New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-01
School Closing Brings
New Demands on
Tribune Fund.
LOO YOUNGSTERS
SENT OUT OF CITY
Authorities Now at Work to
Solve Children's Play
Problem.
Stop! Look, Listen!

StOpl LOOK. Listen.
One million children are turned loose
upon the streets Of New York today.
This is the first day Of the public
school vacation. To-day, and for ten
weeks to come, the school bell will not
ring these children off the streets.
Here is a problem suggested which
by its very magnitude demands atten-
ton. Did you ever think of it, Mr.
Citizen nearly one million boys and
girls set TO play for ten weeks in city
streets?
Not all Of the million will pass these
ten weeks in the city. Some Of them
will go away from the crowded streets
TO spend vacations in the country.
See for Yourself.
How many Of them7 Half a million
Hardly And what of the others
Walk through the East Side to-day
both the lower and upper sections. Or
try the lower and middle West Side.
There you will see the hordes Of the
other half in the streets, their only
Fairgrounds, their pleasant vacation
grounds Allen Street, Mulberry
Street, Grand Street West Street-call
them pleasant vacation grounds and
lauRh-or weep.
Yet it is estimated that Is per cent
OF the city's population dwells south OF
Fourteenth Street. That is 20 say, 10
per cent of the million school children
have just such pleasant" vacation
grounds as these streets ahead Of them
FOR the summer.
Doesn't the city provide parks for
them 10 play In, do you ask2 Surely
For the - per cent Of population dwell
ing south of Fourteenth Street there is
in the same area, one-ninth Of l per
cent Of the city's park space. And most
Of the rest of II is almost as accessi-
bic TO the little street prisoners Of this
section as the North Pole.
Thee ity has realized the situation
and is honestly setting its mind TO solve
the play problem, but the problem is
far from solution as yet.
Forty Years of Relief.
For many years the Tribune Fresh
Air Fund has ben trying TO alleviate
the condition of the children of the
poor during the vacation period, wher
the streets are like blast furnaces and
the tenemerts are worse than the
streets. For forty years IT has beer
giving thousands Of these little stree
prisoners annually two-week long vaca
tiOns i'm the country
The fund is hard az il again thi!
year. Yesterday, before the schools haC
really closed, it had sent four hundred
tots speeding over the hills and fal
away to a land fairer than the one thel
are accustomed 70.
To-day, as you read this, II is send
ing others the same pleasant way
nearly 700 more Of them. And during
next week and the week after that, anC
each week Of the ten vacation weeks, II
will be sending others. each one oil
them for a fortnights respite from
tenements and tenement streets.
The fund is doing this as the agent
Of the thousands of men and women IN
this city and elsewhere who are lovers
Of little children. The fund Is dong
this with money that these friends con-
tribute for this purpose. Won't you
look this problem in the face to-day
Before you leave for your weekend
won't you contribute TO the fund which
is 20 provide vacations for thousands
of the city's children this summer?
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TRI NE FRESH