Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-03
NEED MORE WORK
INSTEAD OF PLAY
Robert COwell Tells Recreation Ex-
perts His Views Of Require.
ments of Modern Youth.
THREE TEACHERS REINsTATED

Robert Cowell. acting chairman
OF the Board OF Education, yesterday
evening told Rabbi Frederick Cohn
he believes the country is running
wild over the play movement; that
it is a form OF hysteria and that
more work for the boys and girls is
what is needed.
IL am for work. want 20 see our
boys carrying up the coal, carrying out
the ashes, shovelng snow off tho walks;
and want TO see our girls sewing, cook
ing and performing other home duties.
The other day boy in an Omaha neigh
borhood was the object OF derision be-
cause he shoveled the snow from tho walk
OF his home" declared Mr. Cowell, with
considerable earnestness.
Action - Deferred.
DR.. Cyrus Stimson, field secretary OF
the National Playground and Recreation
association; Rabbi Cohn and Secretary
f. +. Denison Of the Young Mems Chris
tian association appeared before the
school board to urge the members not
to decide to refuse to cooperate with
the recreation board, about to be or
ganized here. The board decided 70 re-
fer the matter again to a Joint committee
consisting OF the judiciary and building
and grounds committees, with power to
act.
Chairman Cowell did not incline toward
the idea of the school board cooperating
in this plan, one of his objections being
the possibility of the school officials un-
willingly becoming parties to a general
play policy, which might not be agreeable
to them.
Parks and Play Places.
Rabbi Cohn urew the Fire OF the chair
man when he stated he and son were
swimming in the Hanscom park pond not
long ago, whereas a few years ago a
policeman would drive the boys out IL
they even waded IN this pond. Mr.
Cowell said he objected to the proposition
of making the Hanscom park pond pub
lie bathing place.
Rabbi Cohn replied to Mr. Coweil by
saying the children are being over
worked; that child labor is being ex-
plotted and supervised play ~ one OF
the needs Of the hour. He said: 1.-THE
child will play and must play and his
play should be supervised. Frequently
| the child plays in the wrong place and in
the wrong way"
DR.. Stimson explained that the chief
object OF this movement is to make the
leisure time of the child fruitful and
useful.
Member w. A. Foster OF the school
board vigorously supported the idea OF
the school officials cooperating in every
/ way in this recreation board matter.
DR.. Harold Clifford spoke briefly In be-
half of the plan that the school board
should be represented on the recreation
board.
Teachers Reinstated.
The board adopted unanimously a re-
port of a special committee. which recon-
mended that Catherine White, Blanche
I Coffman and Mrs. Alta HotchlSiss be re-
instated TO the status they held previous
to their demotion on account OF the Rus
misel matter. An excerpt of the report
reads: Assuming that an error wa,
committed in demoting these three teach.
ers, fairness would seem to require thai
they should be placed in positions similar
In grade and equal in salary to thos,
which they occupied last year"
\ These teachers will be allowed saIarie,
from the first Of the present schoc
year They were formally removed Au
gust II upon directions of committee o
the old school board. The committee re
porting yesterday evening found that tn
OLD committee committed such an unus
usl act that the public was led to believ
that an injustice had been done and tn
committee expressed itself as Of the sam
opinion.
Miss stesner Claims salary.
The board received an affidavit from
Louise Stegner, who was involved in tn