Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-15
PLAYGROUNDAT NIGHT
Planned for Boy and Girl Day
Workers.
WILL GIVE ALL A CHANCE
Suggestion Made to Light Up Two
Fields Next Year.
MORE MONEY MUST BE HAD
Needs Of the Association Set Forth
in Annual Report-Purchase
of New Grounds.
MORE MONEY MUST BE HAD

Night Fairgrounds for boys and girls
who must work during the daylight hours
are suggested as a new feature OF the
playground system Of the District in a
report of the Washington Fairgrounds
! Association. just made public. 1t also
| sets forth the handicaps Of the past sum-
mer on account of a lack Of adequate
appropriations from Congress. and urges
the need of liberal provisions by the
Senate and House next winter for the
purchase Of playground sites. the estab-
lishment of fieldhouses at the Rosedale
playground and bathing beach and other
improvements which will make the pres
ent Fairgrounds permanent features Of
the District.
Regarding the establishment Of night
Fairgrounds the report says:
IF it should be possible to light ade-
quately the Rosedale ground and the
| Virginia avenue ground these grounds
may we'll be opened at night next year. and
SO beginning be made with the evening
Fairgrounds which serve the need or the
working boy and girl so much better than
| the day playground can do
Other features of the report are:
THE work OF the past summer was
made peculiarly difficult at its beginning
by the uncertainty Of an appropriation
| from Congress during the spring and the
maintenance by other means at the last
moment. This uncertainty as to funds
| also prevented the appointing OF teachers
until the week before the Fairgrounds
opened. and as a result many of the best
| of those who had applied. had made
| other arrangements.
Largely Increased Attendance.
1 vi, %L>
Ross. Ketcham. Edmonds and Giddings
| were opened. thus making thirty-one
Fairgrounds in all. Of which eighteen
were school Fairgrounds and thirteen were
municipal Fairgrounds. The attendance
increa sed from 29O.OOO during ten weeks
Of the summer of 1907 to 421 4s5 during
| ten weeks of the summer Of 1908. an in
crease Of 4S per cent and making daily
| attendance during the fifty-eight days in
| which the Fairgrounds were open OF 7.439
children. OF this attendance 223,2 )7 were
| at the municipal Fairgrounds and 190.01S
| at the school Fairgrounds. Seventy-seven
teachers. nineteen janitors and five watch
men were employed.
I'm athletics the participation has been
more general than 1t has ever been be-
fore. There were at least 1000 children In
more or less regular training. At the
alone September 1. to which only those
| were eligible who had made 2 points at
| the preliminary contests. there were 400
| entries. Four hundred and fifty children.
as opposed to 36S in the summer Of 1907.
passed the standard test Of the Public
School Athletic League of New York and
received the standard button. Nearly all
the records of 1907 were broken. all OF
which things seem to indicate that the
standard Of physical efficiency Of the chill
dren is being steadily raised from year to
'The industrial work also. under the
supervision Of Mrs. w. X. Malcolm. has
shown decided improvement over previous
years.
Better Salaries for Teachers.
1.-THE Fairgrounds of Washington are
not prepossessing to look upon. they are
devoid of landscape gardening. are
| largely bare and unattractive in ap-
pearance The equipment Is Of a much
cheaper and less durable variety than
| il found in the Fairgrounds of most
cities. but it must be remembered
that the success of playground Is not
dependent finally upon landscape gar
dening or equipment, but the most es-
sential factor is the director himself.
In this we have been very much hand
| we have thus far been able to pay. Our
teachers here are paid $50 per month.
as opposed to $50 and SO in Baltimore
and Pittsburg. and $40 to 500 in Phila-
Qelpnld anu new
with the appropriation OF $1,000 for
the improvement Of Rosedale begin
ming has been made In the identifying
/ of the playground system. If the field
house and swimming pool are granted
for this ground it will make us one
| center. which will be comparable.
though smaller with the recreation
centers of Chicago. If the appropria-
| ton asked for the improvement OF the
bathing beach is granted this would
also make a model center. With the
new pools supplied with city water the
| bathing facilities will be adequate. and
! if the ponds are filled in. which is now
taking place. and properly equipped
The fisheries building. which stands
near the speedway. may very likely be
| secured as recreation center. and this
will make another recreation field COM
parable to the newest ones In other
| cities
| 1T has been impossible this year. to
| erect any sort of a shelter over swings
or buildings for the storage OF supplies
| on any of the reservations used as play
grounds. With an adequate appropria-
| ton for maintenance 1t should be possible
| 10 provide storage and toilet facilities and
| protection over the apparatus at all OF
| these Fairgrounds.
Plea for Additional Grounds.
"In order to make the progress which
our pas record warrants it is absolutely
necessary for us to secure the estimates
approved by the Commissioners this year
| The sites in the northeast and northwest
which we are asking for purchase are the
only squares that are left large enough
| for Fairgrounds in these sections Of the
city. They are offered at a reasona BILE
price. and if lost can only be replaced by
demolishing blocks OF buildings. 1t will
never be cheaper than 1t is now and any
delay will only make increased expend-
itures. The square in the northeast is
greatly needed as a place for the larger
| boys in order to draw them away from
the school Fairgrounds and give oppor-
tunity for athletics at the surrounding