South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-02-09
CITY RECREATION
BODY BANKRUPT
Spends $4,000 During Past
Year-Annual Report
is Held Up.

That the South Bend recreation
committee is bankrupt. having spent
approximately $4,000 during lhe
past year. its full appropriation, and
is now borrowing money from the
board of education 10 maintain the
/ existence OF the recreation depart
ment until the 2-cent tax levied fol
its support can be collected, leaked
out Wednesday morning following
the refusal of the recreation man
agement TO give out it's annual re-
port. which has been held up for
several weeks.
About the first OF the year there
were rumbHngs that the recreation
department had run amuck tinan-
cially. in fact, that situation was ad-
mitted A balance OF something
over 500 was supposed to exist until
the books had been audited, when 1t
was found TO be only $500, or there
abouts, near sufficient to pay Direc-
TO Barnes his salary for a month.
The soft-p pedal was placed on the
admission. however, and the details
were unavailable 1t is reported
now that the recreation committee
placed the situation before the
board of school trustees and sue
ceeded in negotiating what is vir-
tually a loan, calculated TO carry
the work of the department along
until the 2-cent tax can be realized.
The loan means n hole equal 10 its
size in the available funds of the
department this year.
The recreation committee con-
sists Of l. NJ. Hammerschmidt, chair
man. Mrs Clement SmogOr. Mrs.
Homer Miller City Judge Herbert ID
Warner. L. c. Manning. city con-
troIler. William Glenn, member board
Of education. and Richard Elbel,
president OF park board. F. b.
Barnes serves in the capacity of di-
rector. assisted by Miss Rosa krause.
Refusal 10 give out the annual re-
port Wednesday. supplemented by
much merriment at the recreation
office over the success of the COM
mittee in thus far keeping the re-
port Of it's finances from the public
from the tax payers that foot the
bills-naturan aroused the 'sus-
piciol s. Of Interested parties, and
pressed for advice on the subject
City Controller Manning, finally ad-
vanced the following:
I'd to the time that il was discov-
cred that there were not enough
funds to carry the department
through until April. IT had spent
about $4,000. Approximately half OF
this amount had been given to the
department by the city as two
cent tax levy and the remainder
came from the school board.
OF this $4,000. about $500 was
used in equipping the oliver play
field and four other Fairgrounds.
Laurel school did not need very
much equipment. for a playground
had been established at that school
before Director Barnes came here.
Studebaker park. being in the sew
enth ward. did not get much consid-
Grafton II was finally given some
paraphernalia that could no longer
be used at Howard park.
AT the time that the lack of funds
was discovered. the department con-
sidered going to the council for
more money. An Arrangement was
made with the school board whereby
the department might draw in adj
vance on the money that would have
been used TO put in more play
grounds this year Records of the
school board show that the rCcrea-
tion department has already been
advanced $242.61 The school board
will have TO support the department
until April
During the summer and fall OF
1915. 10000 people attended the
Fairgrounds. according to the an
nual report, all OF which is ready
for the printers except that part
which deals with the finances and
it's whereabouts are a mystery. Dur
ing the time that the department
has been in existence. Is civic clubs
have been organized which have
held 119 meetings. A total OF 20
600 people have been in attend
ance at these sessions.
The Amateur Athletics fedora
ton which comprised IS teams and
SEQ amateur athletes put on two
track meets last year. one thousand
players took part in 200 games play
ed between teams from the public
schools and the various Fairgrounds.