Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-31
HOPES SENATE WILL
GRANT ITS REQUEST
PLAYGROUND ASSOCIATION
HAS MANY PLANS
If Money Is Allowed for Project Large
Sum Will Be Expended for
Sites In Country's
Capital

NEW YORK, May 3o.-Believing the
great play movement which Ii sweeping
through this country will be materially
strengthened II one city can be equipped
with an adequate system Of public play
grounds, from which other cities may copy,
the Playground Association Of America has
been working to arouse sufficient public
sentiment to induce the senate to grant the
| s311 900 for Fairgrounds In the District OF
Columbia which the commissioners OF tna'
district have asked. If this appropriation
| is made, s1s6,0O0 of it will be devoted i'm
| mediately to the purchase Of new sites fol
| aygrounds in Washington, fifteen OF whicf
| have already been selected.
Although the appropriation mas peeh re-
fused by the house of representatives the
officials of the Playground Association OF
America are hopeful that the senate can
be Influenced to act favorably upon It, with
this end in view, they have sent out from
the national headquarters, Fifty-ninth street
and Madison avenue. personal letter TO
each of the senators and representatives.
and also hundreds Of letters to the Leading
citizens of all states, requesting them' nrst,
10 write Immediately to their senators and
urge the granting of the playground appro-
pration, and. second to secure faVoraple
action upon the proposition from all soclai
and civic bodies with which they are con-
nected and forward such Endorsements at
once to their senator's.
The argument which the Playground as
sociation is advancing in this national CAM
paign is that the action of the highest law
making body In the land is sure TO nave an
important influence on that OF every law
making body. Its action will either help or
hinder other citeis in their campaigns for
Fairgrounds Moreover. as Washington is
governed by the representatives or otner To-
calities. the whole country is, to degree
responsible for the government of the dis
trict.
The establishment of the fifteen now
Fairgrounds in Washington which granting
of the appropriation would bring about VIII
complete only a part Of the washington Or
eanization's plans to make the national cap
ital the model playground city OF the world.
There are acres of reciaimable areas In the
district, consisting of ponds and shallow
streams or marshes, which can be filled In
and made available for playground use. 1t
is the purpose of the Washington play
ground officers to urge these improvements
not only for the benefit Of their own city.
hut to show the people Of every city in the
country especially those of congested
cities how to make play sites when ordi-
nary property is unavailable.
One of the reclaimable areas In Washin-
ton is situated on the Anacostia river be-
tween the sewage aqueduct and the Ana
costa bridge. 1t contains more than 100
acres, and is to be filled in by. the dredging
of the river next year If the riparian rlgn1s
can be secured. This improvement would
give splendid site for riverside park and
playground, with a bathing beach opposite
the navy yard
viii Reclaim Property
The officials of the Washington organiza-
tion are very desirous that this Anacostia
river property be reclaimed and improVed'
as they believe 1t would anord an excel
lent object lesson to the entire country.
DR. Henry S. Curtis, secretary of the ma
tional association and supervisor of Wash
ington Fairgrounds has personally outlined
the campaign in the District or Coiumpia'
He declares that there is hardly city In
the country that does not contain some
ponds and marshes. now breeding places Tor
mosquitoes and malaria. which might be-
come breathing places for the chiidren II
nroperly filled in. He asserts further that
there is no city of any considerable size
without abandoned cemeteries which could
be used for playground sites, instead OF
being permitted to remain pronabie
menace to both public health and public
morals In a recent interview on the sub
iect Dr. Luther Halsey Gulfck, president OF
the national association, said:
"Every person in the land who Is desir-
Gus of protecting the future citizens Of the
republic should make it his or her business
to aid the Playground association In Its hight
for adequate play facilities. The funda-
mental condition Tor the permanent oevei,
onment of a free people is that they shall
in childhood learn to govern themselves.
Self government Is to be learned as an ex-
nerience rather than taught as theory.
Hence in a permanent ueHocracy auequato
spiaygrounds for all the children are
necessity.
.Tf one city such as Washington can be
made a model so far as its system of play
grounds is concerned, half our battle will
be won, as playground advocates Of other
cities will then have something definite to
pattorn from and argue for Therefore
hope that every citizen in the land who
can bring any influence whatever to bear
upon the senate to grant the Washington
appropriation will do so. for the appropria-
tion which is wanted there will practically
assure the establishment Of the great model
playground system for which all advocates
Of Fairgrounds are working.