The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-28
SOUTHERN EEADQu : r sEsS OF
PLAYGROUND ASS ssIb83oN
TO BE ESTABLISH . HERE
.s.s.sss...-.s......s.....s....s

speak on Public Recreation. #At -
lem of the City" He said ne " #t
why recreation was necessary anl dNs
with both phases of it, the commerce.
and social
Mr.. Belamy appeared before the direc-
tors of the chamber yesterday afternoon
and talked a few moments on the work
which would be done by such man as
would be sent here. Several of the diree-
tors spoke in favor of the proposition,
among them Hill Ferguson, John W.
Sibley, William Ryan and others, some
particularly emphasizing the advertising
feature of the matter for the city. The
directors then appropriated the $1,000
Situation Here
Birmingham" stated Mr.. Belamy at
his hotel last night is one of the most
hopeful cities in the country. htlanta and
Memphis and these other southern cities
are older and staid and well established,
and have fallen into the error of their
ways. But Birmingham is new; she has
resources that none of the others have;
she is growing and will continue grow
ing, and for these reasons | wanted the
southern Headquarters of the playground
association here.
Birmingham is young, and for that
reason is neither good nor bad; she hasn' /
had time to become either. This is the
ideal time for such a work as this asso-
citation will do to be started here and
the good to be derived by Birmingham
is beyond estimation. Birmingham has
no evils to overcome and the establish
ment of this work here will now grow
up with the city and will keep down all
evils which otherwise would surely crop
out
Birmingham is the best location
geographically. Here there are good
railroad connection to all other points
in the district to be covered. Many
trains leave Birmingham every day
radiating in all directions and this will
greatly facilitate the work of the man
who is to be placed in charge here.
This is something that could be found
nowhere else in the south.
THE advantages to be derived by
Birmingham from the establishment of
these headquarters here are hard to
define. Birmingham has immense re-
sources still to- develop. The secretary
who will come here will be an expert
who Will be able to give advice which
otherwise would never be secured or
else would cost thousands of dollars
He will hold conferences with the local
associations and local city officials and
will make surveys of the city as to
the layout of parks and school play
grounds and streets and tenement dis
tflcIS ana moving picture SHOWS ana
such things. He will bring here the
experience of an expert and first Will
get the facts as to what the city needs.
He will have no evils to overcome nor
mistakes to correct; he will start right
in at the beginning and his work will
grow up with the city. First, he Will
get the facts; second, decide on the
wisest use of them, and, third. will
map out a comprehensive plan or sur
vey by which Birmingham may avoid
all the serious mistakes that have been
made by other cities in this line"
Mr.. Bellamy is not officially con-
nected with the National Playground
association. He is head worker for
Hiram house, but travels over the
country at different times doing such
work for the association as he is now
doing in Birmingham He stated yes
terday that expert authorities from all
over the world had pronounced Hiram
house the greatest playground in the
world. one feature he spoke of was
that baseball and other outdoor games
are played there a night. A great open
air field has been equipped with sun
burst lights and he stated that a flying
ball could be seen for 800 or 400 feet.
newspaper can be read anywhere
on the ground at any time of night.
Mr.. Bellamy will leave tonight for
Atlanta then to Memphis, Chatta-
nooga, Nashville and back north to
Minneapolis and st. Paul.