Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-06-03
FACTS ABOUT
FAIRGROUNDS
Valuable Points Brought
Out by Roland s. Haynes
at Public Meeting.
RELATION Or The WORK
Secretary Will Leave City
Teday--Makes Suggestions
TO Local Commission,
iEtiTigN Or The WORK

The relation of playground work
to recreation, character building and
play which makes better manhood
and prevents debauchery and law
lessness, and the securing of play
| grounds in municipalities such as
this, were among the many points
dwelt upon by Field Secretary Roland
S. Haynes, of the Playground Asso-
citation of America, in his talk to
men and women in the high school
auditorium last night. He laid bare
many facts in regard to what play
grounds have done in other parts OF
the country and said that good
way of getting them here was to es-
tablish one and conduct 1t in such
manner as to prove to skeptics that
they are necessary, If not more SO,
than many other things municipali-
ties have. Mr.. Haynes presented
both sides of the playground ques-
ton, telling of the good use they are
placed to as we'll as the opposition
met with where they are attempted.
superintendent of Schools S. E.
Shull in introducing the speaker, de-
clared that If interest in the move
ment in this city was actuated by the
right spirit, there was no reason why
the people should not have that for
which they were hoping. He refer
red to the growth of the earth from
a barren mass to what 1t is today,
and said 1t is growing better.
Points That Apply Locally.
In his talk, Mr.. Haynes brought
out points that came home to this
city. Right here as in other places
of about the same size, some people
declare there is little use for play
grounds, that there are plenty of
open fields and that Fairgrounds are
only meant for the larger and con-
lgested cities. Relative thereto the
speaker said a mere field was not a
playground and to turn children
loose on one was practically the
same as having them on the street,
for they play without supervision
and the lawlessness develops. A
statement he made at the banquet
Wednesday night, he reiterated last
night, that the proper supervision
was the most essential part Of a
playground. A competent supervis-
or can do many times more good
than an incompetent one.
The good part of recreation in the
Iof solving the great immigration
problem with which authorities are
battling, were brought out by the
speaker. He went on to illustrate
the great good that could be derived
lout of Fairgrounds among such a
cosmopolitan population as Perth
Amboy contains, and he told how
various nationalities united in peace
l@l nj
ground He gave an example from
New York, where on certain street
a gang was composed of boys OF a
certain nationality was at DDS with
another gang of another nationality
In another place. These would not
associate, called each other names
and at times fought. Through their
Invitation to participate in baseball
and other games on a playground
they became acquainted better, min
gled and before long teams were
formed of members of both factions
and enmity ceased.
Lesson Taught Municipalities.
He talked at length upon the OBJ
ject lesson to be taught munictpali-
ties from the first playground, stat
ling that people were IN that way
taught the value of them. He stated
there were to be provisions for three
grades of play; first, for the child
below eight years, which usually
uses sand boxes, teeters, slides, etc. !;
then for the child between eight and
sixteen years, which plays many out
door games and uses the outdoor
gymnasium, and lastly, for the old
er girls. The establishment of exer-
else for the latter was a problem yet
to be solved, he declared, as at pres
ent there is no individuality of
games for older girls. He said folk
dancing had been tried and girls
found pleasure and good exercise in
1t.
From his experience, Mr. Haynes
said a play space was no more play
ground than a school house was a
school. With which he urged the es-
tablishment of the right kind of play
ground, where proper guidance was
given the children through good su-
pervlsion. AS to the objections, the
ispeaker said in some cases 1t was
true children would not go to play
grounds, which depended to some
extent on their conduction and loca-
ltion, Regarding the cost, Mr.. Haynes
told his auditors that If Fairgrounds
would not pay they should not estab-
lish them. He said the good to be
derived from them in making charae-
ter was not to be seen as a pave
ment or some other object purchased
and in hand, but it did much more
good and in short time brought back
more revenue than 1t cost through
prevention OF lawlessness and i'm
proving the coming generation. He
declared the question of securing
Fairgrounds here was only to find
out If enough people wanted them,
lIf a sufficient number wanted them,
they would be secured, he stated.
Says Perth Amboy Is Peculiar.
That Perth Amboy is peculiar in
regards to establishment of play
grounds was Mr.. Haynes eonten-
| ton. He said almost two were need
ed for small beginning; one in the
northern and ono in the southern
part of the city And later said two
/ for children and one big field for
| ball playing and the like for older
folks were really necessary here.
That "all work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy the speaker went
| on to illustrate with facts he had
Learned. He said the Phillips
Opium Commission in investigating
among the Chinese had found that
- bIfpo opJ ori,,r,,