Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-06-06
PLAYGROUND
SUGGESTIONS
Sads by Rowland S. Haynes
After Visit Here.

over the playground situation here,
Rowland s. Haynes, field secretary
Of the Playground Association of
America, submitted a report to the
local playground commission m
bodying several suggestions. When
an EVENING NEWS reporter asked
the commissioner who had the re-
port for a copy of it yesterday, he
was refused on the ground that 1t
was desired to lay the report before
a committee of the aldermen before
it was made public. The report was
given out to others later, however.
1t is as follows:
Suggestions to the Playground
Committee of the City of Perth AM
boy, n. j.
'Since 1T is necessary to show the
people of Perth Amboy by actual
demonstration just what a play
ground is and the good which 1t can
do, the essential thing this season
is to get one playground or more
started and run successfully for as
long as the funds permit. The loca-
ton and method of expenditure de-
ponds so much on the amount avail
able that only general suggestions
can be given. But in order hat the
commission may be helped in maxi
ing a definite appeal to the Board of
Aldermen the following suggestions
are given of the way in which either
five hundred or a thousand dollars
could be spent.
How to spend five hundred
dollars:
"If only five hundred dollars can
be obtained l would suggest that
about one hundred dollars be spent
for play for older boys. Some of
the men teachers in the public
schools could be secured for fifty
dollars for the whole season, giving
a couple of afternoons per week for
two months to run a baseball. league
as they did last year. The games
could be played on some field like
the Copper Works field, without eX-
penditure for lease. The balance of
fifty dollars could be spent for balls
and bats.
Some newspaper or friendly citi-
zens who would probably donate a
pennant or some form of prizes for
the winning team in each aged
division.
The smaller children, say under
eight years of age, could be handled
in two Fairgrounds, n in each end
of the city. Perhaps school property
either around No. 6 or the grammar
school for the northern end of the
town, and around No. 7 for the
southern end of the town. By using
school property no money would
have to be spent for leasing or for
toilet connections, which are espeCi-
ally important for little children.
Some cities under similar circum-
stances have secured the services of
ianitOrs of the school buildings for
not over fifteen dollars per month
in addition to the regular salary
paid by the school. The supervisors
Of these Fairgrounds for small chill
dren should be put ON the hands of
properly trained women workers,
preferably those with kindergarten
training. They should be paid about
s~eventy-ive dollars per month. This
is rather more than kindergarten
teachers are paid for regular work
here in Perth Amboy, but the hours
on the playground are longer and
| usually the work is more taxing.
They would have to work from 9 or
10 O'Clock in the morning until dark
with time off for meals. To such
works one on each playground for
two months at seventy-1Ve dollars
per month would take three hundred
dollars. This would leave one hun
bred dollars for equipment. |
would suggest that you send to the
Playground Association or America,
l Madison avenue, New YORK city,
for homemade apparatus used by
East range N. j. Inc huhure
dollars would buy all the apparatus
there specified but probably the
money would go FARTHER spent along
the lines OF those sp~ecihcatlons.
i see In going over these hgures
that nave suggested b eXpenol-
ture OF hVe hundred dollars without
reckoning IN the cost OF caretakers
or when even at the low figures sug-
gested ABOVE would take Sixty dol
iaTS addlIlohal' inns couIu De met
ID either n or TWO ways the
ground could Dc u LOT one week
less or ten lays II necessary ana
the money saved TO De USED lot care
takers or money could be raised by
private SUBSCRIPTIONS 10 cover the
cost or some or the apparatus and
the balance saved used for the care
takers.
IF l mad this amount to spend
the chlet difference would be in
hlrlng the pest mar supervisor l