Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-10
Strongly Advocated BY
Principal Upton
10 Annual Report Of Board
Of Education.
Says Poor Playground Is as Bad as
None at All.

4
the report OF Principal Henry l.. Up
ton of the Smith Grammar school
which 6esls excellen1ly in regard to
Speaking Of Fairgrounds Principal Up
ton says:
A factor that is figuring prominently
in modern education is the public play
ground Strange as it may seem this
educational Improvement did not orig
mate within the public school system.
The beginning of the movement was
the work of philanthropists, who de-
sired 10 give the boys and girls of their
| communities chance to grow in natu-
raj. healthful, joyous ways. These play
grounds may now be found in all the
large cities Of the United States. from
New York TO san Francisco, and from
! Chicago Ia Richmond. In our own
State. Auburn Lewiston. Bangor and
| Portland have such Fairgrounds. and
| the movement is gaining as il is found
| by experiment that it not only meets
d human need but that il pays, by cut
| ting down the amount OF juvenile law
| breaking.
| The public playground is highly en-
dorsed by eX-President Roosevelt, FL
mer T. Brown. United States commits
sioner If education. and b/' many emf
ntnt Judges and prominent educators
| in or land and England. The grand
| jury in Philadelphia advised public
| play grounds tn prevent crime, and
| some of the states have passed laws
providing for the establishment and
| equipment Of such recreation places.
| The playground is not luxury, but
| necessity 20 +he proper growth OF the
| child. As the flower needs light, so
the child requires play, because his
! growth is through activity. II the child
| i allowed to satisfy his instructive
| cravings for activity under the careful
| supervision Of one who IS in kindly
sympathy with childhood. he forms
| habits Of mind and character. which
win mould and fashion his after life
along the lines Of health and morality.
| Playtinla is when the characteristics
of the child come out. selfishness, rude
ness, unfa;rness, vu1garity. pugna-
| Cious spirit. q love TO domineer. utter
disregard Of the feelings Of others. etc
The playground gives the teacher
chance TO detect and correct these bad
traits
Giving the child an attractive place
10 play keeps him off the streets and
away from the railroad, where his
| chances for law-breaking are numer-
Gus Electricity misdirected and I'M
controlled works havoc. but guided and
governed rightly it operates for the
| good Of all, The same is true of child
activity,
| one Of the coroners Of the city Of
/
| ing statement: dorchester Fairgrounds,
and til" swimming pools have resulted
IN 4 much smaller number Of acct
dental deaths Of children during the
past year than usual" His record for
the summer Of 1868 showed that only
three children We're drowned in the
canals and other waters about the city.
| while the average i'll other years had
| been i or %.
Nearly as bad as children with no
! playground are children with a poor
| playground, these n whom the play in
stinct has become perverted and their
growth deformed The Smith Gram
mar school has g poor playground. 1t
is not large enough for supervised
| play. The children cannot play in the
! streets for fear that a fire alarm may
| be rung in at any time, and the horses
| with the fire engine dash out Of the
| hose house irto the midst Of them
| Children ask permission TO remain in
| at recess because there is Nothing
| doing" IN the playground. Others 60
! out only 10 acquire the nabit of loaf
| ing by standing around talking, wait
| ing for the gong, etc. The conditions
| that surround children exert 4 tremcn-
| dous influence upon their lives Is it
not high time that this matter was
| brought to public attention and a suit
able playground provided for the boys
and girls?
Some one may say: That play
ground was good enough for US, ii is
! good enough for my children" Such
a one must remember that Augusta is
more cpngestcd now than it was a few
wears ago our forefathers did with
out the steamboat. the railroad. the
telegraph, and the telephone but we
cannot because the times demand
progress.
/ understand that the adjoining lots
may be purchased at a fair price These
would give room for a playground of
sufficient size to have basketball
games, swings, giant strides, etc. The
grounds in front OF the building could
be made into a lawn with flower beds
In winter the grounds could be flooded
and the ice kept IN good condition for
| skating.
Here is a splendid opportunity for
the local government. the Board OF Ed
| ucation. some charity organization or
CLUB, public spirited progressive lib
eral Individual, or all of these COM
bineo. to do inCalcuable good by fur
! nishing the means to buy and equip
! an ideal playground. Shall We have it ?
+. L. Ripley. the b0atbuilder. has re-
| Gently sold a launch to Rufus Colby OF
! Mills has