The National tribune., 1909-05-13

President Taft loses no time in put
question of public interest Surely there
can be nothing Of greater interest or
| Importance to the welfare of the hu-
man family than good, healthy chill
dren, and children cannot thrive and
prosper in dark flats and gas-heatcd
atmosphere any more than could a
plant. One of the growing evils of
| great cities Is the lack of outdoors"
| for children. 1t amounts to a crime
when children are kept night and day
in the close quarters Of crowded tene-
ment streets with only pavement or
cobblestones to play upon. never sight
| of living green thing, and their only
acquaintance with the sky being the
strip of blue that can be seen above
the high walls of the beehives in which
| they live.
| For the last five years there has been
a general movement for play grounds
for children in all of the large cities
Of the United States. The sentiment
grows faster than the pocketbooks of
the cities, perhaps, but even the most
mercenery Of city fathers have come
to believe that these breathing places
in the midst of asphalt and stone walls
are quite as valuable for grown people
as they are for children.
President Taft has placed himself
upon record in favor of play grounds
for children thru letter addressed to
ho trd 90
Ground Association of America, which
has been in session this week in Pitts
burg, Pa. This Association represents
40 cities. The work before the Asso-
citation is of such Importance that it
will take six days to get thru with its
business. President Taft, in his letter
to the Association, regretted his inabil-
ity to be present. and expressed his
great interest in the work that the So
ciety is doing.
Il think every city is under the
strongest obligation to its people to fur
nish to the children, from the time
they begin to walk until they reach
manhood, places within the city walls
large enough and laid out in proper
form for the playing of all sorts of
games which are known to our boys
dIlu girls ana are Hke0 Dy tnem, he
wrote, and the sentiment was unroar-
ously applauded. 1t is a good thing to
know that the President of the United
States takes a human interest in the
things that interest human kind.
Il sincerely hope" he continued,
that the work which you have begun
may go on until no city In this country
Is without suitable play grounds for the
children Of those who but for such city
assistance in this regard would be with
out them
IT do not know anything which will
contribute more to the strength and
morality of that generation of boys ana
girls compelled to remain part of urban
populations in this country. than the
institution in their cities of play grounds
where their hours Of leisure can be
occupied by rational and healthful ex-
ercise. The advantage Is twofold.
In the first place, idleness and con-
finement in narrow space in the city,
in houses and cellars and unventiIated
dark rooms, is certain to suggest and
bring about pernicious occupation and |
create bad habits. Gambling, drinking
and other forms of vice are promoted
in such restricted mode of life
I'm the second place, an opportunity |
for hard. earnest and joyous play i'm |
proves the health, develops the muscles, |
expands the lungs and teaches the
moral lessons of attention, self-re-
straint, courage and patient effort"