Arizona republican., 1914-02-22

cial club, and was finally made pos tion. It was not accomplished just as the Commercial club planned, the site that organization suggested was not used and school authorities keep it under supervision, instead of public playground commission that was to have been constituted like the ordinary park commissions com mon to most cities. On the other hand, under the Bisbee plan there are to be two playgroundS in the city-one at Lowell and one at War ren. The fund for their equipment is raised. One has been opened on the vacant court in front of the Cen tral grammar school and the second is soon to be opened at the Lincoln school. Then the Lowell school will receive it's equipment and still later the Warren school
 In Bisbee the playground was success from the day it was opened and before all of the equipment was installed. From early morning until late at night, except during school houIs it is crowded Children have to be fairly driven away at bedtime, The teachers state that school at tendance has already much improved. There has been no trouble in pre- serving order and few accidents. none of which were of a serious na
 ture. Crowded conditions have more than any other reason been the cause of these, and they will be ob
 Viated with the opening of the thIee others.
 Douglas is now raising funds for playground cquipping and recently had tag day that raised a con- siderable amount. It's fund is grow
 Ing rapidly and will soon be com rleted. There school grounds will not be utilized but instead the grounds around the old pumping
 plant Of the city waterworks. There
 the custodian has for two or three years encouraged boys to play, laid cut ball grounds for them, and other plans of amusement, but until now
 there has been no agitation for q public playground properly equipped and properly cared for
 Bisbee has also had playground popular with many children. but it
 was outside of the city limits. It is
 also used as a general recreation park Sundays and evenings in tho sumner months.
 Thus the lead has been set for Phoenix. It is true that there is
 not the urgent need here that there was in Bisbee, where public streets
 were practically the only open spots,
 at Douglas-more, for the population il. this city is much greater.
 The most elaborate system of play grounds vet opened to the boys and
 girls of any city is Chicago's south
 parks. It has cost over $17000 900
 and comprises 543 acres along the edge of Lake Michigan. But it is
 for old and young alike It is mere ly a unit in the entire system that
 is planned
 Los Angeles takes from the public
 purse $40.000 a year to maintain such centcrs of recreation and to add oth- CTS. Baltimore has tWenty-eigh such playgrounds.
 Some idea of the magnitude of the movement that is now being felt here may be formed from the fact thta national association has been formed which has been recognized by the trustees of the Sage fund. It has branches in all of the large cit ies, is particularly active in Pitts burgh, Washington. Minneapolis and Cleveland. and in the state of Mis- souri alone has organized plans for playgrounds in no less than thirty one cities.
 Phoenix need not go into the play ground project extensively at the
 outset. Bisbee is spending about
 S3500 and Douglas will be satisfied
 with 5000. Equipment is not ex- pensive and a number of excellent sites are readily available It has been suggested that two should be ! provided for the children here and this suggestion would seem to be
 sufficient for meeting the present de- mands.