Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-19
BRUMBAUGH STAMP
ON CITY RECREATION
REFUTES MCCORMICK
His Work for System That
Gives Many Thousands
Substitute for Saloon An
swers Democrats Argu-
ment.

The charge made by Vance c. McCor-
mick that DR.. Martin g. Brumbaugh has
never taken part in any Independent
political movement made any attempt to
gain civic Improvements for Philadelphia
is not supported by the life aud record of
the Republican Gubernatorial nominee.
Doctor Brumbaush has served for three
wears as president OF the Board of Recre-
alton. under a reform Administration, and
as an appolntee of Mayor Blankenburg.
The latter is one of Doctor Brumbaugh's
closest personal friends.
without any financial compensation,
Doctor Brumbaugh has succeeded in OBJ
talning for tho people a public recrea-
tional system which provides "A substitute
for the saloon and street corner. The
Board of Recreation Is a municipal body
and has no official connection with the
Board of Education 4
II was created In 1911 by an act of the
Legislature, which authorized the Mayor
to appoint five of it's seven members, the
other two members being the Mayor him
self and the Director of the Department
of Health and Charities. When Mr..
Blankenburg sought to obtain the services
OF five persons who would serve the city
without political motives he chose Doctor
Brumbaugh as one of the number. The
Board unanimously elected the superIn-
fendcnt of schools president.
Every day, after he had left his office
at the headquarters of tho Board of Edu-
cation, Doctor Brumbaugh attended
meetings of the Board of Recreation or
applied himself to some detail in the man.
agement Of the city's recreation centres.
For his services to the city and the
Blankcnburg administration. the Super
intendent of Schools received no pay. but
he often devoted part of his personal |
funds to obtain small improvements at
the lighthouses and Fairgrounds for |
which there was no Councilmanic ap-
preparation.
Doctor Brumbaugh's friends assert that
he has done more for the Fairgrounds
movement in this city than any other
Philadelphian. BY keeping the move
ment out of the hands of the politicians.
they say that he has accomplished a
civic benefit that can not be fully ap-
precidted.
The creation of the Fairgrounds COM
mission with the subsequent Board of
Recreation. was the result of agitation
on the part of the Philadelphia Play
grounds Association. of which he was
president. The Board of Recreation Is
one of the most | important municipal
bureaus eNpcnding annually about
100000.
As president of the board. Doctor Brum-
baugh has encountered innumerable diff.
rulties, but in each case. it's members
say, he has fought on the side of the
children where their interests were In
'olved Several months ago, a committee
II wealthy residents of West PHILADELPHIA
fought to restrict a playground because
is presence effected the worth of real
state in that neighborhood. l
The householders attempted to persuade
he Board of Recreation that their inter-
SITS should be considered first, but the +
uperlntendent of schools politely told /
hem that childhood was more valuable I
han real estate and that the plavground t
.ould not be altered to suit realty oper- e
tors. n
This Is what the Board of Recreation
as accomplished under Doctor Rrun- +
aughs leadership: 1t has maintained 95 t
aygrounds. 20 swimming pools and IA e
lening recreation centres ExactIv
olO'422 visits We're made to the nIav, Il
rounds last summer. by adults as well d
children. N'' n
Among those who obtained their recre- il
ION without cost to themselves were ! le
en- who In previous years had sought o
lloymcnts only In saloons. Police rec n
as show that In almost all neigbbor II
'ods where Fairgrounds were maintained d.
oral delinquency decreased The swim II
lnS pools, which were under the CON- OF
ol of the Bureau of City Property when S,
organization was in power, are now oil
ntrolIed by the Board of Recreation, ii,
L was through Doctor Rrumbau.b,s
orts that tho free instruction in swim u
"S was provided to school children %