The San Francisco call., 1908-07-19
CITIES Will TEACH
CHILDREN TO PLAY
Fairgrounds Association Se-
cures Support and Co-opera-
ton in l52 municipalities
California and Other Western
States Shown to Be in ADJ
vance of Those in East

NEW YORK, July 11.-More than $50
cities Of the United States have become
enthusiastic over the subject of public
Fairgrounds during the past year, and
viii appropriate millions of dollars for
Fairgrounds in the near future, accord
ing to Lee Z. Hammer, field representa-
tive of the Playground Association of
America.
Sixty-six cities are already conduct.
ing Fairgrounds and the correspond
ence filed at the headquarters of the
playground association shows that a
total Of 152 cities are considering the
matter now. This gives promise that
in short time at least 218 cities of
the United States will be operating
Fairgrounds.
Hammer has just returned from a
trip to the Pacific coast in the interest
of the playground movement, and he
declares that the enthusiasm which has
sprung up in the west and middle west
over the play project will do much to-
ward materializing the aim OF the play
ground association, which is TO stretch
great chains Of public Fairgrounds
from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast
and from the gulf of Mexico TO Canada.
''As the result of this enthusiasm"
he said, 1--WE expect to have far more
cities represented by accredited dele
gates at the play congress in New
York September s to IL than were in
attendance last year at the first con-
vention in Chicago. Already the may
ors of many cities have said, in answer
to Mayor McCIellan's letter, that they
will either come themselves or send Of
fetal representatives.
I'm almost every city I visited sew
eral persons interested in civic clubs
stated that they would be in New York
at the gathering Of play experts. I
think that there is absolutely no ques
tion that within the next few years
there will not be a city in this country
which has not made adequate provision
for Fairgrounds"
Hammer, who is sometimes called the
playground drummer" although he
has nothing to sell, visits various cities
at the request Of civic organizations
and aids them in organizing play
ground sentiment IN their localities.
These services are given without
charge, as Hammers expenses are met
by the national association, which even
goes so far as to furnish cities inter-
ested with working plans for play
grounds and with programs for organ
izing them and taking care of the chill
dren. 1t will also assist in finding effi-
cient playground supervisors for those
who need them.
ENCOURAGES EVERY CITY
All of this is done with the idea Of
encouraging every city in the United
States to provide adequate play facili-
ties for children, in the belief that the
child who does not have to play on the
streets has a better chance to grow up
into a healthy, law abiding citizen than
one whose sole recreation is playing
around street corners. in danger from
trolleys and automobiles and from the
corruption Of the street.
The playground idea certainly is
spreading" said Hammer. Without
exception every city I visited gave me
not merely a thoughtful hearing, but
entertained me most royalty. Civic or
ganizations commercial clubs, women's
organizations, boards Of trade, mayors
of cities, school officers, church organ
izations held meetings and luncheons
at which many of the leading citizens
were interested listeners.
In many cases there was no need to
inspire enthusiasm. They either had
already started Fairgrounds or were
ready to start them and simply wished
to learn what was being done in other
cities to make the work most effective.
Others wished advice as to laying out
their grounds or locating them and as
to the apparatus necessary for their
conduct.
WORK IN CArIEORNIA