The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-04

the very center. II is big enough so
that in addition III" childreus play
ground aud a lot Of tennis courts
'hffe are one OF two practice diamonds
~ addition IN the real diamond. The
athletic held il kept in order 10y the
money taken in az tho games. There
is no admittance fee charged. but the
hat IS passed and people may or may
not drop in few cents. just as they
see MT. Several years ago, from these
voluntary contributions, a splendid big
concrete grandstand with dressing
rooms and shower baths underneath
WAS built. There Is an average daily
attendance of fifteen hundred TO two
thousand people at the games
&C. T., Weller. associate secretary
of the Playground and Recreation
Association of America makes The rol-
lowing statement:
Not only recreation In the rec
ognized sense, but a general feeling OF
freedom of life, Of neiEhborlncSS. of
time in which to visit with the home
folks. 10 walk about the neighbor-
hood and to delight ones soul through
tho concenial exercise of leisure have
been promoted by daylight saving.
This Increase of formal personal re-
creation has been more important
The -inerease cf Spscific pub
lie PROV jsion for outdoor recreation
although that has heon considerable,
All sections of the country have been
favorably affected and | hope the law
and practice will continue
THE effect OF daylight saving on an
industrial community was well illu-
strated at Johustown. Pa. Our report
from there says:
'Johnstown lies in large coal
and steel district, so that the daylight
saving plan was ~ wonderful boon to
the thousands of miners and steel
workers. They were enabled by tho
extra period OF daylight to get home
from their places OF employment,
wash un. enjoy u good meal with their
families and still have sufficient day
light TO go ont and enjoy baseball
games and other sports, public demon
STATIONS and do much gardening. The
extra period of daylight increased out.
door recreation In every way in this
industrial community, and our only
regret was that we did not have sum
cient organization and funds with
which to make more OF the opportun-
ty presented for a broad plan of pub
Tic recreation.
In Johnstown four or five baseball
leagues were conducted, with games
on different fields every evening, for
the working men and boys: there were
special playground activities. such as
pageants, ehildren's games and other
spectacles for the parents. volley ball.
tennis and other competitions; there
were hand concerts and community
sings and numerous other things to
bring the people together in the out
doors that we could not have had
otherwise without the extra period OF
daylight The extra period of day
light was alsaah great. factor In the
promotion of campaigns for the diff
guards also found ii or great advant-
age for THAR drills. etc.
More Daylight societies through
out the country unanimously give
credit to recreation for the widN-
spread popularity of the extra hour
of twilight. Great Britain. France.
Italy Australia, Denmark. Holland,
Iceland, Norway Portugal. Sweden,
Germany. Austria. Australia and Ber-
muda have adopted the daylight say
ing plan and all are completely satis-
fed with it. II has led to an annual
saving in full Of $l2.000,000 In Great
Britain, and $10.000,600 In France. A
British parliamentary commission re-
ported that It LED to manifest saw
ing of health.
Pho rider attached to the agri-
cultural appropriation bill would put
an end to the plan In this country
This would. in our judgment. be re-
suit to be greatly. deplorcd."
Partisan shopkeepers are said to be