Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-02
USE OF GARFIELD PARK
AS PLAYGROUND OPPOSED
Protest Being Circulated by
Residents of the South
east Section.

Parents residents and property owners
living in the vicinity of Garfield Park"
through committee composed of Levi
y. Fouts, chairman; Walter T. Paine
and Mrs. T. Solberg, are circulating a
protest against the use and abuse of
Garfield Park by the Washington Play
grounds Association
The protest declares ''our sympathy
with children, with children's sports and
with children's needs,' but it declares
opposition to 1.-The conversion of any of
our improved parks of small area, which
help TO give our city its peculiar charm,
into athletic fields because of the deteri-
Grafton that is sure to follow
Every well kept park the protest de-
clares, lis silent educator. a living IN
spiration, an aid to the cultivation of the
esthetic side of a child's life. He does
not need to be artif1cially stimulated to
play, but he does need what this city
has for years SO generously afforded in
its parks
we believe. it continues, that chill
dren should have place in which to
play other than in the busy streets. In
81 eat commercial centers where there is
little or TO vacant ground, where tower
ing buildings shut out the light and air,
and where the streets are congested with
traffic this need is acutely felt. But i'm
Washington. where such conditions exist
in so slight degree professionally, con-
Quoted Fairgrounds are more easily dis
pensed with
Plenty of Ground for the Children.
The protest declares that in no section
of the city is there less need for such
Fairgrounds than in the southeast, where
there is plenty OF vacant ground and
small parks where children have always
played in a happy and wholesome way.
1t declares that the admitted needs Of the
children should not be exaggerated as
to deprive the taxpayer of his rights.
This, it is claimed, is what has been
done by the Washington Fairgrounds AS
Sociation in gathering for eight or nine
hours a day SO many children, excited by
their strenuous play and inadequately su-
pervised, creating conditions which. to-
gether with despoiling the beautiful park,
are unjust to the neighboring household
ers.''
The methods of the associate are OBJ
jected to and comment Is made on the
vulgar pie-eating contest which the as
ISOLATION took pains to display at Gar
field Park on the last Fourth of July
Complaint Against Association.
Complaint is also made that the asso-
/ C1dtloH mas 1SHOTcu It's agreement Wneu
an athletic apparatus was set up in Gar
field Park. which on trial proved to be
not only a source of danger to the chill
dren, but further Objectionable in at
tracing rough element to the neigh
| borhood. The protest states the residents
then subscribed S13 for the removal Of
the apparatus and an agreement was
signed by the president and vice presi-
dent of the aSSocia ton not to extend
the Fairgrounds beyond the space then
occupied. But now 1t is proposed to re-
move the playground to the west side
of the park and to increase its equip
ment.
The protest declares that the modern
type of athletic Fairgrounds installed in
small city parks is neither economical
nor advantageous. and it especially COM
plains that since the signing of the agree
ment with the association the personnel
of its officers has been changed and pro-
| tests have met with scant courtesy and
| no consideration.