The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-10
.Withdraws Support From
Fairgrounds If They
Are Barred.
DIFFERENT HOURS
CAN BE ARRANGED
Mrs. Mussey, Who Sympathizes
With Excluded Youngsters, EX-
plains Reasons For Rule.

IF the Washington Fairgrounds As
ISOLATION will not arrange schedules
whereby boys both above and below
the age of thirteen can have the bene-
fit of the Fairgrounds, 1 shall advo-
cate and fight for the withdrawal f
all school support from the associations
work"
President JaGles F, oyster. OF the
Board of Educa ion, thus emphatically
expressed himself today, WHEN inform
ed that after lengthy discussion yes
terday afternoon. the directors of the
Fairgrounds Association had upheld
the decision of Chairman Curtis not 10
aG-r.- boys over thirteen to the school
Fairgrounds. These boys have been
told 10 go 10 the municipal Fairgrounds
only.
Protest From Older Boys.
At the regular meeting Of the Board
of Education Wednesday, a protest,
sig ed Boys Of the Public Schools
over Thirteen was read, insisting that
boys Of all ages had contributed to the
Fairgrounds funds and II was unfair
20 discriminate in this manner. Cap
tain Oyster asked that Mrs. Ellen
Spencer Mussey, a member of the
board, bring the matter to the atten-
ton of the Fairgrounds Association
yesterday. This she did.
You may quote me as saying that 1
do not approve and will not tolerate, II
I can prevent, such exclusion Of the
school children from our Fairgrounds, %
continued President Oyster. 4 do not
believe that the board will approve OF
such methods.
Admitting that the school play
grounds are small, there is no reason
that different hours cannot be arranged
for the smaller children and the larger
children, the contention of the assocla-
ton 10 the contrary Notwithstanding.
When those hours arrive, il viii be
easy TO have the grounds cleared for
the partic Ilar class entitled to them.
All Contributed To Fund.
The Fairgrounds belong to the small
as well as the large children. a boy
hardly knows how to play until he is
thirteen. The thirteen-year-olds and
over contributed TO the movement and
the school authorities do not approve OF
discrimination under such circum-
stances.
IF this is to continue. I shall certain
~ use MY tlLOIL5 10 WlLuuOlu IN the
future the school system cooperation
with the association so far as permit
ting the association TO control the school
Fairgrounds is concerned. You may
make that plain, for there must be fair
play"
Mrs. Ellen Spencer AIussey, who pre-
scented the letter sent by the Board Of
Education, to the Fairgrounds ASsoCia-
ton yesterday, said this morning that
the directors had threshed out the mat
ter very thoroughly and had denied the
petition of the Jhirteen-year-Olds
Mrs. Mussey With Boys.
'AlthougI. I was the only woman
member present at the association
meeting, 1 am for the boys first ana
last, and appreciate their position" she
said However. DR.. Curtis explained
that the PLAZA was impracticabIe: that
the boys above the age of thirteen play
ed too roughly for the smaller children;
that the prOmisCuOUs mingling Of all
ages and sexes above this age was not
advisable, and that the plan OF having
different hours set apart had proved a
failure.
Under the latter plan. he explained.
one crowd would wait for the advent OF
the other and separation was impoS-
Sible. Therefore, Gt was decided that
exclusion cs those over thirteen was the
only way out OF the difficulty, and the
board 50 held"