Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-02
BY Frederic j. HAsktn

Washington. n. c.. April 80
Organized playumo for city and
village is rapidly becoming a nation
wide fact. Tho Community Service
which concentrated on soldiers and
now revised its program to fit the
CIVILIAN. and IL buy showing the bust-
ness man and his wife how to play.
Perhaps you think well enough
how to play. We spend more on
amusements than any other country
in the world. We are champions of
the world at being entertained. But
amusement Is secondhand sort of
sport When II comes to amusing &
ourselves by taking part in games.
dramatics. and impromptu concerts.
we have not distinguished ourselves.
This is unfortunate because the
value of doing sometimes. instead of
watching all the time. Is obvious
After sitting on tho edge of n seat
back stuff from crampins. After
playing ball an hour or two yourself.
you are stuff from using muscles that
need the exercise.
That people arc acquiring tho
fixed habit OF wanting TO enjoy all
their amuscmcnts ricariously is at
tributcd to two facts. one Is that "A
wonderful organization OF commar-
cial amusemcnts has been evolved.
and the other is that people have not
been encouraged 10 get together to
make sport for themselves. Now
they are being encouraged and by
legislatures. town councils. and local
organizations that work for city
bcttermcnt
Community play Is being promoted
by local governments because II has
been demonstrated TO be practical
business proposition. City officials
accept as an axiom the statement
that tho leisure hours OF the city
must bo either an asset or n liability.
The people OF this country have
about a billion hours a day to spend
outside of work and sleep. In this
leisure time most OF the crime. vice
and delinquency occur. according to
James Il. Rogers OF the Community
Service headquarters. who has oare-
fully studied the leisure time prob
lem.
Value OF Children
Mr.. Rogers tells us that II a child
Is rated by the Children's Bureau as
an investment OF from $500 to t2.-
600. a young boy represents easily
$4,000. II he fails to become a good
citizen, the city that sent him to
school and provided him with Jiher
benefits not only loses that invest :
mont. but II has to pay for the results
OF his failure.
Thus, II boy spends his spare
time with a rough gang on the streets
and gets n juvenile court record for
committing various Geprodations. he
goes to reform school and the peo-
pie pay for his maintenance there.
II he steals to get money to take his
girl to amuHcmcnts, as a boy In Dem
yer did he goes to Jail, and the com
munity pays for that. If he Is hurt
in a fight IN the street, the commun-
ity pays for the ambulance and his
hospital bill. Tho leisure time of a
city IS an expensive proposition.
Because hospitals. jails. and police
organizations. paid for by taxation,
are to "A considerable extent employed
as a result OF misuscd leisure time.
city officials are becoming convinced
OF the dollars and cents value OF pre-
vontivc measures. 1t has also been
shown them that advantageous use of
leisure time is OF definite benefit to
a community. Recreation that really
rests and rc-creates means greater
efficiency In business. And what Is
true of the cities is equally true in
the small town or rural community.
Tho realization of these facts has
led 10 the development of Com
munity Service organization. growing
out of the War Camp Community
Service. II works by sending out
organizers to places that want to cs-
tahlish some of community reorea-
ors. or other experts. are also sent
from the Community Service head
quarters at New York II they are
needed. Tho aim. however, ia to help
the community develop its own work
ers, and as soon as community center