The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-05
IOEFERC!TY PLANT
VALUED AT $4,000
Church Civic Association Would
Turn Over Church Hill
Playground.
ESTABLISHED SEVEN YEARS
ESTABLISHED SEVEN YEARS
Wants City to Continue Opera
ton and Assume Indebted
ness of $500.

believing that the city's playground
activities Will make the best progress
with all public recreation centres I'M
der municipal control. tho Church
Civic Association has submitted to the
Administrative Board an offer under
tho ternns of which II would transfer
TO the city tho recreation plant at
Twenty-frst and Short Streets,
Paramount, asking only that it carry
on tho work and assume an Indebted
hess OF $500.
The. proposition, 1t Is stated, has
been fnvorably received by tho Admin
istratiye Board, and two resolutions
are now pending in tho Council pro-
v!ding funds with which TO continue
the operation OF the plant. Both were
introduced by President Adams of the
Board OF Aldermen. Ono resolution
calls for an appropriation OF $500 to
carry on tho work for a year and pay
old bills Tho other asks an appro-
priation OF $1,000 with which To pur-
chase the field now used for the recrca-
tion work The property is now
rented.
Plant Valued Mt $4,000.
Under The offer submitted to the
Administrative Board, tho Church
Civic Association proposes to turn
ever to the city q plant whose equip
mont Inventories moro than $1,000.
The summary OF the equipment lists
as Its chief items: gymnasium apparn-
tus, 1893: leo steel lockers. $3.50: Held
equipment $l,4si: clubhouse equip
ment. $3.50; bath equipment, s242. and
Sundries, $50.
The recreation centric has been es
tabllshed seven years. and more than
$4,000 has been expended during that
time In bringing the work to it's pres
cnt state OF efficiency. 1t is tho only
playneld on Church Hill under super
vision the year round. and il located in
the centre of Richmond's largest ju-
venilc population.
The property used by the association
is a fenced field. 26S by $50 feet. and
is ut present leased for tho amount
of the Stats and city taxes. which total
about Sii0 ysar. 1t Is strongly
urged by the association that tie city
acquire the property, which can be
bought for $4,000. Besides afording
space for a baseball field and play
courts there Is room on the property
for a swimming pool. 35x75 feet, which,
il is estimated. could be constructed
for about $500.
Conducted at Loss.
Although the association has a mem
bership of about 1e5 men and boys
who pay from 50 to 81 year In dues,
which aggregate about 5000, the
recreation plant has always been oper-
atcd at loss. The deficit has from
time to time been made up from prl-
vate contributions. There are az pres
ent unpaid bills amounting 10 moro
than sIoo. which the city would as
sumo i'll taking over the plant and
equipment
An idea CT the service performed by
the recreation centre is gained from
summary prepared by Supervisor
Frank S. Touscy. which shows among
others the following uses to which the
field 5ras put during the year ending
October 1918:
seven grammar schools in the Enst
End conducted their baseball genes ut
the association field. and $500 children
and teachers were in attendance at the
twenty-one games.
Seven schools used the groundO .or
an athletic contest. In which 10 boys
trained and took part
Got I,80O Free Baths.
"A total OF 1900 boys used the
grounds as free play field during the
summer. and 800 individuals received
free baths
FOR twenty weeks during the base
ball season OF 1919. there was n game
or bail every afternoon at $50 O'Clock.
and Two games on Saturday afternoon.
me public was invited free OF charge.
and total of $500 men. women and
children were in attendance Over
loO workingmen and boys took part in
the games every week
THE association conducts basketball
playground ball, athletic contests
track meets and group games in the
open the year around. The average
aaily attendance using the plant is
nearly 100, during the cold weathor
ana nearly 800 during the spring and
summer months"