Evening star., 1917-01-22
IN SCHOOL ALL YEAR
WITHOUT KN0W|NG|T
Sixty Thousand Children of
Washington Under Instruc-
tion on Fairgrounds.
REPORT OF MRS. RHODES

all summer long. and in all but two
months of the winter after school
hours"
They are taught more than $50 sub
1ects for their physical, mental and
moral we'll being by corps of specially
trained teachers at a per capita cost to
the citizens of the city of less than
one-fourth of 1 cent per year.
The schools where children are
taught without being aware are the
twelve municipal Fairgrounds. which
have recently been partially closed for
the remaining weeks in January and
the first three weeks in February.
In a report made yesterday by Mrs.
Susie Root Rhodes, supervisor of play
grounds, il was stated that since the
LIST of March there have been more
than 10000 men. women and children
regular patrons of the District play
grounds, of whom some 10000 were in
daily attendance. This is increase
of 100 per cent over last year. when the
daily average attendance was but 5.020.
The appropriation for maintenance of
Fairgrounds, exclusive of salary appro-
priations, is $4,000. which, according
to the report. makes the expense per
child amount to so cents per year. In
other words, for 80 cents the depart
ment of Fairgrounds has been able to
provide each child in Washington the
year around with every necessary ar
Icle OF equipment for every branch of
popular athletics. all manner of kim
dergarten instruction, a vast variety of
Industrial and vocational work and in
all some $50 enterprises, which are di-
vided among the three branches of
playground work known as industrial.
physical and educational
Cost Of Athletic Supplies.
Athletic supplies for Washington chill
dren have cost the city for the past ten
months S55i.39. or s2.31 per day, which
amounts to a cost of 355 hundred thou
sandths of / cent per day per child.
Among the equipment which is given
to the youngsters to use are tennis
racquets and balls. base balls and bats.
basket. volley and foot balls. quoits.
gymnasium apparatus etc.
Industrial work, including basketry.
sewing. carving. chair Gaming. wood
turning. etc, has cost S9239U for the
year Of ten months. or S3.S4 per day.
which amounts to sixty-four hundred
thousandths of l cent per day for each
person taught.
The report shows that the cost for
maintaining the bathing beach was
$4,000, and that swimming was pro-
vided not only for children. but for
"growns-ups" as well. at the rate of
attendance having been S7.016. This
does not include the cost of maintain
ing swimming and wading pools on the
Fairgrounds, or the attendance at the
three playground pools
According to Mrs. Rhodes. the con-
duct of playground system is by no
means sinecure. but a serious task
which involves more or less knotty
problems. In order that the city's
children may play. force of from six
teen to thirty playground directors and
assistants are required, according TO
the needs of the various seasons of the
year. and a watchman for each ground.
who is stationed there the year around.
There is also superintendent of swim
ming pools. and CORDS of lifesavers.
the latter serving during the summer
months only. In the executive Offices
OF the department there are a super
visor. a secretary to the supervisor. an
INSPECTOR of buildings. grounds and
swimming pools. a bookkeeper. direc-
tor OF games and a director of girls
activities. 4 storehouse and repair
shop are maintained for the storage of
supplies and the repair and manufac
ture of playground apparatus.
Increased Interest Shown.
Mrs. Rhodes report shows that there
has been more interest taken in play
ground activities during the past sum-
mer than ever before. One new play
ground at 18th street and Colum bia
road and three new play centers were
opened where recreational facilities
have never before been provided. The
play centers were on land loan ned to the
playground department at I'd and II
streets northeast, 18th and l streets
northeast and at the Old Central High
school, 1th and o streets northwest. The
playground at 18th street and Colum bia
Ad fn he vftin hN-G .aT
Wilcox and was named wilcox" in his
honor.
According to figures compiled at the
playground Office. one-sixth of the to-
tai attenda ance during the past year has
come from "grown-ups" that is. persons
over eighteen years of age. This is a
great Increase over the preceding year
and is attributed in large measure to
the establishment of the playground
swimming pools. where persons of all
ages and both sexes were given instruc-
tfon in swimming and life-saving. The
wider use of tennis courts. base ball and
basket ball has caused a general in
crease in attendance of all ages. A
policy, which Mrs. Rhodes has fostered
under her regime as supervisor mas
been to allow parents TO join classes IN
kindergarten work and weaving. Many
have taken advantage of this to aid
them in giving instruction 10 their
children at home
The greatest increase in activity has
been on the part OF girls Inns Is Sno" II
by the fact that the interscholastic
girls basket ball championship series
this year has attracted sixty teams. as
compared with thirty-six last year. The
number of girls engaged in champion
ship games has been 1876 this year.
while last year the number was but
SCI This is an increase Of over 100 per
cent.
Soccer foot ball. a game which has
but recently been introduced in the
playeround curriculum, has been de-
cidedly successful. There has been an
increase of over IL per cent in the
number taking part in this sport sixty
two public schools We're enrolled this
season in the interscholastic play
ground championship games.
Social Department Attractive.
A department of playground work
which has attracted more than passing