The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-13

only lady speaking, said:
 At the outset let 1t be perfectly clear that the purpose of this paper will be to take up the topic of recreation in the
 broad sense; not confining the discus
 sion merely to the idea of amusements,
 entertainments, and diversions. Recre- atton in this sense. meaning to recreate'
 to stimulate to refresh, should bring about new ideas, new interests and new enthusiasms; fin fact, should strengthen l life on the whole. If the leisure time IS devoted to recreation In this broader
 sense much can be accomplished under favorable conditions. IL Is conceded | fact that the problem of the twentieth century Is the conservation or utillza=
 tion of leisure time
 | The conditions here in the Birmingham l district are somewhat analogous to the | conditions the government had to race at Panama. Naturally most of the mining camps are isolated; are removed rom all social influences and, therefore, no resources are available for public recre- ation. However, the Birmingham district has not only host of employees to con slider. but each camp Is a collection or families, which make problems and con ditions here much the same as in small | city or town. The question of leisure and how it may best be utilized IS now the center of our discussion What IS offered in recreation for the men, young men, women, young women and chil- dren? It is necessary for these people to spend their leisure time in idleness , the greater share of the week, and then once week flock to the towns there l to be amused by passive commercianzed recreation It is only natural that human | beings seek recreation. If commercial recreation is the only form within reach, | then the community should not be blamed frr ctga<r late tff,an in faEh10n. This kind of recreation does not require any education features. When people once acquire the habit of passive amuse- ment the success of any commercialized | recreation is assured.
 Give the child place to play play ground equipped with a sand pile and wading pool for the smaller children | apparatus for the boys and girls such as flying rings horizontal bars, ladders etc.: a place set aside for folk-dancing and the playing of games, not forgetting | a garden space on which each child has a small plot of ground which he may call | his own, where he can learn the care and nature of plants and where his prim- ftive instinct to dig finds a safe channel Here surplus enegry may be worked off, | the ideas of right and wrong may be in stilled, the bully may be made Into a | leader. girls and boys clubs may be formed and festivals arranged. In fact all the natural forms of expression Ind | a safe outlet on the playground. But 1 inf order to make all this possible 1t is necessary to have an efficient play-leader I Let these things be done for the boys and girls. Give the children a chance. They will become the workers and home mak- | CTS of tomorrow If attention is directed | to their physical, mental and moral well 1 fare the workers of tomorrow will be better fitted to enter the industrial world, and their contribution to industry will be that of greater efficiency Through these efforts more normal, healthy lives will be developed and the children will be more ably prepared to assume the duties of life'
 Fire Waste
 On the subject, Fire Waste in Mine and Village" H. M. Wilson said in part;
 Your attention and that of all con cerned in the municipal oversight of of mining towns, camps, and operations, is urgently directed to the subject Of fire waste Few charged with municipal problems realize how needless are the present excessive fire cases, and few of you concerned in mining operations real ize how great and unnecessary menace to life and property are fires. In con sidering fire protection in town or mine 1t is customary to think only of fire lI1RntinB-fdTeiy Ol llIt BiCfth'icits u to the old story of an ounce of prevention | being worth a pound of cure, or the equally familiar fable of locking the stable door after the horse is stolen.
 "As all mining men know, fires have been raging uncontrolled for years. not | only In coal mines, but in metal mines One near Carbondale, in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania. has burned a vast area of coal in the ten years 1t I has ragged and has resusted in subsistence | of the surface and consequent destruc- | ton of property. Near Summittville, Pa, I fire which has burned for over 50 years Is estimated to have destroyed S2o,000,000 | of coal A tract of coal near Jobs, o.,
 has been burning since 1864 with loss
 of several million dollars.
 "The consideration of all of which leads
 me to confess that this subject of care
 less and preventahle fires is one con corning which I feel deeply and there fore speak perhaps strongly. I have only | just returned from attendance at the annual meeting of the National Fire Pro- lection association in Chicago, where. as chairman of the committee on mine fires. I presented report. copies of which l shall be glad to have sent to all of you
 who may request them There were in attendance. as usual, several hundred fire protection engineers, specialists in the employment of great corporations hay ing properties to protect others in the employment of Underwriters associations, others concerned in municipal fire fight ing city fire department chiefs and city and state fire marshals. These men meet each year to go over the subject of fires and their causes. and they have come to the unanimous conclusion that the atten-
 ton of the public, mining and otherwise
 should be fixed and held on the subject
 of Fire Prevention.' which Is recom-
 mended to you as slogan. Fire preven-
 ton with reasonable protection will go a long way toward reducing this enor-
 nous waste in life and property
 European Mine Practices
 European mine practices in contrast
 with mining practices in the southern states, U. s. A., as given by Erskine Ram
 say follows:
 Last year Dr. Holmest director of the
 United States bureau of mines at Was1-
 ington, got up party of men connected
 with mines to make a trip to Europe The
 party was headed by c. s. Rice, cnle1 mining engineer of the bureau at Pitts
 burg. The other members were A. B
 Jessup, mining engineer the Lehigh Val
 ley Coal company. Wilkesbarre. Pa.
 Harry w. Warren, electrical engineer | D. l.. & w. R. R. Co.,, Scranton. Pa; G Is. Hadesty, superintendent F. X R. c.
 l. Go, Pottsville, Pa. John G. Bart, Der,
 win-White c. M. Co.,, Windber. Pa, ano Erskine Ramsay.
 We were charged with the duty of in Il vestigating European conservation or ii1t
 and property, together with the study o
 mining methods in the countries visited
 The party left New York June IT, ano I arrived at Southampton, England, June 70 | f} A slTl