The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-21
COMMITTEE GETS THE VIEWS OF
Mr.. HAYNES, FIELD sECRE-
TARY or AMERICA.
NOW TLAY IN STREET
NEW ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD rs
TO BE ASKED TO ASSIST IN
PROVIDING PLAY GROUND
FOR CHILDREN.

chairman. and Mr.. Julien H. Hill. as
secretary and treasurer. has received
the report Of the recreation survey or
dered by them. The purpose OF the
survey was TO md out Just what were
the needs OF the city ia the way of
developing wholesome recreation. iust
what the city poSsesssa la h. way III
facilities and supervisory force to
meet the need. ami TO work out plan
whereby the recreation work in the
citv, should adequately meet the needs
IF the young people here.
The committee does not plan to sap
plant the work % several other or
gaDizations which have for "a long time
been interested in the playground sit
nation ih Richmond, but to enlarge
az extend the work undertaken pF
+ them in cooperation with all inoi-
sidnaix and groups Of citizens who are
Interested In pushing the' matter
throughout the city. The committee
consists OF a number Of business men.
among them Mr. Henry ". Rountree.
Mr.. T ~. Darlington, Mr.. Charles
, Hutx!er. pr J. A G. Chandler. Mr.. Il.
Mex. Judkins. Mr. r. w. Duke. be-
sides sixty or seventy others WAC have
given their support to the work OF tie
committee.
The committee secured Mr. Rowland
Haynes field secretary Of the play
ground and Reerea ton association OF
America, who has made similar stu
dies in Milwaukee, Kansas CITY, and
other large comm mites. To n'ake the
expert investigation. Mr.. Haynes was
in Richmond during the month of May
/ gathering facts and during the sum
mer wrote mp his findings in a nifty
page report which he submitted TO the
local committee. Mr.. Haynes says
that he knows of no city Of the size
OF Richmond wS4ch has up TO date
such a complete and thorough sur
Vey Of recreation conditions as that
made at the instgation Of the Rich
mend committee. sss
Summary and Conclusions.
The entire report has been con-
densed into tie summary and con-
cfuSfons as foitews
i Activities
From tsa reports OF school chAidreh
from all parts OF the city it appears
that outdoor sports occupy 63.4 per
cent OF the reercati ton life OF boys in
Richmond, and 36.5 per cent Of the
recreation life 81 girls. that much OF
this form Of recreation has 10 be car
rlad on i'm the streets, that girls have
less TO do In the way Of recreation
than boys. that al this season Of the
year (May. 1912 moving picture
shows attract many school ChhaFen,
hut compared with other forms, eech-
~. less than tenth Of the recrea-
ton life Of this typical group of Rich-
. noud children. The papers showed
! that colorsad boys engage in outdoor
sports about as much as white boys.
but that they loaf on the street more,
and that colorcd girls do mere calling
on their friends, and going to NOV
ing 4icture shows than white girls.
Reading plays Il much smaller Part
In the recreation of Richmond chh-
dren than In cities which have good
pubiic libraries.
in these papers the children give as
their chief play troubles the lack OF
any place TO play except the streets
and Interference by the police when
they try 10 play on the streets. Never
theiess thes, show that playing on the
corner and loafing on the streets are
important parts Of their play life.
OF i,0I4 children and young people
observed out OF doors after school
hours over 81 per cent were doing
nothing, IL per cent were working, and
q lfttla over ~ per cent were playing,
OF this number 30 per CEN: were On
the streets, - per ceSt in private
yards. less than / per cent on pub
lie fairgrounds and the. balance IN
, vacant lots
A careful survey of the distribu-
ton Of land Ia three typical ne;ghhcr-
hoods in Richmond showed from one
fourth TO one third of The land taker
by streets. ana from five 10 ten pei
cent more hy alleys OF land. not
streets, an average of less than pel
! cert is given over 70 public play spncf
and only from to per cent addi-
tieual to private play space. Thus
from to 10 per cent Of the space
net occupied by streets is all the space
l-public or private which is availabi.
for play. This helms to explain WHY
20 per cent Of THE children were fouR.
on '--e streets after achoo}. About
one fssrif IF tire stferts IN these 1T :.
tricts are used by intermittent traiht
i preventing continuous play at pres
), INT. bat making possible. thse Srassers;a'
ton Of certain blocks fer play unde'
proper supervision during certain
. hours Of the day without serious DIS
! Iurbance to traffic.
g. Philanthropic institutions ana -ce-
, operative associations like fraterna
i, orders furnish considerable recrea'
, ton in Richmond. but could MOI b
|, studied in detail owing To the tins
, % year Moonhght excursions unde'
private auspices could not he investi
gated until later in the season thar
the time OF fiiis survey.
!, a. Richmond hes twelve theaters ant
!, moving picture shows in operation "a
his cate with total seating capaclt,
:, of s.Is6 and an avera &c weekly at
e tendance of s., 46T. or this atfendanc
!, u averaes OF ss per cent is hesweei
!, the ages Of fifteen and twenty-five
Z years, that is. 30 per cent OF the popn
- latien furnishes over eHi@-haH Of Tn
: attendance. In cooler months tn
weekly attenda nee is larger. From
two-thirds to shree-ourtSs OF the ok
hibitions are either OF good or harm
less moral ehara Ger.
Thirty one rool, billiard and bowlin
- places were visited and seventy thre
tables ana twenty-four alleys wer
found. This being the dull season Yer
few were bowling. One comuercia
! amusement park draws an average g
1000 people week. AT these park
are renny- in-the- slot machines wit
: obscene or suggestive pictures, nj
! though these machines do moi affos
! a very large part nf the arnusefneii
I: furnished No pnhlic.dance halls @er
I IN operation AZ tn.a season.
ri s. IN 1871 ti1e total average faf
attendance at summer school play
grounds was $50, Of which IS peT GEN
= were under eleven years of age. @
pleasant sundays in May Wiiliar
= Byrd park liz used by between 500
a xt-xx "a II