The Holbrook news., 1922-05-05
Movement Is Growing Rapidly, Says Playground and Rec
 reation Association.
INCREASE IN PAID LEADERS
S5S Cities in the United States Appro. priated Money for Recreation Pur- poses During the Last Year.
 Says Report.

New York.-Nearly S9,000.0O0 was spent for recreation during the last year by 45S cities in this country, 5i cities having donated playgrounds and IS of the number placing the value of the property given at Sl,1S2, ,iOO The foregoing are few of the facts and figures contained in the annual report of the Playground and Recrea- tion Association of America just made public through The Playground.
 Five hundred and two cities report 4.5S4 centers under paid leadership the largest number recorded. Work CTS to the number of 11,019 were en- ployed to direct play at these centers Municipal funds were used for the en- tire support of the work in PA of the cities.
 In an effort to obtain the fullest possible report from the recreation field. a questionnaire was sent out to 2,476 cities and towns in the United States and Canada. Replies were re ceived from 1,170 of the number Many cities which did not respond in any way to the request for information are known to be carrying on public recreational activities in some form.
 The fact that 502 cities report play. grounds and recreation centers main- tained under paid leadership during the last year is considered most en- couraging by the association, repre-. senting as it does a satisfactory in. crease over 1920, when 465 cities s0 reported. The total of 4,5S4 centers also shows satisfactory growth, as compared with the 4,293 reported last year.
 In addition to the 5O2 cities which are carrying on recreatiOnal activities under paid leadership, centers are maintained in many other cities. as shown by the reports received. Among these are school playgrOunds in TOT cities. school playgrounds with special paid leaders in three cities, centers under volunteer leadership in six cities and unsupervised centers in 8 cities
 Fifty-one cities initiated the work during 1921. 34 of them wholly or part. ly under municipal control. In addi- tion, 20 cities report ground and equipment purchased with view to establishing the work. and 22 cities suggest definite plans for work next season.
 For colored Children.
 Of the 502 cities listed in the statis- tical table of the report. 6S show 147 centers used exclusively by coloretl children Some of the cities report playgrOunds used by both colored and white children.
 A steady increase in the number of employed leaders is a feature of the work. This years total, 11.07J. ex- ceeds the 1920 report by S6l. Of the number, 5.1S1 were men and 5,S9S women.
 As the number of trained workers in this field Is growing steadily. train. ing classes for them, whether enl- ployed or volunteer, are being estab- liShed in a growing number of cities There were 94 cities conducting such training classes in 1921. with an en- rollment in 90 of these cities of .'lSO Training classes for volunteer work CTS were conducted in 60 cities, d, compared with nine in 1920 and 3l of them reported an enrOllment oi 1890 students. A marked improvement! is shown in the number of cities re quiring civil service examinations for recreation positions in 1921, this bein: 41, as against 26 in 1920.