Evening star., 1919-11-13
Roosevelt Favors Plan.

president Roosevelt said of this
plan: The plan of playground devel-
opment for the District has been so
carefully drawn that I hope it may be
carried out substantially as outlined.
1t is one of the most important steps
toward making Washington the model
city which we all feel that the ma
tion's capital Should be. Fairgrounds
should be within walking distance
of every girl and boy. as most chill
dren cannot afford to pay car fare.
In view of these facts, cities should
secure available spaces at once, so
that they may not need to demoi,sn ms n
Fairgrounds as New York had to do
at a cost of nearly 100000
an acre There must be supervi,,
sion over these Fairgrounds, SAID
he. Play is almost the only
method of physical DEVELOPMENT 1or
CITY children and we must provide Tor
it IL we would have the children
strong and law-abiding. Playgrounds
should be provided for every chlld
as much as schools.
.There is an insistent demand for
the expansion of the playground sys-
lem in the District of Columbia The
increase in population in the past two
wears has tremendously increased the
demand for playground fac1lltles ana
nlavaround workers. Maj. Gen.
George Barnett said in 1917, II there
were more playgrounds we "ouio
have more and better soldiers.
Endorsed by D. c. Organizations.
..The playground department as it is
operated has had the indorsement ano o
Washington Post. the Washington
Times. the Herald, the Chamber. OF
Commerce, the Board of Trade, the
Retail Merchants Association, League
of American Pen Women. the won
ans Press Club. the Federatfon OF
ton and many citizens associations
throughout the District. =,
.The Fairgrounds are for all the
people and are absolutely free Tney
are for the Jew snd the Gentlle. lne
Greek and the Italian. for the Prot.
children of all the people come to-
gether on these grounds from PUBIC
and priyate schools, from the alleys
and from homes where childre't have
nurses. governesses and private teacn-
ers. Here we have the little people pc
fore they are of school age: We. W. nav
the public school grade athletics on
municipal Fairgrounds and the regu-
lar practice games of several high
schools. Government clerks use our
tennis courts, basket ball courts base
ball and soccer fields. We are open
every school day and every vacation
day to meet the demand Of the neigh
borhood from morning until dark:
.'This means that we Should nave
workers paid equal at least with the
teaching profession as they mt must be riane aD,e
erouns from Kindergarten to adult At
times there may be anywhere from 100
to 1,4OO children with many visitors on
the ground in a day. Thinking men and
women throughout the country now be-
lieve that proper use of the leisure i: , time ne
is one of the most important FACTORS IN
the building up of good citizenship
Proper use of the child's time out OF
regular school hours will be the safest est
guard against temptation 1t is easy
to trace the lessening juvenile delin-
quency as the number of Fairgrounds in
crease. The hours must be filled with
interesting instruction and play along
lines that will make the child of the
most use in the home, the community
and the nation.