New Britain herald., 1916-01-21
'3,294 FAIRGROUNDS
 IN AMERICAN CITIES
111 Communities Employ 1,053 Play Leaders Throughout Year

| New York, Jan. 21.-Four hundred 1 and thirty-tWo American cities main tained neighborhood playgrounds un- der the direction of play leaders dur 1 ing the year which ended November 1, 1 1915. During the last two years 116 ] cities have established playgrOunds 1 The number of new playgrounds se- 1 cured is nearly 1000, bringing the to- | tai number of playgrounds now in op-
 eration up to 3,294. When the Play 1 ground and Recreation Association of America was organized less than ten | years ago, only a few of the larger ci- l ties ever had summer playgrounds, 1 and many of these were supported by private funds. Now Ill cities employ 1 1,O53 play leaders throughout the year. Reports from 97 cities where the neighborhood playgrounds are open 1 throughout the year showed 573 year | round playgroUnds.
 Fairgrounds Municipal. Tn 250 cities, more than half of the 432 cities, playgrOunds, like parks and
 schools, are administered by the mu-
 nicipality itself Everywhere city gov
 ernments are recognizing that the
 maintenance of neighborhood play
 grounds is a regular government obli- gatiOn.
 Seventy cities maintain classes for training recreation workers. Two thousand one hundred and sixty-four students are reported in five Of these cities. A new profession has grown up. Within two years the number of play leaders increased 1,1S9 so that there are now 7,5O7 workers employed in addition to 1929 caretakers.
 LnI Last year the expenditures reported in the cities of America were $4,066,- 377.15 In addition the Playground and Recreation association of America spent s82,5O5.79. In 19 cities, bond issues for recreation purposes were Fauthorized, the bond issues authorized in IT of these amounting to $1,663,- 750 In 49 cities neighborhood play grounds have been donated to the city by private individuals, the value of this property in Is of these cities is S497,1OO.
 Six hundred and twelve school buildings are reported to be in use as evening recreation centers in .136 cities. Fifty-five cities report l46 buildings which are set aside and wholly given over as neighborhood recreation center buildings. In 26 cities streets are set aside for play. One hundred and thirty-nine cities have 3O6 swimming-pools. Ninety four cities reported 314 public baths.
 Daily Attendance SOO,OOO.
 The average daily attendance on the summer playground in 389 cities re- porting was 814,10S. Ninety cities re- ported an average daily attendance at winter centers of 200, 0,478.
 The Playground and Recreation as sociation of America corresponded with more than 600 cities and towns which have not yet secured a single playground. In addition to the 432 cities which have playgrOunds, there are 33S cities which do not have play grounds and play leaders which re- port some progress, such as land se- cured, an appropriation made, or plans laid, so that ITO cities were active in one way or another in the play movement last year. Reports were received from 1887 of the 1,750 cities from whom information was sought.
 Within less than six years the na tional association has been in cor reSpondence with about 22,5 differ ent persons in the cities of America. and last year trained field secretaries from the association worked in sixty one cities. Among the leaders in the Playground and Recration association of America are: Joseph Lee, Boston, Henry F. Davison, New York; Robert Garrett, Baltimore; GuStaVuS T. Kirby New York. The main office is 1 Madison avenue, New York. There are branch offices in Chicago and Birmingham.