Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-06-09
GREATPLAYCONGRESS OPENS
THOUSAND DELEGATES ASSEM-.
BILE AT ROCHESTER, N. Y.
Addresses on Recreation, Auto, Tours,
Musical Festivals and Water Car
nivals on the Program.

Rochester. N. Y, June THE big.
gest play congress ever held opened
here today under the auspices of the
Playground Association Of America.
Fully thousand delegates were pres
ent when President Luther Halsey
Gulick called them to order, and they
came from every state In the Union.
Among them are about a 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 in
habitants, and the value of making
factory work less monotonous
through some form of recreation will
be pointed out to employers, physici-
ans and welfare workers will discuss
the need from various points of view
for organized play in modern Ameri-
can life. and the convention will
reach climax in great play festival
and water carnival on Saturday.
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
listlessness and discomfort which
prevails 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 up
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 the play
grounds under the direction of the
park board will be considered by a
special committee on administration.
which will compare 1t with other sys-
TENS where the school boards or spe.
clal commissions are in charge. A
report on the most practicable type
OF the Rochester park board declare.
made to the congress.
That the wholesome show is In re-
atty more popular and more profit
able than the vicious variety is the
substance OF speech which Fred
erick Thompson will make before the
congress. AS he designed and built
Luna Park, Coney Island, and the Hip
podrome, in New York, Mr.. Thompson
has had wide experience with the
tastes of large city public
The festival with which the con-
vention will conclude will be one of
the largest spectacles ever attempted.
Ten thousand children will take part.
Rehearsels of the dances to be per-
formed have been going forward for
several weeks. The water carnival
which will follow the festival will RI
val the carnivals of Venice, members
OF the Rochester part board declare.
There will be fireworks and special
Examinations in addition to the decor
ated boats. A picnic supper in Gene
see valley park will preceds the car.
nival