The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-02

ganized playtime for city and vii
lage is rapidly becoming . nation
wide fact. The Community Service
which concentrated on soldiers and
sailors for the past few years, has
cow revised its program to 1T the
civilian, and is busy showing the
business man and his wife how to
play.
Perhaps you think we know we'll
enough how to play. We spend
more on amusements than any
other country in the world. We
are champions of the world being
entertained. But amusement is a
second hand sort of sport. When
it 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 simetimes, instead Of
watching all the time. is obvious.
After sitting on the edge Of seat
at ball game you limp out with a
back stiff from cramping. After
playing ball an hour or two your
self, you are stiff from using mus
cles that need the exercise
That people acquiring the
fixed habit of wanting to enjoy all
their amusements vicariously is at
tributed to two facts. One is that
wonderful organization of COM
mercial amusements has been
evolved, and the other is that peo-
pie have not been encouraged to
get together to make sport for
themselves. Now they are being
encouraged and by legislatures,
town councils, and local organiza-
tons that work for city better
ment.
Community play is being pro-
NOTED by local governments be-
cause it has been demonstrated to
be practical business proposition
City officials accept as an axiom
the statement that the leisure
hours Of the city must be either
an asset or 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 tc
James E. Dogers of the community
headquarters, who has carefully
studied the leisure time problem.
Value of Children
Mr.. Rogers tells US that if a
child is rated by the children's
bureau as an investment of from
1880 to $4,000, a young boy repre-.
sents easily $4,000. If he fails te
become a good citizen, the city tina,
sent him to school and provided
him with other benefits not only
loses that investment, but it has t.
pay for the results of his failure.
Thus, if a boy spends his spare
time with rough gang on thu
streets and gets a juvenile cour
record for committing various de
predations, he goes to reform
school and the people pay for hi!
maintenance there. If he steals t
get money to take his girl to amuse
ments, as a boy in Denver did, ht
goes to Jail, and the communit,
pays for that. If he is hurt in /;
fight in the street, the communit,
pays for the ambulance and hi
hospital bill. The leisure time of ;
city is an expensive proposition.
Because hospitals, jails, and pc
lice organizations, paid for by taxa
tion,. are to a considerable extern
employed as a result of misuse,
leisure time, city officials are be
coming convinced of the dollar
and cents value of preventive meas
ures. It has also been shown then
that advantageous use of leisur
time is of definite benefit to a com
munity. Recreation that reall
: rests and re-creates means create
efficiency in business. And what i
true of the cities is equally true il
the small town or rural commun
ity.
The realization of these fact
has led to the development of
community service organization
growing out of the war camp com
munity service 1t works by send
ing out organizers to places tina
want to establish some form O
community recreation. Song lead
ers, athletic directors, or other ex
perts, are also sent from the com
munity service headquarters a
New York if they are needed. Tn
aim. however, is to help the com
munity develop its own worker.