Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-08
U. S. Commissioner of Educa-
ton Would Change Loca-
tions for ChiIdren's Health.
DECLARES EACH BUILDING
SHOULD HAVE GROUNDS
Mr.. Tigert Says Sound Mind and
Sound Body Go Hand in
Hand.

States Commissioner of Education
John j. Tigert informed members of
the JOINT congressional committee on
congress investigating the local
school requirements. He told the COM
mlttee, in answer to questions, that
the playground facilities of the chill
dren OF the District of Columbia are
wholly inadequate"
IN making this, statement to mem
oers OF Congress who will recommend
Washington in conjunction with tbeir
recommendations for a building pro-
gram Commissioner Tigert Joined
win other prominent educators of
sne country in pointing out that play
, facilities are a necessary adjunct. to q
model school system,
representative Woods asked Com
missioner Tigert as to what his
| recommendations were in regard to
a Fairgrounds problem. Mr.. Woods
, pointed out that If it was decided
to provide the schools some would
be In the congested districts, where
] 1t was not possible to obtain play-
GROUNDS, and others would be in less
congested districts. where they could
ne obtained for reasonable sums. To
| this Commissioner Tigert replied:
Would Move Schools.
4 think I would take them out of
the congested districts as rapidly as
possible. / have not studied the city
with that particular point in mind
1 dont know whether it is possible
10 provide for the number of pupils
to be served and still put them in
place where each school can have
a playground; If that could be done.
L strongly advise that. If a school
Is located now in such a district. for
instance. up here on F street or q
street. along in there, If it is possible
TO move 1t out of there and still serve
It's constituency, l would do it and
put it where it could have a play-
ground.
There is one thing I felt very much
when l came to Washington. 1 have
Two little children, and l felt would
nave to go to school with them every
day If l expected to see them alive il
. stayed here very long. STAYED
around here several months before INV
FAMILY came. Fortunately, / got out
IN CheVy Chase, and got where they
40 not have to take their lives in
thelr hands to go to school, From
, tne STANDPOINT of the traffic, conges-
tion. noise and good many other
things, l think that some of the
schools couldivery well be moved out
OF those places and put where they
could have adequate Fairgrounds ia
clllties. Or course, you cannot move
a school away off where it cannot
serve its constituents
understand the children at some
OF the schools have to play in the
street-that is practically the only
place they have to play. l don't think
sirable playground"
When Representative Walters sue-
gested to him that some people regard
plays rounds, assembly halls, SWIM
ming pools and physical education
| tinued:
Mind and Body Linked.
Il can answer that. For 1000 years
and more it has been generally con-
| ceded that sound mind and sound
| body go together. Juvenal, a Roman
writer, said: "A sound mind exists in
sound body That has been an
obvious, self-evident. intuitiye truth.
The people who know anything about
education, physical or mental, know
there are certain children that can
not use their minds unless they have
some opportunity to get recreation
or play. So far as that being a
! luxury or frill, as you describe it, it
is an absolute necessity. 1t is alb
solutely necessary to a public school
system"
The report of the children's bureau
on the Fairgrounds of this city said
that "in as much as public education
is now regarded as a proper function
for public support, and Fairgrounds
are necessity for the well-being of
children, we believe that they Should
be on land owned by the city. We be-
lieve that it is necessary there
should be at least one public play
in n nf ha
of Washington. This would provide
for not less than two acres of play-
ground for each 1000 children.
Should Have More SPACE.
"Had the suggestion of two acres
of playground space for 1000 chill
dren been carried out Washington to-
day would have approximately sixty
six acres devoted to the play needs of
it's children. if all the children-those
under five. as well as oyer-were
counted. AS it is. it has but thirty-
five acres and of those only twenty.
six and one-half acres can be perms-
nently relied upon. OF these, twenty
and one-half acres are owned by the
District and six acres are loaned 70
the District by the federal roverno
ment. Practically nine acres heionp
to private individuals.
This is an amazing situation Ger.
tainly the playground area now in
use should be assured and a program
for acquiring land accepted Which
will provide 100 acres at least If The
future demands are to be Considered
Twenty-Five acres of this 100 acres
should be set aside for the coIorefI
| children gu
4 1WENT1NTTE1HE0I1y1 III