The Prescott daily news., 1910-06-07
PLAY CONGRESS IS OPEN
THOUSAND DELEGATES ASSEM-.
 BILE AT ROCHESTER, NJ
Addresses on Recreation, Auto Tours. Musical Festivals and Water Car.
 nvaIs on the Program.

Rochester, N r.. June 7-The big. gest play congress ever held opened here today under the auspices of the Playground Association of America Fully a thousand delegates were pres. ent when President Luther Halsev Gulick called them to order, and they came from every state in the Union Among them are about score of mayors. An elaborate program has been prepared. and between sessions the delegates will be entertained with automobile rides. dinners. etc.
 In the papers and discussions. cities will be shown their duty in providing wholesome amusement for their ln- habitants, and the value of making factory work less monotonous through some form of recreation will be pointed out to employers physi- clans and welfare workers will dis cuss the need from various points of view for organized play in modern American life, and the convention will reach a climax in a great play festival and water carnival on Satur, day.
 Relieving Factory Monotony.
 Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes will make the plea for relief from the deaden. ing grind of most factory work. That little time taken for recreation of some sort would be more than made up by more spirited and efficient work during the rest of the time IS the argument she will make. The Iistlessness and disconteut which pre-. yails at present in most factories will be dispelled, she believes, if some means of relieving the monotony of work is devised,
 The movement for turning city schoolhouses into neighborhood clubs during the evenings will be taken LID with enthusiasm by the congress. it Is expected The results attained by Rochester, which has taken the lead in this, will be considered by the dele gates, and the conclusions reached after a years investigation of the subject will be presented by Elmer Ellsworth Brown, United States com missioner of education
 Chicago's plan of having play grounds under the directiC the park board will be considc.oG .- al peCial committee on admin on, which will compare it with ,,.ar sys- tems where the school board or spe- cial commissions are in charge. A report on the most practicable type of recreation building will also be made to the congress-
 Wholesome Shows Most Popular.
 That the wholesome show is in reality more popular and more profit. able than the vicious variety is the substance of a speech which Fred | erick Thompson will make before the congress. As he designed and built Luna Park. Coney Island and the Hippodrome. in New York, MT | Thompson has had a wide experience with the tastes of large city public |
 The festival with which the con yention will conclude will be one of 1 the largest spectacles ever attempted. | Ten thousand children will take part | Rehearsals of the dances to be per formed have been going forward for | several weeks. The water carnival | which will follow the festival will | rival the catniyals of Venice, mem | bers of the Rochester park board de- clare. There will be fireworks and | special illuminations in addition to the decorated boats. A picnic sup per in Genesee Valley park will pre- cede the carnival