The Detroit times., 1912-01-25
PURCHASE OF ATHLETIC
FIELD FOR CENTRAL URGED
Committee Says Big Playground
Is Necessity-D. A. c.
Property Suggested.

n an APPROPRIATION sumClent 10 pur
chase suitable grounds. and suggest
ing the ID. A. {. property. The com
mittee is composed OF the following
j W. G. Martindale, Guy A. Miller. Ralph
fhelps. Jr., Bernard Glnsberg Fred
crick Is. Smith, Geo. II. Widman
Neil w. Snow, Harold II. Emmons,
benj. +. Comfort, Henry s. Hubert
Edwin l.. Miller Charles r. Robert
son. Frederick c. Martindale. The
statement follows:
y AT the present time Central high
sehol has no athletic field The school
has been using the ID. A. C.. grounds
Tor some years, but II is probable that
these VIII soon be no longer available.
Even II they were available I'm the
future under the same conditions as
they have been i'm the past. they
would not anord the accommodation
which school like Central requires.
4 they have been available to only
Z about 90 of the twelve or thirteen
4 hundred boys I'm the school The
grounds have not been under the jur-
lsdiction OF the school officials, and
they have cost so much that II is diff
hcult for the school to secure them
even on the easy terms which the ID.
AZ G. officers have given.
I'VE, as a committee. desire TO ap.
\ proach this subject in a broad spirit or
educational inquiry. We desire. there.
fore, to point out the fact that we
j have during the last year entered
heartily into the work OF securing
4 Ferry field az a public playground.
4 The acquisition OF this tract means
that all OF the high schools In the
| city. with the exception OF Central
I aud Cass. are now provided with
more or less accessible and satisfac-
\ tory Fairgrounds. We believe that
\ such Fairgrounds are as much part
| OF the necessary equipment OF school
rs are libraries and laboratories. ana
that the territory from which the
Central and Cass high schools draw
their pupils. should be provided with
suitable athletic fields before the
growth of the city makes il excessive
ly expensive. IL not impossible
These grounds should be, in our
opinion, under the control OF the
school board and not under that OF the
lark department. They are neces-
sary, in the first place, because out
door physical education is necessary.
Outdoor physical education means
athletic contests. Athletic contests
cannot be carried on without money.
Money can be obtained only by means
OF gate-receipts. Gate-receipts can be
secured only by means OF an enclosed
held. The amount OF money raised In
this way between September and
June by Central Is normally about $4,-
600, which Is barely sufficient to pay
tge expenses OF the athletic activities
OF the shchool. II the Board OF Edu-
cation would provide for all these ex-
penditures. an enclosed field would not
be a necessity, but IL does not seem
probable that the board will In the
near future see its way clear to do
this, We believe that out-of-town
games are desirable At the present
time there are not enough high
schools in the city to make up among
themselves complete schedule for a
seasons play. Athletic teams, move
over. like Centrals, going out into the
state and at times travelling as far as
Chicago. Toledo, or Cleveland. or in
turn bringing teams from those cities
TO Detroit, are excellent advertise
lrents for the city They are no mean
instruments for promoting statewide
feeling
1T is our opinion, therefore. that
the Board OF Education, the common
council and the estimators might
we'll include in their budget an item
Tor the purchase OF an athletic field
lear Central High school We believe
hat this should be done now II is
certain that If II is not done now, IL
VIII cost much more in the future. II
has been suggested TO us, and we APP
prove Of the idea, that ii would be
we'll for the Board OF Education 10
sell its present site at No. 80 Broad
way, which is valuable. but not suffi-
GENTLY large for the educational head
quarters of a great city like Detroit.
The proceeds could be applied to the
purchase OF the present ID. A. G.
Grounds. the Woodward-ave. frontage
Of which could beiused for the erec-
ton OF a building suitable for the
Neadquarters OF the Board of Educa-
ton. The place is well situated for
such building being almost at the
intersection of the Crosstown and the
,Woodward-ave. lines. II Is also near
fhe propo1ed sites of the new art
Museum and the new public library.
It is located. in other words in what
seems destined to become before
many years the educational center OF
Detroit. The rest of the field would
lie ample in size to serve the needs
OF Central Hiph school, and probably
offers the best site which is left in tho
vicinity OF the school for this purpose.
II would also be an excellent play
ground for the children Of that sec
ton of the city.
zone thing Is certain. The ID. A. G
property or some other piece OF land
must be secured for the school, or
else ii is destined. at no distant date,
10 fall below the standard Of even the
American high school in the matter OF
phvsical education, which Is. In our
Judgment. even more vital than such
standard branches Of learning as
mathematics and Latin. A man can
20 through life comfortably with no
knowledge OF Caesar or geometry,
but .hr Cannot go through life COM
fortabIy unless he has sound body.
I'm the days OF our fathers, when all
bdys had to chop wood and carry
water, athletic fields were not needed
except as Fairgrounds. In this age OF
,steam-heated fats many/a boy grows
np without having to perform even so
much manual labor as to shovel OF
The sidewalk. These boys need Held,
not merely as a playground. but as an
integral element in their physical edu-
o,ton A hiph school unproyided