The Washington herald., 1908-04-08


Public Fairgrounds by private con-
tributions.
The combination of words is rather
startling, yet this was the keynote TO
all Of the speeches which were made in
the House Saturday afternoon, for it was
noticeable there was no criticism of the /
management of the Fairgrounds, ard no i
criticism of the Fairgrounds as play /
grounds, and there was no expression 1
that Fairgrounds were not good thing
TO maintain, but the whole argument was h
that they should be maintained by pri-
vate contributions rather than by public /
money
This is a very familiar matter in prae
tice. as the Fairgrounds of washington
have largely been maintained by private /
contributions from the beginning. and /
this was the ease in most American cities I
until five or six years ago. but wherever
it has been done heretofore it has always /
been through necessity, and the fact has /
always been lamented and it has not /
been brought forward as the proper /
theory for the support of public utilities.
Only Argument Against 1t.
The only argument of any kind which |
was advanced against Fairgrounds was
that we are encouraging our children TO !
devote too much time TO play. We be-
lieve that a disposition and ability to
work is very valuable for children, and |
We would not willingly advocate anything |
which would lessen that ability or de-
sire. but the child labor laws throughout
the country are now forbidding the child
20 enter any regular employment during
the years in which they use the play
gorunds, and there is no work for the
modern city boy In the home.
It was proposed that no money should
be given for the maintenance Of play
grounds, and then see what the Play
ground Association can do, 1t would GER
tainly be quite as proper that no money
be given 10 the board Of education and
see what they could do In the way of
maintaining schools or 10 give no money
TO the police department and see what
they could DO in the way Of maintaining
order. or to the fire department and see
what they could do in the way Of prevent
ing fires.
Should support Others.
The answer to the question is quite
simple. They can do nothing However.
If we come to a question of maintaining
one department or another by private
| contributions it would seem as though
Il might better be such as the FIRE de-
partment or the police department whose
need appeals both TO the pockets and the
intelligence Of the people. and where the
raising OF the money would be easier
where it is for department which is yet
new and where people who contribute are
net the ones who receive the benefit di-
rectly, and the advantage derived is only
/ partially realized.
/ II was implied by one Of the gentlemen
on the floor that the Washington Play
grounds Association was promoting this
movement in order that they might be
/ benefited by receiving the positions Of
! supervisors Of Fairgrounds. but it is
! scarcely to be imagined that members OF
/ the Fairgrounds Association would be
| willing TO accept positions at the mag
nihcent sum of $40 per month. fits average
/ salary, during the hottest months Of the
year
! The people OF washington have done
more during the past year toward the
maintenance of its public Fairgrounds
/ than any other city I'm America. The city
/ Of New York, which has received in aD-
propriations about $4,000 for the main
! tenance Of Fairgrounds during the past
year. has apparently raised only about
/ S5,000 from private sources for the promo
! tion Of the work.
Other Cities Raise Little.
Philadelphia and Boston. so far as any
printed records go do not seem 10 have
raised any money for this purpose. Pitts
burg, which received last year S45,oOo in
appropriations for maintenance raised
about 5000 by private contributions Bal
timore raised about 5000 in private con-
tributions. There is no record showing that
Philadelphia has during the past year
raised any money by private contribu-
tiOns to supplement that furnished by
city appropriations.
Washington. on the other hand. has
raised $500 by personal efforts, and If It
Is the purpose of the appropriations cem-
mittee. as was implied I'm several OF the
addresses, to encourage city pride and ac-
tivity, a very large appropriation should
be given for Fairgrounds as it is the one
department Of the city government which
has been largely maintained through
direct contributions Of the people.
Not "A Question of Aims.
II was stated on the floor that we
should let the people see what they can
lido, before they propose 10 slack their
hands and let the government do it all.
A number of the utteTances seem to be
spoken from the point of view that Wash
ington is an outside city paying no part
of the money which it is asking to have
appropriated. and receiving from q be-
nevolent wealth its mead Of aims for
which II has not been duly grateful They
seem TO forget that the people of Wash
ington own only 4S per cent Of the prop
erty OF the District of Columbia and pay
50 per cent of the taxes; that they have
already expressed, through their repre-
sentatives, the Commissioners, their de-
sire to expend this money for this pur-
pose; that they are not asking from the
United States government gift, but for
it to bear it's share with the people Of
the District In the great enterprise for
the benefit of the people. The people Of
the District have absolutely no other pub
lie way Of receiving money TO meet their
needs except through the action of Con-
gress
/ BY the appropriations which have thus
far been made for the maintenance Of
Fairgrounds. by the money which has
been set aside for the purchase of sites
by the official appointment OF the en-
ployes by the Commissioners, the play
grounds have been recognized as q pub
lie department of the city government.
Can Only Cripple Work.
For a public department to be sup
ported in this way by private charity can
mean only the crippling OF the legitimate
charities of the District. and they have
| already found the caring for The ,,a.d,,
and unemployed. and those who are suf-
feTing from the financial depression in
one way or another, to be a heavy burden
for them To hear