Evening star., 1913-01-21
ORPR0PER DANCING
Monday Evening Club Favors
Municipal Dance Halls.
COTTAGE TYPE ARRAIGNED
New York Speaker Declares Society
Owes Young Recreation.
SUPERVISION OF PLACES URGED
Other Speakers Indorse Sentiment
for Teaching Art Under Control
of Educators or Officials.
SUPERVISION OF PLACES URGED

| Municipal dance halls in WASHINGTON
are probability if Congress provides q
| department Of public recreation for the
| District of Columbia
| This statement was made today by
Supervisor of Fairgrounds Edgar s. Mar.
| tin. author of the recreation department
plan which is now being considered b,
the District Commissioners and may be
| recommended to Congress at the next
! session.
| He said that IL such a department is
| created one of the first problems to be
considered by it will be that Of estab.
| fishing in the National Capital municipal
ly owned and operated dance halls sc
that dancing, as &orn of public recrea.
ton, may be properly censored.
Mr.. Martins plan for a department OF
| public recreation is to be considered by
a special committee of the Monday Even
| ing Club. which that body, at a meeting
last night. authorized to be appointed
Mrs. Charles II. Israels of New York
and others who addressed the society
| went ON record as favoring municipal
| dance halls.
Announcement that the January ses-
| sion of the club would be devoted to a
| discussion of the subject, Dancing as q
| completely filled the assembly hall OF
/ the Young Mems Christian Association
building.
Popular" Dances Criticised.
| Mrs. w. Murray Crane, wife of Senator
| Crane Of Massachusetts, president of the
lChildrens Council of the District of CO.
lumbia, presided.
| The turkey trot," the grizzly bear,
| the Chicken flip" the bunny hug and
other so-called popular" dances were
criticised. but attention was directed prin.
cipally to the need of improving condi-
tions which have developed a taste for
| this form Of dancing.
| That there is no healthier or more tc
be desired form of recreation than dane.
| ing. provided it is properly supervised
| was the keynote of all the addresses. Ap
plause greeted the statement Of ont
speaker to the effect that church ir
| New York conducts two dances a week
l. Washingtons public dancing institu
tions We're described in a report read BY
Charities. The report was based on ar
investigation OF local conditions conduct
ed by Miss Mary Swain, former secre
tary of the Children's Council.
| The cottage" type of dance is popular
in the District Of Columbia, Miss Brown
said. This type was described as bein:
a public dance that is given in one o.
two small rooms and at which there II
considerable drinking. The same musi
clans play for most of these dances, /
was stated, and a group of young boy
and men follow them about the city an(
attend the dances wherever they arr
given. The girls and young women come
from the immediate neiShbOrhOOdS.
This type declared to be peculiar tt
| Washington, was severely arraigned by
Mrs. Israels, chairman of the coElmitte,
on the amusement resources of working
girls. New York city, who was the prin
| cipal speaker.
For Community Guardianship.
| What is needed most in American life
ity guardianship of the morals of young
people. Churches should be made social
centers as well schools, she said. Mu-
nicipal dance halls, declared the speaker
should be established in every city
THE thing which is the most alarm
| ing in american public life is degenera-
| ton in standards of public BEHAVIOR said
| Mrs. Israels The adoption of dances
like the turkey trot' by the dance halls
| brings about an added danger to the
young girls who find their only oppor-
| tunity for amusement in these places.
There is no medium for restraint in
| public dance halls other than legal con.
| troll. Waen society adopts these dances
| they put something before young people
who are initiative in speech and dress and
| manner.
| Society dances these dances in one way
but the dance hail dances them in quite
another way. Experts dance them in one
way and beginners dance them in quite
another way. They are difficult dances
| and the balance is hard to maintain, and
| to dance them properly requires
degree of skill which very few people POS.
| SeSS.