The Washington herald., 1913-12-02
CIVIC WELFARE
PLANS ARE MADE
Miss Margaret Wilson Calls
Important Meeting at
White House.
120 In ATTENDANCE
Resolutions to Increase Playground
Facilities Are Adopted by
Big Committee.

II future Washington, while at play
stops and thinks whence came its we'll
developed recreation facilities, it will
more than likely ascribe them to the
meeting held in the East Room of the
White House last night.
Assembled in the great room, the fur.
niture and walls of which breathe mem
ories OF so many brilliant functions OF
state, I20 earnest men and women, each
the representative Of some civic or socia
body formed for the improvement of the
Capitals condition, set on foot a plan tc
better the city's playing resources.
Miss Margaret Wilson, daughter Of tht
President. as chairman of a~committe'
appointed by fifty-six civic organization!
recently, called the meeting and invited
those interested to assemble at the lead
ing house" of the land. Mrs Wilson
wife of the President received the work
ers as they entered the East Room, anc
later retired to allow her daughter tC
call the meeting to order.
First Meeting of Sort.
1t was a meeting that probably estab,
lished a precedent in that II was the
first of its kind ever held in the Eas'
Room. 1t at least broke all precedent:
in being the largest assemblage of repre-
sentatives OF civic and social organiza'
tions of the National Capital ever brought
together under one roof
Two bills drafted by the committee, of
which Miss Wilson is chairman, advocat-
ing the wider use of the school plant, a
plan to corelate the recreation activities
of the District, and the location of swim
ming pools in the District were approved
in a unanimous resolution passed by the
assembled workers. The first of these
measures is ito regulate the use of public
school buildings and grounds in the Dis
trict," and the second is to, create a
board of public recreation to supervise
the city's Fairgrounds.
Immediately after Miss Wilson had
called the meeting to order, D. A. Ed
wards, preIident of the Federation of
Citizens Associations of the District, was
appointed to WELD the gavel. E. S. Mar
tin, superintendent of Fairgrounds, then
read the report drafted by the commit
tee.
VIII Accept Substitute.
That the control of public schools in
the District by the Board of Education
shall extend to. include, and comprise the
use of public school buildings and
grounds for children and adults for
recreation and other purposes at all
times of the year is the sense Of the first
The second bill. calling for the creation
of a board of public recreation, advo-
Gates a system whereby the army engi-
neer in charge of public buildings and
grounds and one of the District Com
missioners be appointed members of a
board to cooperate in regulation of both
the District and the Federal govern
ment's premises, regarding recreation
thereon.
Tha committee esp aciaIIv emphaSfzes
that if the authorities can determine
method better than the one suggested II
will indorse the subsequent plans.
A resolution favoring the establishment
Of municipal laundries or wash houses
wherever neighborhoOd needs demand was
introduced by Arthur c. Moses. secre-
tary of the Fairgrounds Association, and
seconded by Mrs. Archibald Hopkins, sec
retary Of the Womans Department. Ma
tionaI Civic Federation. This resolution
was unanimously adopted. as was an
other submitted by the committee,
favoring the establishment of several
swimming pools throughout the city, at
an expense not to exceed that which
would be required for the construction
OF two bathing beaches on the river as
urged recently by certain authorities.
Speed Is Desired.
Walter s Ufford. secretary of the As
sociated Charities, introduced resolu-
ton providing that the board of public
recreation shall Immediately upon its
organization proceed 10 make a survey
OF the recreation facilities of the Dis
trict and within one year shall report
to Congress upon such facilities and
uIson the best methods for their super
vision and control. This resolution YVES
seconded by the Rev. John Van Schaick,
ir., pastor of the Church of Our Father.
and secretary of the Monday Evening
Club. and was unanimously adopted.
Richard B. Watrous, secretary of the
American Civic Federation, introduced a
resolution to convey the sense of the
meeting as quickly as POSSIBLE to the
Commissioners, the Board of Education.
the engineer in charge of public build
ings and grounds to obtain the legisla-
ton needed to carry out the purposes
of the committee. George F. Bower
man, librarian of the Public Library,
seconded the resolution and it was adopt
ed. Those present at the meeting were:
Charles r. Burr, W. H. Richardson, L.
p. Shoemaker, E. J. Ayres, Marvin NJ.
Mclean, ]. N. McGill. Or. James ]. Kill
roy, B. w. Parker, c. P. Judge, c. c.
Lancaster, William II. Saunders, F. ].
Hogan, o. A. Emmons, W. w. Price, d.
L. SeIke Arthur Z. Jessup, W. II.
Ernest. w. NJ. Patter, Henry A. Busher,
w. Nick. Clayton, Frank p. Lectch, d.
A. Edwards, A. ]. Driscoll. DR.. G. c.
Havenner, r. B. Watrous, DR.. E. d.
THOMPSON, Elra c. Palmer, r. ]. Hol-
land. DR.. W. W. Jones, Evan H. Tucker.
John G. McGrath, L. H. Patterson, Paul
Z. Lesh, w. Staples. John T. Robb. S.
z. Snyder, Bristow Adams, Jacob Dodd,
r. Harrison johnson, A. G. Herman, w.
F. Peabody, D. n. Shoemaker, A. T. o.
Selfridge, Greed NJ. Fulton, S. NJ. Haw-
ken, George W. Evans, Charles A. Lang
lev. D. ]. Callahan, Cuno NJ. Rudolph.
Miss Brown, DR.. William ]. Kerby, Mrs.
Horace NJ. Towner, Miss Elizabeth v.
Brown, Mrs. Howard Beall, DR.. George
Kober, C. c. Coldren, DR.. John Van