A
: normal course for the preparation OF
, playground supervisors and teachers is
also planned.
In Kansas City the playground boom