The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-12


With the summer season approach
ing il is meet for each citizen to Civ,
some thought to the question of play
grounds and recreations for the chill
dren. AS a community we are deeply
indebted to the public-spirited person;
who have co-operated for the admir-
able foundations that have been laid
for public Fairgrounds within this city
Now that so much preliminary work
has been done it is quite plain to gauge
the vast importance to the entire COM
immunity of an adequate and well-admin-
istered Fairgrounds and recreation de-
partment. The services of Mr.. Edgar
S. Martin, who then was in charge OF
similar work at Columbus, Ohio, were
secured as supervisor of the local play
grounds. This official is the originator
of some of the best ideas on this sub
iect, administrative improvements now
in force in cities where the public rec
reations have been scientifically core
lated and made an important depart
ment of the municipal government.
There is no longer any room for ar
gument concerning the wisdom and ne
cessity of a permanent recreation de-
partment in this city. The methods TO
be employed in organizing and financ-
ing such a department for the selec-
ton of the most competent and best
equipped men and women to conduct
it should be only matter of detail.
Mr. Martin. in recent report to the
District Commissioners, strongly rec
ommends the establishment of such a
department, which is to have sole SUI
pervision of all recreations and chill
dren's amusements in the District. In
connection herewith we quote, as per-
tinent to the problem under discussion.
this significant clause contained in the
report of President Roosevelt's homes
commission:
The commission believes that public
Fairgrounds and athletic fields will
promote temperance and chastity, and
since we are familiar with the ravages
of vice and disease and the public ex-
penditures incident thereto. we recon-
mend most liberal appropriations for
all such moral and social prophylactic
measures.
Ii is far more important to prevent
evil and sin than to seek remedies for
accomplished i'll later on. An ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of
cures" Certain diseases, if not pre-
vented in time, are bound to kill or
to leave scars, which applies as well
to moral as to physical decrepitude.
We are satisfied that this community
should not. cannot, and will not shirk
its responsibility in this vital matter
WITHOUT calling down upon its head the
post serious consequences. Let us en-
rtain no illusions about this. Let us
have no pettifogging, no paltering de-
lays. Let Our men and women of force
and courage place themselves in the
forefront of the movement and see to
it that the public recreations of the
District are placed upon the most SCI
entihc basis known and practiced in
any city in the world, and that the
best obtainable agents are placed and
kept in charge of the work, which al
ways will be and should be under the
close and critical scrutiny of alert par
ents and a watchful public
Let us do all in our power to live
up to and practice the infallible maxim.
"Mens sana in corpore sano" Cal
healthy mind dwells only in healthy
body
Above all. let us not forget that the
boy and girl of today are the man and
woman of tomorrow. They have the
right to demand the kind OF training
that will make them worthy members |
and proud citizens of the greatest ma
ton on earth.