The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-05
CITY FAIRGROUNDS.
Year Book of American Association
Presents Facts and Figures.

| New York. Jan. 5.-The year book
of the Playground Association of
America which has just been brought
out in this city will show that out of
GA cities and towns in the United
States having population OF five
thousand and over. 336 municipalities
are maintaining supervised play
grounds
The actual number of Fairgrounds
that were being operated in 26T of
these cities during 1909 was 1885.
About SIS per cent of these supervised
places for the play of children are To-
Gated in the area of greatest density
of population, in the North Atlantic
states, where the need for Fairgrounds
has not only emphasized itself strongly
upon the social mind, but has been met
to a large extent by the actual estab-
lishment of Fairgrounds. The numbe
of cities in the North Atlantic states
maintaining Fairgrounds is 149, and
the number of Fairgrounds established
in 1913 of them is S73. Massachusetts
particularly has led in the playground
movement, as in SO many other move
ments for progress and social better
ment.
In about 40 per cent of the cities
operating public Fairgrounds the man
the city itself, which is working
through its board of education, its
park department, or other municipal
bureau-or by combining the activities
of two or more departments. In mr.
teen cities of the United States the
mayors have appointed special COM
missions which are organized as city
departments for the administration or
Fairgrounds. Fairgrounds are no
longer left to the philanthropist: the
cities themselves have awakened to
| their responsibilities and are including
the children in their plans.
In SIS of the larger cities local play
ground associations have been estab-
| - lV1ra fNVx ia
have organized playground committees
that will shortly be converted into per-
manent organizations Of great as
| sistance have been the churches, wom-
ems clubs, Young Mems Christlan AS,
sociations, Associated Charities. and
public spirited men and women every
where
Yearly Expenditures.
An index of the interest in the move
ment is afforded by a survey of the
figures representing the yearly ex-
penditures for sites. equipment, and
| the maintenance of Fairgrounds. In
many cases specific information on this
| point is not available, but 1874 cities
have sent IN reports stating definitely
| what it costs them to operate their
Fairgrounds. The total amount e x.
pended during the year by these 1874
cities is $1,35S,114. In Is per cent or
the cities the amount of money set
apart for Fairgrounds was appropriated
entirely by the MUNICIPALITY, WINE III
| % per cent the city combined with
private organizations in the support of
the Fairgrounds.
Some of the smaller cities are APP
propriatine generous amounts OF
money. For instance, st. Paul, Mimi,
with a population of 163,065 last year
spent $4,000 on her Fairgrounds:
Holyoke, Mass. with a population of
45.712 spent $4,000; Newton, Mass
with SS,57S inhabitants spent $500
iation of 21,506 spent $500 for the
| children's recreation.
| One of the most important results
of the study and thought that have
been devoted to the recreation prob
lem is the general recognition that the
play leader-rather than elaborate
equipments the essential factor in
the playground. Get the right man or
woman to lead boys and girls in their
play, and all other things will follow.
Two hundred and fifty nine cities in
the United States reported that they
are employing 1856 such leaders in
| their plaYgrOundS