The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-05-14
SUBSCRIPTIONS RATES.
The PLAYGROUND MOVEMENT

DO you know that there are som'
burning issues that are never men
toned in the political platforms ans
4 are seldom discussed by public speak
ers? That's a fact and we ought Il
be thinking more about these matters
One OF them is the movement wnic.
has for its object the establishing and
maintenance Of Fairgrounds for the
children. Everybody knows that the
street is not the proper place for chill
J dren, but we have not made any effort
to provide better place for them to
play Also, It is a recognized fact
that properly directed play Is an inn
portant part OF the child's education
but what are we doing in that direc-
tom
We are glad TO note that the Cosmo-
politan club has launched playground
movement in Chickasha and we hope
to see results from ii. To show what
other communities are doing in this
line and 10 call attention 10 the inn
portance Of it, we reprint the follow
ing from the Dallas News.
Reports for 1918. gathered from
more than a thousand communities
for the year book OF the Playground
and Recreation Association of Ameri-
ca. show that 342 cities are now MAIN
tanning 24O2 regularly supervised play
grounds. employing 631S leaders. d.
rcctors and supervisors These fig
ures indicate an increase Of 20 per
cent over the previous years actiyi-
ties. In 1912. supervised recreation
was undertaken for the first time in
forty-three cities. while lf 1913, there
were seventy cities that we're tabu-
lated in this class. In the meantime,
municipal bond issues have opened the
way for even greater increase during
the present year.
Many cities now maintaining play
grounds in one form or another, have
done SO without direct sanction OF law,
in some places they are supported by
public subscription; in others main
tanned as part of the public park sys-
tenn; in still others. where school
grounds are fortunately ample, they
are conducted as a feature OF physical
training supported and supervised by
the board Of education. The latest
trend in the matter of control is to-
ward distinct municipal department
known as the playground commission,
whose entire official duty is to pro-
mote play grounds establishment and
activities.
Curously enough, though the play
ground idea was born out of a desire
to relieve the evils menacing childhood
from city congestion, the greatest de-
mand for Fairgrounds is now coming
from village, suburban residence sec
tions and even from what might be
classed as purely rural communities
Here the people seem to have thor
ough appreciation OF their worth, prob
ably because they realize better than
do many that these facilities contri-
butte to the health. happiness and NOR
ais of childhood Those who live in
densely populated sections Of the city
have had little experience with out
door life and sports. and so they give
the subject slight attention The city
playground workers have had to play
the part Of real missionaries to this
class. and by all sorts of devices, NOV
ing picture shows, theatrical entertain
ments. band concerts, etc, lure them
to take part in the wholesome recrea-
lions that Fairgrounds afford. To this
apathy on the part of those most in
need Of outdoor recreation is doubt
less due the fact that the greatest
pressure for state laws giving cities
the right to tax themselves for play
grounds. is coming from the towns
numbering from 10000 to $4,000 in
population.
Enough playground and social sur
veys have now been made In widely
separated cities in the United States
70 bring out certain striking, common
~ prevailing conditions. Among them
are these: From 40 to 70 per cent
OF the children in cities are doing abb
solutely nothing outside of school
hours: from 50 to 70 per cent are on
the streets; there is less provision
made for wholesome play for girls
than for boys; public Fairgrounds and
recreation centers mean little for phys
ical and moral development unless eff
fieiently supervised, since children in
fariaily prefer The street to an unsub.-I
ervised or poorly supervised play