The Washington herald., 1908-02-16
MILLION A MONTH FOR PLAY

On New Years Eve. in New York City,
they say that $jO0.00O was poured into the
tills of the restaurant keepers and wine
merchants of Bro8dway-S50O, 600 for play,
without the least return to the players
except perhaps in New Years resolu-
tions in the morning. During November
1907, more than S1,00O000 was spent in
the United States for mighty different
kind of play. the kind that means health
and training and discipline to hundreds
of thousands of boys and girls. This ex-
penditure Of Sl,O00,0O for playground
sites for children is a new bill for the
United States. There was a time. and not
SO long ago. either when only a favored
few could go 70 school. Now the chance
is open to all and whether the child
wishes IL or not, TO school he goes. Coun-
try schools and city schools are crowd
ed. and the cry Of "A seat for every
child" is a national cry, says Charities
and the Commons
And now We are going still further and
saying that not only must every child 90
to school, but every child must have a
chance to play as we'll Yes, chance to
play-not as we see play in the streets
and alleys. but in Fairgrounds fitted up
with proper apparatus and supervised by
trained instructors.
The Playground Association of America
has had a large part in pOpularizing the
playground idea. It was organized in
Washington a little more than a year
ago with President Roosevelt as honorary
president and DR.. Luther II. Gulick as
acting president, and has established
headquarters at 624 Madison avenue, New
York City, where it is mapping out an
active campaign for 1903. Those at the
head of the work believe that there is to
be big growth in Fairgrounds among
the smaller cities of America in the next
few years The cities realize that play
is not the need OF poor children alone,
but of all children, and that the failure
to provide play opportunities for them
leaves them exposed to many moral dan
gers. and is the cost of neglect in the
end that it is cheaper to equip play
grounds than it is to build prisons, and
pay doctors bills. and that the product
of the second method is not at all COM
parable with the product of the first.
Lee Z. Hammer, formerly secretary for
the Public Schools Athletic League of
New York has been engaged as field sec
retaTy to promote athletic games and folk
dancing at Fairgrounds throughout the
country. He is now collecting informa-
ton with reference to all cities Of 10000
or more, preparatory 70 making extended
tours to stimulate playground develop
ment in various parts Of the country.
The Playground Association of America
viii try to have every city in the cOun-
try draw a playground plan. which will
provide a municipal playground within
half a mile of every child. AS the basis
of this plan Ii will try to induce every
city TO make an inventory of all possible
sites-parks and other public grounds.
abandoned cemeteries, marshes. or ponds
that might be filed in, or vacant spaces
that might be purchased for this object.
A preliminary vacant lot study has al
ready been made in Washington with sur
pTisingly important results.
Where the real practical work of the
Playground Association comes in is in
the advice furnished TO cities and assOcia-
tions desiring 10 establish Fairgrounds.
The association is working through con-
ference of supervisors from various cities
to agree upon a model standard equip
ment for home playground, for school
playground. and for q municipal play
ground They viii furnish drawings and
specifications to any city desiringi them.
and ii is hoped that arrangements may
be made with steel companies TO furnish