The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-10-24

Properly supervised play has q big
place In the lives of children. and Or.
Henry S. Curtis Of Olivet. Mich. made
hat point clear In his address before
the North Dakota Educational assoc
citation this morning when he discussed
1.-THE Value Of Play In Education"
Greater efficiency In school work.
and general Improvement Of condi-
lions among children who have been
fortunate enough to have organized
playground advantages. were pointed
out by DIR. Curtis as direct results or
the movement.
THE play movement. as we have 1t.
came to us directly from Germany. the
speaker said. In this country first
1885. The city Of New York took up
the movement in 1898. The Play
ground association of America was or
ganized in 1906. From that time the
development has been almost phen-
omenal. In the summer Of 1907 there
were in this country ninety cities
maintaining Fairgrounds. The next
summer there were 1855. showing a
growth of 100 per cent; the next sum-
mer $50, showing again a growth OF
yomething more than 100 per cent. In
the summer of 1910 there were some
thing over 500 cities. The statistics
Tor the past summer have not yet been
compiled.
States Recognize Movement.
In the spring of 1907 the state of
New Jersey passed Il law authorizing
appoint playground commissions to
have charge of playground develop
ments in the different cities. Under
this law every large city of New Jer-
icy Is now organized. The next year
the state of Massachusetts passed a
law requiring every city of 10000 IN
habitants to vote whether or not 1t
would maintain Fairgrounds. Under
this law fOrty-two cities voted. and
!orty voted yes with a vote that was
ave 10 one. Since that time a number
Of other states have passed playground
laws.
I'm Germany they have a good de-
velopment of the play movement in
the country, and most of the organized
play in England is outside the cities.
We have a good start in a number of
rural communities in this country. but
thus far the developments have not
been rapid. I believe that the social
and recreational need of play is great
er in the country than in the city.
The play movement in this country
shows three distinct stages. The first
developments are apt to be in charge
of a playground committee Of the
Woman's club. This committee usual
ly goes to the board Of education and
yards during the summer. They go
to the sand a and beg the sand for
the sandbin, to the lumber man for
the lumber for the equipment. a
Kindergarten contributes her time,
and SO the movement has been begun
In most Of our cities.
Secret of Social Progress.
nh ,ov cxnDo u~1 Sny1No< l. r,r,Sotnc
to be the first stage. is where the peo-
pie of the city organize a playground
association. Organization is the secret
of most of the social progress of mod
ern times. If twenty-five people in
any city will organize and work
unitedly and earnestly for some good
project, they will usually carry 1t
Indifferent. There are now play
ground associations in practically
every CITY of 100. 1000 in this country.
and they have proved tremendously
effective in raising money. in securing
appropriations from the city and in the
general promotion Of the movement.
I'm a half or more of h cities the
play movement Is a private movement
but these are the new cities that arc
everywhere that Fairgrounds have
been carried on for a year or two. they
have become a public enterprise and
are supported in whole or in part by
the cities themselves. This makes
possible a very much larger develop
ment than was possible from private
sources. The city Of Chicago has
spent $11, 900. 900 on her Fairgrounds
during the past six years. It is spend
ing $4,000 every year to maintain
them. 1t would be quite impossible to
maintain such a system from private
funds.