Evening star., 1925-08-16
Fairgrounds.

The supervisor of Fairgrounds in
her annual report TO the Commission
ers empha sizes the need of recreation
equipment. The desira bility of the
playground has pa ssed beyond the
stage of debate. All sound arguments
are on the side OF play spaces for the
children. Everybody believes in them.
In other years ii was necessary TO
convert considera BILE number to the
doctrine that ii is good policy in
a city. TO provide public grounds for
children with play in supervision. and
| it is recalled that ii was necessary to
convert large numbers to the idea that
il was good policy, even a duty, for
the city or State to provide schooling
for children. II was necessary to con-
vert many 10 the thought that it is
wise policy for a city to set apart
| tracts of land as parks Newer cities
have got the playground idea and are
giving il application. Older cities have
found it more difficult for obvious rea-
sons TO take land of high value, with
draw it from the tax list and devote 1T
! tc public recreation, but the old towns
have generally come around and are
setting apart Fairgrounds for chill
dren.
The supervisor urges that Wash
ington Fairgrounds be kept open all
the year, that school Fairgrounds be
kept open in vacation term, that every
i
use in bad weather and that every
playground have a wadins pool. The
| wadiRg pool. IL there is one thing 8
child adores when days and months
are hot it is a wadins place. 1t is
! recrea ton that takes 81 child's mind
| OF it's serious problems. Smile II YOU
| Will, but lie YOU will reflect YOU can
( think back to childhood days and re-
Icall that your problems seemed as op-
pressive as today's problems Of max
| ing ends meet and answering the calls
| of tax collectors. The problem of
| learning lessons was a tough one.
Smiles and appreciation Of parents and
teacher must be had, but the garden
porch steps were such a suitable place
for playing jacks, the safe and quiet
sidewalk was the very place for roll
ing a hoop and the common was a
fine place to play ball The necessity
Of learning lessons by heart was a
hardship. There was also the problem
OF convincing mother that another
slice Of bread with butter and sugar
would do no harm, and there was the
mighty problem of earning ten cents by
running erlands or pulling weeds that
the shining disc might be cha nged into
base ball. There was the problem of
" Werking the old ma n so that he would
loosen up for glass of soda water or
paper bag Of molasses taffy. The
problem OF getting pair OF rubber
boots or velocipede was one OF the
serious things Of life.
Washington boys and girls, when
The town was small, did not need pub
lie grobnds ss children need them now.
Houses. had yards or gardens, and
grass was so common that few per
sons thought of sticking up signs
Keep of the Grass" Houses had
rooms large enough for playing Puss-
Gants-a- Corner and Blind Ma n s. Bun.
Many boys, reaching the mature age
, Of ten. took to playing in the street
and it was only now and then that
| one was knocked down by horse
| car, a cart, broughsm. victoria, Ian
dau, phaeton, buggy or suiky. Some
ia sh and adventurous boys took TO the
alleys and commons. Desperate boys
would make excursions TO the utter
most parts of the world, such as Me
ridian Hill or Blooniingdale, and some
reckless, boys who knew not fear
would go to such fesrsome distances
| as Mount Pleasant, Klingle Ford and
Pierce's Mill In view of changed con-
ditions in the city and the higher
| standard of scholarship and deport-
ment demanded of little children al.
most anybody can see that the public
! playground is a good thing.