The San Francisco call., 1910-02-28
INSPECTION TOUR
OF FAIRGROUNDS
Association Directors Plan Ex-
tensive Work for Physical
Upbuilding of Children

tour of inspection was made yes
terday morning by prominent members
of the board of directors of the Play
ground Association of California over
the various playground sites put aside
by the city for the children of San
Francisco. AS a result movement will
be at once started to fit up the grounds
with useful apparatus. Plans We're
made for a special festival on July 4
and for the furtherance of a practical
training in playground work.
Mayor Mccarthy has promised his
hearty support, and the state board of
health is considering the possibility of
sending around demonstration car to
all OF the towns of California, filled
with the necessary apparatus and pho
tos as we'll as a demonstrator, to fur
ther the progress of the work of the
associa tion--a work which 1t is esti-
mated will do more toward the solving
OF the child problem in the United
States than any other SO far advanced.
PREPARE FOR EXPOSITION
One of the main ideas back of the
present promoting of the work is to
| have plenty of drilled reserve force
among the children of the state to
ternational play congress to be held
| during the Panama exposition in 1915.
il its present movement the California
association is also being aided by the
! National Playground Association of
America, and it only needs the support
of the people of the state and city to
bring the local work up to the mark.
In spite of the fog yesterday morn
/ ing and the drizzle the dozen or more
IL \,
children at play, though some of the
sites are not yet in proper condition
after the winter.
In making the tour those on the com
mittee personally investigated each of
the separate Fairgrounds maintained
| in this city, beginning with the one in
Golden Gate park. Besides the prac
tical changes deemed advisable in many
of them, they have also under discus
sion system of supervised play, which
| it is decided will eventually be neces-
sary to insure the best results from
the Fairgrounds of America.
PREVENTS CRIMINALS
statistics show all over the country
innumerable children the inmates of a
reform school or prison cell said Doc
tor d'Evelyn, publicity chairman for the
association. Natural play and the ex-
| citement of il and the surplus en-
ergy of animal spirits which it absorbs
are the antidotes for the evil.
TT is estimated that II cents per
child per week will be necessary TO
maintain a playground, while it takes
$3.50 per week to maintain each indi-
Vidual child in a reform school or prfs-
on. So virtually this movement, one
which is agitating the whole world, is
for the children as recognition and
appreciation of their rights--the rights
that viii make of them better men and
women. The supervised play. however,
viii be necessary to obtain the best re
suits, with play leader who is trained
physiology and anatomy, hygiene and
social science, and who is in every sense
| of the word an athlete.
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS
THE soul life' which makes play, is
one of the principal aims of the asso-
citation as the most effective agent in
/ modern socialism,.
The children of the city, with their
rights and interests, ought to be com
mon platform upon which there should
be no division of verdict and which the
city should recognize
Those particularly interested in max
! ing a success of the undertaking who
were present on yesterdays investiga- :
tion tour as representatives of the
| Playground Association of California
were o. X. Cushing, C. E. Hudspeth, DR..
| Frederick w. d'Evelyn. J. C. Astredo.
Miss Alice Griffith and Miss Cornelia
| McKinne.