Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
EXPERTS TO STUDY
RECREATION IN IS.
Seek to Educate Public on
Proper Use of Park
Areas.

Special Dispatch TO The STAR
ATLANTIC CITY, September 22.-
How best to use the extensive recre-
ational resources in and near American
cities. including parks, playgrouhoS,
beaches. schools and even churches lot
the maximum pleasure OF the peopie'
will be the theme discussed by 600 pup,
lie recreation executives VINO VIZ
gather here october 10 for the NJ
teenth national recreation congress uIi,
der auspices of the Playground anu
Recreation Association of America.
Recreational facilities have increased
rapjdlv since the beginning OF the pres
ent century More than Sl,O0O,OOO'ooOO00
has been expended for our 2oO;oou,uuu
acres of municipal parks ana Ihe!l
equipment and $l00,00O,O00 year Is
spent to maintain them, ACCORDING 10
the Playground and Recreation ASso-
citation In addition, S32,0oO'O0o was
expended in 1927 for organized play
grounds. athletics, swimming pools,
Summer camps. social recreation and
other activities under public auspices,
greatly exceeding sums invested Tor
this purpose in previous years. ana
these figures do not include the amount
spent for church-centered recreation
and the activities OF a number OF ma
tional recreation agencies.
Face Many Problems.
The large sum of money expended
for land and equipment, the cost OF
their maintenance, the unused oppor-
tunitieS for play in school buildings
shut up several months year, the un-
certainty among churches as to their
role in supplying recreation Tor their
members, the lack of standards and
proportion in a number of city recre-
alton systems and other problems LED
the recreation congress committee IN
the selection of its theme.
Municipal parks which now contain
many golf courses tennis courts ano
other recreational areas, began to de-
velop shortly after the Civil War, but
did not become impressive in number
until the turn of the century. In 1892,
about a hundred cities reported parks,
while in 1902 the number had grown
to 796. In 1926 communities provld-
ing parks totaled about 1920.
Since 1906, the number of cities re-
porting organized recreation has grown
from Al to 815 The expenditure for
active recreation mounted from S9,-
$4,000 in 1922 to twice the sum IN
1926 and more than three times that
amount or $32, 19l 900 last year. Bond
issues for recreation i'll the period 1928
1927 totaled S147,106,000.
The growing demand Of adults for
active sports has created special prob
lens for recreation executives. In some
cases, bond issues for golf courses are
being seriously considered, while Ser1-
Gus health and accident conditions,
which Fairgrounds. could relieve: are
ignored This situation is one OF the
questions which delegates to the recre-
alton congress will face.
Movement is Slow.
"The idleness of school buildings six
seventies of the hours of the year is a
condition with which the American peo-
pie are no longer satisfied" says joan
j. Tigert, former commissioner OF eau
cation. in a recent publication of bis
bureau. The use of the school plant
for recreation and social activities is
increasing, but the movement is SLOW
How to get the majority OF schools open
for evening use and how best to relate
the school building to other recreational
facilities is another question which the
recreation congress will consider.
OF increasing popularity among the
children on the Fairgrounds are nand-
craft activities. Many objects in WOOD.
tin, cork, clay, soap and other materials.
including pottery baskets, dolls, bitd
houses. toys and other things. Will De
exhibited at the recreation congress
But the most striking demonstration IN
this field will be the national play
ground miniature aircraft tournament
of model planes built by the boys them
selves. This will be held on october
and 6, concluding the congress. Both
indoor and outdoor meets will be held.
Reproductions of famous planes of re-
cent years, like Lindbergh's Spirit OF St.
Louis, as we'll as scientific models, Will
be flown This meet is under auspices
of a distinguished committee OF myers
and patrons of aviation, including Co.
Charles A. Lindbergh, F. Trubee Dav'-
sen. Assistant Secretary of War Tor
Aeronautics; Harry F. Guggenheim and
others.