The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-01-05
in Several Hundred Cities of the
United States and Domin-
ion of Canada.

'oY AssoetATED PREssl
NEW YORK, Jan. 5.-The business
sof play IS now fairly well established
in several hundred cities OF the Unit
ed States and Canada and IS carried on
az an expenditure Of millions of doll
lars. This extent of the movement to
provide Fairgrounds and leaders tot
make play and recreation wholesome
and efficient Is reIeaved in the; annual
census just taken by the Playground
and Recreation Association of Amer
jca whose report was made public to- I
day. Every community OF over 5000 4
Inhabitants in this country and Cana
da was reached by letter and over +
thousand cities responded with gPe- +
cific reports on what Is or what is not
being done to aid children and adults
in their play and recreation.
Six hundred and forty-two cities re-
ported themselves active in the play
ground movement and many others
said they were alive 10 needs Of this
sort and were working TO establish
play centers. One Of the most salts
factory phases of the report is the
showing OF growth Of municipal sup
port Less than ever is left 10. private
4phHanthr opy, for IN Ill cities the
support is now entirely municipal.
There are rs cities in which the
Isupport is divided between municipal
and private funds and 10 In which
the work is supported wholly by pri-
vate benefactors.
The census Is for the year ending
November /, 1913 and shows total
q expenefst5re~ $5j70e, geo i'm the S42
+ cities where backgrounds and recrea-
ton work Is under paid supervision.
This fg3 d gain Of over $1,000. 600 as
/. compared with the year 1912. In
sight for further funds authorized
bond issues are reported in twenty cit
les 10 the total OF 81, 35S,O00. The re-
mort shows that children in seventy
cities have been given new play
grounds during the last year The CIT
lies which became converts TO the
movement in the previous year had
numbered only forty-three.
PLAY leaders appear to be now pro-
fessionally recognized the country
lover Twenty-four hundred pay
grounds and recreation centers are
under regular paid supervision and
Imore than 5000 persons are making
liz their profession to serve as leaders
4 OF play AND general recreation. ~ y
Ian enlistment OF a thousand new work
Eers in this line during the last year.
land efIieiency-is so generally demanded
~ these leaders that training classes
for them ARE being maintained ana
lin thirty1IfYes OF these centers :, 65S
4
students are reported.
Leadership Is regarded as the cruN
az the playground and recreation
movement. Almost invariably the
tcammunities which have reported lAli >
are in the work they started nave eN-
Il pIaihed il by the report that they hau
Eno leadership. The point IS becoming
: bso sen4ralIy appreciated that tha
playgrcitnd and recreation associate =
" that 81 pervised work is certain
!, he widely extended during the com
i{ner wear 'sThe playground. or reere
LafiGsn. center; without q competent - :
A I,eryisor or..leader has proven 10 be :
liaeffective as school without =
teacher" the report adds. and y ?
further predicted that 500 cities no"
active in playground and recrea no. !
work are likely to meet discourage
rnent unless they bring themselves 20
realize the value of supervision.
The work is by no means conhneo
- vocational periods In over slNtS
cities -333 centers were opened all yea
4 round last year, and evenings are utlL-
ized more and more for recreation
work in the school houses. AiSo-
! eather the wider use of puDilc SciiooiS
Twas seen in 1877 cities and results were
shown in many ways. The iact th-1-
80 per cent of all offenses against 50
lciet,, are committed in the leisure time
| hours between II and p M mas
Enrr,FrtyseS many Fcomnunities to open
4,tfefrt rsli yt;,FouTidi- and recreation cen
\ tiers after industrial worKers had been
II released from, their days toil'sand las.
year 152 cities reported 3 centers 81
n various kinds open in the evening
fThe total average attendance in TWEEN
tv-one cities was 62.224. gain Of over
II $4,000 as compared with the previous
\ years average.
H IN the establishment or pIaysFo ~
h. industrial plants there has also
4 been a substantial gain during me
yea-. In thirteen cities player otnu
and recreation centers have beeh
4 maintained by industrial establish
nents at their own expense or IN CON
| junction with other agencies.
The leaders in the recreation TloNe
ment. aside from the playground woT x
I renort. 576 workers employed through
/ o,,t the country The activities INCLUDE
/ moi only games and athletics hut sar
\ denins woodwork. arts, crafts sing
ling skating, dramatics. folk dancing
! story telling. pageauts. swimming
gadtng-..everythin that will bring
Iiov and happy Self-expresstoR = aao
4 ALWAYS with. sympathetic, happy. Tree
4 nlav leaders TO add to the fund aao
/ 5T.ay,, even the most shy and avkw ware
\ i, - 4he hanpy circle. p si-tsf ~