Evening journal., 1911-10-12

.WORKREVIEWED
Miss Weaver Presents Inter-
eStiDg Report to Executive
Committee
FINDS MANY BOYS
HAVE CIGARETTE HABIT

Miss Jennie NJ. Weaver, superinten-
dent Of Fairgrounds, made an inter-
esting report at the meeting of the
executive committee of the Whining
ton Fairgrounds Association at the
home of George B. Miller yesterday
afternoon.
IL was decided. following a discus
sion, not to accept the offer of Peter
J. Ford for a plot for a playground
beyond Eleventh street bridge. the
committee feeling that It was not in a
position TO meet the condition rela-
tive TO maintaining the plot for play
ground purposes for all time. In
order TO acquire the plot II would be
necessary for the association to be-
come incorporated
In her report Miss Weaver said the
Scott street playground opened on
July and closed September ]. The
total attendance was $500. A total
OF "a boys and 80 girls registered, and
there was an average attendance of
67 for both morning and afternoon
sessions The largest attendance for
any one-half day was 101.
The Jefferson street grounds were
open from July % to September /,
and the total attendance was 1855.
The average attendance for both
morning and afternoon sessions was
126. The number registered was IT'S
boys and 125 girls These figures do
not include children under five years
OF age.
Miss Weaver said that on each
ground special emphasis was placed
on manual training and very credit
able display Of raphia, rug making
and carpentry work was made at the
annual exhibit.
The Scott street ground was par
ticularly interesting i'm that the ma
iority Of boys we're foreigners.
The Jefferson street ground, or No
School yard. was truly a makeshift
for a playground. This school is in
congested neighborhood. and the
very fact that the nearest park (Third
and DUPONT or Delamore) is IL city
blocks distant, makes all the more
urgent the need in the Third ward Of
park and playground. site large
enough to allow active recreation. In
small school yard (less than 40x40)
so or more boys and small children
we're playing for two weeks or so be-
fore the Playground Association as
sumed control. Because a hard ball
and bat were used (these are not al
lowed even on the small park play
grounds) much damage was done TO
school property. Because the chill
dren we're in absolute and disorderly
control, even after the playground
was established, It became a very
grave problem how to restrict priyi.
leges already assumed, and yet moi
arouse antagonism.
In many cities recreation work fol
, boys of sixteen years and over is car
. ried on In the late afternoons and
early evenings
To promote a larger use OF play
= grounds already in existence Is wei
worth the consideration of this as.
3 sociation. Miss Weaver recommended
heartily the guild of play work which
is being done in many cities. A pia,
hour, at least once a week, Is estab'
lished in many sections OF the city
School Easements and OFT times churcf
Easements are used when the weather
does not permit outdoor activity.
II seems as though the Juvenile
Court and this association should b'
very closely allied during the sum
mer months.
TT is safe to say that nine out o
every ten boys. years and over, II
this city smoke cigarettes" says Mis-
Weaver. It was only because OF th'
eternal vigilance OF the play leader
that there was little smoking within
the Fairgrounds boundaries. and ye
when a boy wanted a smoke, h'
: smoked-by simply going on th'
grounds for the time"