New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-16
BIG PLAYGROUND YEAR
Commissioner Slower Expects
Record Attendance.
40 CENTRES IN OPERATION
Have Already Attracted Nearly
100000 Visitors, and Schools
Are Still in Session.

'Ths should he tho greatest year In tho
history Of the city for Fairgrounds said
the Commissioner. whose development of
the playground system OF the Park Depart
rnent he holds up TO the public view as one
Of his most concrete achievements When
Park Commissioner Steyer who said yes
tcrday that forty play centres would be In
operation on July /. and before the season
was well advanced there would be nfty
, on July last year there were thirty-two
play centres open.
The Park Commissioner said he had
something up his sleeve I'm the way of a
playground on Washington Heights. nego-
tiations for which were now going on. and
there were several others he had his eyes
on and before the summer was well ad-
vanced they would be among the most used
centres I'm the city.
This Is TO be tho biggest playground
year in the history Of tho city. according 10
tho Commissioner took hold OF the depart
ment there were fewer than twenty recre-
alton centres
| 81 shall make no requests for additional
playground money this year" declared
Commissioner Slower. FOR We have an ap-
Precipitation of $4,000 with which to carry
on the work. Last year Nc had originally
! S32, 900 but It was necessary before the
year was ended 10 have an additional
| $4,000"
| II was pointed out by the Commissioner
that the number OF playground attendants
would be ninety on July ], AZ against sixty
or more two years ago. Recently four ad-
ditional play centres were opened includ-
/ ing Cherry and Market street playground.
the Yorkville playground, Five Points play
ground and the one under the Williamsburg
Bridge The largest play centre in the city,
! that now being completed under the Queens
boro Bridge. will. Commissioner Slower said
yesterday, be opened on July 4. Because
| Of delay i'm the work being done II has
been necessary TO postpone the opening on
two occasions. This play centre has a
separate part for girls. which has been
opened but the main feature Of II is the
stadium to surround the big athletic oval.
which will seat nearly 5000 persons.
The Commissioner thinks this will be
on open air forum as well one from
which athletic contests can be seen. This.
and the Yorkyille playground. known as
! the model play centre. are to be the best in
| the city unless the Commissioner decides to
| have them surpassed at 152d street and
! Amsterdam avenue. where there will he con-
structed another centre, now occupied by
temporary gymnasium apparatus.
The greensboro Bridge play centre will
cost about $4,000. while that at 152d street
| mil
s32, 900. The Yorkvlle playground cost about
as much as the latter. These three are
among the most costly centres contemplate
ed by the Park Commissioner.
The attendance at the twenty eight play
grounds for the last two weeks has been
near the 500, 900 mork. With such a great
attendance during school term, there seems
| to be every reason to believe the grounds
| will accommodate more this season than
+, ever before. OF the attendants forty-eight
are men and forty-two are women Later
on 1t is hoped to get on the extra STAFF a
Yale student who was one OF the athletic
leaders In the Fairgrounds last year. He
was a member OF the crew at Yale.
There are now fifteen Fairgrounds In
operation on Sunday. and Commissioner
Slower expects to extend this during the
present summer so that many more Will
run seven days a week From July tho
hours will be from a. m TO p. m. II IL
hoped TO open n large number Of the
grounds at night In the crowded sections OF
the city.
Commissioner Slower says the Yorkville
playground has prospered, despite the fact
| that certain Of the gang men In that neigh
borhood threatened to disturb II. II was
learned yesterday that a number OF strong
arm plainclothes men had used strong
arm tactics In subduing the rufiians and so
had put stop to the trouble In the very
beginning