The Detroit times., 1914-12-17
MANY KIDDIES
FORCED TO PLAY
in The STREETS
In Crowded Districts SO Per
Cent Haven't Proper Facili-
ties, Says "Y" Survey
NUMBER OF movies"
INCREASES RAPIDLY
Weekly Attendance of Detroit
ers in Theaters Estimated T
At 100000

! ~ COu,OUU
The irpoI lance of play and recrear
ton in the lie oil Detroit's young and
old is the theme of special report
made, Wednesday, by commission OF
secretaries OF the Y. Nj. G. A. before
The regular monthly staff conference
OF employed officers of the association
The survey covers such subjects as
! indoor and outdoor amusements and
recreation in school. church, gymna-
stun, and shows in startling fashion
the almost entire lack OF proper rec.
reational facilities for the young peo-
pie and children of Detroit
| #. s. Goodling, community boys
work secretary, who made an investi-
cation OF the play life OF the children
of congested districts in Detroit, de-
clared that In the Fifth ward, where
the congestion is greatest. there are
1,400 children between the ages of
five and is with only ~ hundredths
OF an acre OF yard space available for
play purposes"
AS result hundreds OF Detroit's
children are being compelled to find
their amusement and pleasure on the
streets. The survey shows that SO
per cent of the children In the crowd
ed districts play OH the streets.
The congestion of the east side is
pronounced" said Mr.. Goodling. THE
space for play purposes in that neigh
borhood is so small that only about
10 per cent of the children can play
on it. Tu enty-nine per cent OF Detroit
lives where SO per cent OF the child
rem must play in the streets or on the
sidewalks.
Recently 1900 children were OBJ
served for certain periods after school
hours. II was found that so per cent
played in the streets, II they played at
all, "a per cent played In vacant
areas and six-tenths per. cent played
on public play areas or in school
grounds.
THE principal reason is that where
the facimilities for play are improper
or not provided at all, the children
! find good deal more fun out in the
street. The principal reasons for chill
dren playing in the streets OF Detroit
are; Not enough private yards; too
small spaces for play equipment and
facilities ungraded vacant lots and
more fun in the streets, where there
is a bigger crowd and more things do
ing all the time.
I'VE have found that on an average
55 per cent OF the children found out
in the street have about lost the capac.
| ity for play. Only about three per
ieent OF them can play In any whole
some sort of fashion With 20 per
cent of The population of the city liv-
ing in congestion that excludes SO per
cent OF the children from the play
activities OF normal children it Is not
TO be wondered at that the children
should soon lose their ability 10 enter
into the games and activities that
mean so much to childhood. They
simply stand around and watch the
three per cent take their exercise for
Them
The commission, which was COM
posed of DR. j. b. Modesto, physical
director, chairman w. Y. Reithard,
lnter-eity secretary j. A. Ward, boys
physical director, and Mr.. Cooling,
also reported on the work in the
grade ard high schools Of the city,
showing that the former are lacking
in indoor equipment for athletics. In
some of the schools there are shower
baths and many of them participate
each year in an athletic meet.
I Secretary Ward, who made sur
vey of the school, church and gymna-
stun athletics and recreations, states
that 81 churches of Detroit are now
conducting gymnasiums for mems and
toys' clubs, and that six of the physi-
cal directors OF these gymnasiums are
being paid for their services.
Boy Scouts were also included In
the survey, the fifth year OF their or
gonization in this city showing a great
er growth than ever before. Seventy
three troops in the city now number
between 1920 and 1,400 members.
There are 7S scoutmasters, with 20
assistants. Scout troops have been
organized in So Detroit churches as
an active feature OF the church's boy
life.
The survey showed So gymnasiums
in the city OF Detroit, with 81 instruc-
tors or physical directors. The one
most largely attended Is that OF the
Y. NJ. c. A., where, in November. 1886
members used the physical privileges.
Attendance at the boys gymnasium
was 2,473 for the same period OF time.
A favorite form of summer diver
sion in Detroit was shown to be the
river excursions. Boats In the pleas.
ure class last season OF IL weeks car
ried approximately S,4S4,000 passen-
gers. according to the best figures that
could be obtained.
w. Y. Reithard. inter-city secretary,
who investigated the commercial
amusements of the city for the COM
mission, found an enormous increase
in the number Of theaters. especially
those In the motion picture class, and
presented figures upon which IL was
estimated that the weekly attendance
Of Detroiters In theaters is not far
from 100000. II not actually more than
that.
L - 40 c.ruAnxr NJ w cnArD