The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-04-26

AnG 0GlN0 WAOG WEN.
tains in this country because we have
reports from trained investigators OF
the leading cities Of the land. And
What they have found out Is that
wherever there Is, at all. any excep|
tional municipal activity II Is, In prac-
tically every instance. directed to-
wards increasing the efficiency OF the
long day" there is little or none be-
ing exercised toward multiplying the
efficiency OF "the long evenings
In other words. we, In America, be-
lieve In all work and no play and We
are defying the conclusion that such
hypothesis will make Jack a dull
boy.
But, just the same. the old saying
is true.
II we organize work to its maxi
mum, giving, perhaps, Just enough
recreation" to make the maximum
work possible, we must also organize
play to its maximum. Otherwise we
shall soon have on our hands race
OF automatons-yof characterless ma
chimes called people" by courtesy
Now, although we, In the mass,
have not come to realize 1t, character
Is created, not while at work, but
during leisure hours.
And IL the leisure hours are filled
with such pastinfes as drinking bouts.
gambling machines, prize fights, I'M
supervised public dancing and watch
ing unregulated moving picture shows,
then vicious characters are formed In
many instances and We have cities
filed with crime as now.
Here we are, them, In brief we
Americans, manufacturing our own
criminals without knowing IL!
We keep our young in school all
day. we keep our elders In the shops
and stores and in the homes all day,
giving them work to do and, then, at
night, what do we do for them
Nothing absolutely nothIngl
We turn them adrift to fill in the
long evenings as suits themselves
or, rather, as greed suits itself. For
the American man and woman, the
grownup children. are dependent for
their pleasure, their amusement, al
most wholly upon the commercial
dispensers Of amusement-the ex-
poiters OF the-desire-for-h happiness.
And such amusement 1t is-cheap and
unwholesome as can be found
What does the average son or
father do in the evening?
Goes to the saloon and sits there
with not single refining influence
about him--about him In these hours
when the pores OF his soul are open.
ready to take In whatever life has to
offer him All day long he has been
In the shop, turning a lathe or grind
ing a piece of steel or doing some
thing like that over and over again
until he can almost do II with his
eyes shut. He has formed no charac-
ter there; he is just an automaton
these hours, doing this job TO get
bread and butter.
But here at night he is free. He is
receptive 10 influences. And what
are the influences?
The worst there could be.
And unless he IL too strongminded
or two Inactive II Ii an almost sure
chance that he will take to gambling
or become a drunkard or, perhaps, In
deed. an out-and.out criminal.
And then we wonder where we get
our criminals from!
And learned professors tell us. as
cure. to take to eugenics and auto
suggestion and psychological infiu-
ence and sundry otherisms that are
as vet In a decidedly theoretical stage
and give rosy promise OF remaining
there.
And the daughters and the mothers
what do they do at night?
Hang out the tenement windows
I and talk TO each other about how
tired they are or go to cheap dances
and cheap moving picture shows
where-what awaits them? Evil in
Its worst forms.
Now, then. what is this trouble with
our life and what is its solution?
Well, II Is this: We have created a
vacuum in the 24-hour circuit Of the
day. We have assigned chances for
work and chances for sleep. but we
have afforded no opportunities for
play for our grown-ups. And they
need play-the kind Of amusement
which will mold character the right
way-even more than children.
II 10 up to the city-your city to
all up this vacuum with healthful
q -