Evening star., 1925-08-22
MORE PLAY SPACE
URGENTLY NEEDED
Supervised Grounds. Open
Year Round. Held Vital
for Safety's Sake.

ReGa rdiess OF whether or not play
grounds are 2 cure for juvenile de-
linQuency, all child welfare authorities
in The National Capital agree on one
IS urgently in
need of greatly increased facilities for
supervised play on a year-round basis
of operation
Although the value of Fairgrounds
as q pa slliative for child delinquency
may continue to he disputed oues-
ton, there seems to he no doubt as 70
their efficacy in reducing traffic scci
dents involving children forced to
play on the city's dangerous thorough.
fares, 10 say nothing of their worth in
raising the sta ndard of child health.
Here are some OF the recommenda
tions In the way OF playground i'm
proVements summed NJ for The Star
by Mrs. Susie Root Rhodes. super
visor OF District Fairgrounds:
l. There should be a playground
within walking distance oi every child
in the city. The little children under
six years old win not go more than
one-quarter OF mile to a playground,
while the children from 20 10 - wears
will travel one. half mile 10 play
ground. Older children. OF course; go
much farther than that 10 their
children must and do go much farther
tha n this to 2 laycround swimming
pool. OF which there are but two for
white children. one in the northeas ST
and one in Georgetown. and one for
colored children. the Howard, at 5th
and W streets
This SUMMER Is Best.
Last Summer and this Summer dur
ing the vacation period with % muni-
Cipal pla Vgrounds and 40 school
grounds In opera ton. the children of
Washington are better taken care OF
than ever before: Yet there are sec
tions where there is supervised
play.
.. There should be appropria ton In
Washington to use the Fairgrounds
u months OF the year, with super
vision.
). There should he an appropria tion
so that all the school grounds open
during he Summer vacation could he
the school term and on holidays.
4. In the opening OF new subdivi-
sions one-tenth Of the ground, ex-
elusive Of streets. should he set aside
for playground purposes.
5. Every playground should be pro
vided with either a wadins pool or
swimming pool.
6. Every playground should have A
field house large enough 10 provide
for indoor recreation in extremely hot
or cold weather
Z. The following additional play
grounds, each of large size. are sorely
needed: Northwest section. six white
and two colored: northeast. three
white and one colored southeast
three white and two coIore6, and
southwest. one white.
Restrictions Drive Children Ont.
At present there is but one white
playground I'm the entire southwest
section of the city. II is the Hoover
on the far outskirts of Delaware
avenue and Second street southwest.
The southwest Ia well supplied with
colored grounds: in fact. apparently
TOO well supplied, IL the use being
made of certain OF them is an indica
ton. A visit TO the elaborate iilow
Tree Alley ground near midday dis
closed that while scores of colored
children We're having the time of their
young lives playing in the streets
skirting the Willow Tree block, scar
cely half dozen children were max
ing Use of the play facilities provided
for them by the Municipal Govern
ment al great cost. Several colored
men were lounging in the shade. how
ever. The grounds were grown up
with high weeds. AS though but few
children We're in the habit Of playing
there.
Il asked Willow Tree alley hoy
who had been arrested on petty
charge why he didn't stay of the
streets and play<on the Willow Tree
playground" Probation Officer San
ford OF the Juvenile Court remarked
in this connection. He replied that
they wouldn't let the boys play the
way they wanted TO there. Perhaps
the play directors should let down a
little on their restrictions, rather than
drive youngsters to the streets or cor
ner lots"