Imperial Valley press., 1924-06-14
NO PRECEDENT FOR POLITICAL STATU'
$1,000 Available
TO EI Centre for
CityPlayground

An opportunity for FL Centro to
apply for gift of $4,000 for a play
ground is explained in letter re-
ceived from the Harmon Foundation
l40 Nassau street, New York, IN
which it is stated that 80 smaller
cities showing a growth of more than
30 per cent since 1900, will be Sc
lected for administration of a $780,
600 foundation which has been set
aside for this purpose
1t is expected that movement to
take advantage of the offer will be
started Immediately and responsible
organizations of the city will be
asked to assist in formulating the
application.
More than 500 preliminary appliea
tions have been received by the Har-
mon Foundation, in connection with
its offer to give 80 Fairgrounds to
growing communities during the pre-
sent year. This represents approx
mately one-fourth of the incorporat-
ed places in the United States which
show a growth of 80 per cent or
more since 1900 and which have
resident population of at least 5000,
according to the last United States
census. Inquiries have come from
every state in the union and appli-
cations have been received from all
but four. One application has also
been received from Alaska, indicat-
ing nationwide interest in the
question of securing play land.
The offer of the division of play
grounds of the Harmon Foundation
is open until July l, 1924, when all
formal applications must be received
at the foundation offices, lao Mas
san street, New York, N. Y. $4,000
will be available for each site and
not less than two acres will be con-
sidered for playground. This qua
lification eliminates from considera-
stion for this gift many valuable
and much needed play PLACES in larg
er communities, but it Is the desire
oftthe foundation to use the 100000
which has been set aside for this pur
pose to assist as many smaller rap
idly growing towns as possible to
acquire suitable permanent recrea-
ton centers before real estate values
make its purchase prohibitive for
non-remunerative activities.
Fairgrounds Are Necessary
Applications coming from subur-
ban sections of larger cities will be
considered where there is popula-
tion of at least 300 resident within
play distance of the proposed play
ground. Wherever the community
desires to make the offer of the
foundation part of a larger purchase.
the division of Fairgrounds will
consider such an application, provid-
ed the other conditions of the gift
are satisfactory.
While most cities and towns make
provision for play space today,
there are few places as yet which set
aside sufficient areas of centrally
located land for outdoor sports and
recreation, especially with reference
to future growth. The increasing
death rate among children run down
by motor vehicles while playing in
the street, more and more points
to the far reaching need of definite
places where children may engage
i'll normal, health developing games
without danger from traffic.
1t is the nature of children to
play. They need wholesome outdoor
recreation as part of their training
for adult life as good American cit
izens. To make sufficient or no
provision for play while forbidding
games in the streets is not only UNI
fair and tyrannical to the children
themselves, but results are invari-
ably detrimental to society itself.