Evening star., 1924-10-09
Recreation BODY
HEARS PRESIDENT
Coolidge, in Address to Joint
Conference, Pleads
for Tourists.

Consideration of the growing prob
lem of accommodations for motor
tourists was asked by President
Coolidge today Of the American Civic
Association. the American Institute
of Park Executives and the American
Park Society in an address at the
White House to delegates attending
the joint conference of those organ
izations here.
Members of the associations had
gathered here for three-day dis
cussion Of the development and use
OF national, State and municipal
parks. Their meetings were concluded
today.
In addressing the delegates MIR.
Coolidge said he took the liberty of
suggesting consideration of the prob
lem of accommodations in behalf of
the community as we'll as the motor
lists and because he believed it had
not yet received in most localities the
attention it deserved.
Pledges L. 5. support.
Pledging the support of the Gov
ernment to civic and welfare activi-
ties. the President reminded the dele
gates this must take the form prin-
cipally of example and encourage
ment, while the policies and methods S
in dealing with recreational interests
must be the concern more of local
government
The movement which you repre-
sent" Mr.. Coolidge declared, demon
strates again that our government
belongs to the people and functions
for the people. 1t is another example
of activities not for a few but for
the public, for all who choose to avail
themselves of what the government
offers them. 1t is the true American
way of government conducted to
serve all the people"
Recreation, the President declared.
is necessary in the accomplishment
of constructive and happy work.
More and better work is possible, he
said. when accompanied by more and
better play. Citing the numerous
parks and Fairgrounds now available
in the cities and the public reServa-
tions and good roads in the country,
he 1auded the organizations for their
accomplishments for recreation.
His address in full follows:
1T occurs to me as 1 greet you
ladies and gentlemen of the American
Civic Association, and the American
Institute of Park Executives, that
you are engaged in worthy and
wholly unselfish effort to help the
people to get the most possible cut
of life. On the whole, people are
apt to get more or less of satisfac-
tion out of existence, according, as
they put more or less of useful effort
into it. The American Civic Associ-
alton represents a broad program
which aims at bettering the living
conditions, the entire physical sur
roundings, of the people. One finds
in it's program somthing of the gen.
eral idea of taking to city life as
much as possible of the best that
country life affords; and in return.
of giving to country life SO much
as may be feasible of the best ele-
ments that contribute to existence
in the city. 1t is a good and a wise
program, certain to bring large bene-
fits to both country and city, if it is
wrought into the substance of prac-
tical accomplishments.
Recreation Vital.
Modern society has its definite sets
of problems of both the country and
the city. In general, you who are en-
gagged in this work are better able
to state them than l am. But / take
it that we will all agree that city life
needs the opportunities of natural
recreation, of freedom to move about,
of fresh air and sunshine, of relief
from congestion and noise. There
was time not SO long ago when we
would have added that the city peo-
pie needed better sanitation and more
healthful surroundings; but the prog
ress of municipal sanitation has been
such that in this regard the well ad-
ministered city is now shown by its
health records to be better off than
some of the open country. The coun-
try needs the social privileges and
the opportunities of community life
which are at once the advantage and
attraction OF the city. The country
ne eds more effective social, intellec-
tual and industrial corporations,
without sacrificing it's individualism.
The city needs freer play for the in
stinct of individualism, but wants to
achieve it without sacrificing the ben
eft of community corporations.
Both city and country have. in re-
cent decades, made long and impress
sive strides. toward their respective
goals. The truth is that the physical
circumstances of living were never
SO favorable and so comfortable for
so great a proportion of the people,
Do C4f,,