Evening star., 1915-12-08


ton and justice to the smallest shipper
or boat owner, has resulted in steady
increase of business done at these
points. Extension Of this service is
greatly to be desired. Washington has
thus lar made but the scantiest use of
the resources of the Potomac valley, a
great producing section. which will de :
velop in usefulness to this city only so
last as the city provides better facili-
ties for the accommodation Of its prod :
ucts upon arrival.
DEPARTMENT OF FAIRGROUNDS
Fifteen Fairgrounds were maintained
during 1914-15:
Bloomingdale, LIST and Bryant streets
northwest
Bruen Home, 33d and streets north
west.
| Garfield Park. I'd street and New Jer-
| sey avenue southeast.
! west
Georgetown, SD street and Volta
place northwest.
! Montessori. 1910 Kalorama road
/ northwest
| Mount Pleasant, 14th street and Park
| road northwest.
| New York Avenue. 1st street and New
, York avenue northwest.
| Neighborhood House, 40 n street
| southwest.
| Rosedale. 18th and Kramer streets
northeast
Virginia Avenue. 10th street and yir-
ginta avenue southeast
Geological Park
| Cardozo, 1st and streets southwest.
| Howard, 9th and w streets north
| west.
Willow Tree Park. Sd and AZ. B and
G streets southwest
The total number OF children attend
ing the Fairgrounds was 971.9so.
Some of these Fairgrounds were
operated during only a portion of the
tyear. They required force Of thirteen
| directors, seventeen assistants and
thirteen watchmen. besides a superyf-
| sor Of Fairgrounds. director Of boys
activities. director OF girls activities.
teller
The Fairgrounds are all conducted
under similar rules and regulations.
Although community conditions vary
in the several sections Of the city, the
general plan of work and equipment
is the same. All of the Fairgrounds
are used by both boys and girls.
Each playground is in charge of a
director. who is responsible to the SUI
! pervisor for the success Of the play
| situated. Each ground also has a
watchman. who is a special policeman
During the summer vacation period Of
| the schools each director has an assist
ant. who works with the director In
every phase of playground activity.
and an assistant is provided at the
| larger Fairgrounds for a longer period
| of time.
The playground department has or
ganized certain annual athletic fea
| lures which have proven helpful in
creating interest and enthusiasm in the
public schools.
The department conducts each year a
spring base ball tournament in the
Plans are now being matured to in
stitute soccer ball and basket ball.
These and other features are planned
and organized by a director Of boys
activities, who has supervision over all
boys activities.
The public schools of the city are di-
vided into eight divisions. These divi-
sions are such that all schools In each
division are reasonably near one of the
municipal Fairgrounds where the base
ball games are held, and where the
boys may practice during their play
time. Each school is invited to enter a
base ball team, which may compete for
the championship trophy OF the divi-
sion to which 1t belongs. The team
winning this trophy may keep it for
one year, and any school winning It
three years in succession may keep 1t
permanently.
After the division championships
have been determined the several
champion teams compete for the city
championship trophy. which the win
ming school keeps permanently, and the
school winning it holds the city cham
pionship for one year.
There is a great variety of organised
work done on the individual play
grounds. Base ball leagues. tennis
tournaments. basket ball teams. girls
athletic contests, ring games. band
concerts. folk dancing. open-air kinder
gartens and much-used wading pools
entertained many children during the
past season. Weekly entertainments
were given on a number of the grounds
and were largely attended. They con-
sisted of music, folk dances and the
presentation of stories dramatized by
the children.
Provision is made on all Fairgrounds
for recreation for small children.
which serves a wholesome purpose In
keeping them of the streets.
Bathing Beach.
The bathing beach, which has been
placed under the supervision Of the
department of Fairgrounds. was opened
for the summer of 1915 on June IA
and closed September 49, On account
of the insufliciency of the appropria-
tion it was necessary to operate the
pools in the afternoons only from Sep
a total attendance of 103.ss0. of which
97,503 were whites and 6.Ss7 were col
ored. total increase of 43.401 over
the season Of 1914 is shown: a part
aside exclusively for ladies' and proved
very popular Mixed b. bathing hing was as also also
DAYS Of each week. The capacity Of
the three pools maintained for white
patrons was greatly overtaxed. and 1t
was often necessary to divide the time
into short shifts and on some occasions
to turn several hundred away without
being permitted to bathe at all.
1t is recommended that additional
playerounds be established gradually
and systematieslly, beginning ..,;dta With
where recreatlonal facilities do not
now exist that additional ao;ls piayETound p,fs nd
Fairgrounds shall be owned by the |
District Of Columbia: that swimming |
on, Fairgrounds where none are now
provided; that the large swimming
pools at the bathing beach be extended |
to provide. more adequate accommo- I
dations. |