The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-14
4 oomnEnnAnLE novEMENr.

A movement which is becoming ai- most general throughout the country. and which cannot be too highly conn., mended, is the one which aims to pro- vide public playgrounds for the child ren in our large cities. People who live in the country can have no con ception of the importance and value of this movement if 1t shall be carried out as fully as is now supposed. Tn the country the boys and girls. whether at home CT in school, have all the room they need or want for ex- ercise ana y.recreatton. If the school yard itself sdoes not Sfurnish room enough they can go outside without getting out of sight or hearing of the school house. and without fear. of in- truding or trespasslng.
 p It is' very different in the large and overcrowded cities, where every foot of ground is occupied or controlled. Even in a city. like Montgomery, where but few minutes are required to get the boys into a vacant lot or field theresis lack of playgrounds about the school buildings. as. wen as in the crowded business districts, but it is fin the large cities that1the need of play grounds ,sis. urgent and important There the p9nt up boys and girls are practically cut of from places of ex- ercise and recreation. The fresh air funds. which provide for taking some of the children to the country is but makeshift. for it can give relief to a very limited number and for limited period.
 is needed is, not to take a few boys and girls to the country once or twice during the summer, but to provide places where they can enjoy and .amuse themselves in their own way and irT-thsir own time. when the time is free for them. Some of the larger cities Gf the Union are spending hum, dreds of thousands. of. dollars in the good work and certainly it will De money well spent. '.
 Not only srs> ths--children entitled to this as favor but as a right Fresh air and exercise not only add to the health of the young but it adds to their zeal and capacity for study and makes of them stronger men and wo- men to fill the stations and perform the grave duties that must come 10 them in after life. The old adase that '.aii work and no play makes Jack a dull boy has Iost.none of its force. and to play they must have
 It is pathetic to read as we fre- quently do, of the efforts of both boys and girls in the large and congested cities to find some place to play. If a house Is torn down and the lot is not securely closed against them they will crowd into it and amid the refuse and lumber will find some enjoyment. In most cases, however. the only place they can congregate is in the street, and that Is neither a safe or suitable place for games of any kind. What some of the big cities are doing is to purchase lots of suitable size sonne- times amounting to a city block. and in such locations as will be most con- venient for the children of the vicini- ty and most suitable for playgrOunds. These lots are cleaned of and put in order and are free to all children who wish to enjoy them.
 We repeat the opinion that this is both a humane movement and wise one. Common humanity demands that the boys and girls of the city should have some place for exercise, recrea- ton and rational enjoyment so that when they can be spared from the home or the sch ool they will have a place where they will be free and can enjoy themselves. And it is wise movement, for, as we have said. young people must grow up strong and heal thy. The Play ground Movement" is a good one, and 1t ought to spread to ayarIz 1aroe. citv in thA Union.