Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01
Obtaining of Acreage in All
New Subdivisions Is
Advocated.
MRS. RHODES STRESSES
RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES
Ground Should Be Acquired First
in Tricky Populated
Areas, She Holds.

C,rcssing the need of ADDITIONAL
playground space, Mrs. Susie Root
Rhodes, supervisor of municipal play
grounds. recommended in her annual
report to the District Commissioners
yesterday that at least one-tenth OF
the area in all new subdivisions be &C
CURED for playground use.
Mrs Rhodes said the space should
be from two to five acres areas which
she thinks would be too small to
create dissatisfaction" A community,
she pointed out, should provide recre-
ationa, facilities for the adults as well
as the children, and is never satisfied
with a playground which meets the
needs of the younger children only.
Stresses Facilities for All.
Mrs. Rhodes urged that Fairgrounds
first be acquired in the thiCkly popu-
lated residential sections, but stressed
the Importance of acquiring ground i'll
the newly developed sections for play
ground purposes before the price be-
comes prohibitive. IF Washington is
to provide recreation facilities to meet
the needs of the thickly populated Sec
tons these should first be considered"
she declared; Fairgrounds on the out
skirts of the District cannot hope for
maximum attendance.
There has been neglect in obtain
ing in-toWn areas, as may be seen by
the lack of play space in the various
CloSe-in sections. After the in-toWn
Fairgrounds are provided it is well to
buy for future use in outlying sections
while land is obtaniable at acreage
prices"
Playground space, according to Mrs
Rhodes, should range from two to five
acres The skill of an engineer and
landscape gardener, she said, also
might well be used in developing the
in-toWn areas so that a playground
investment would represent more than
merely a play space. 1t should be, y
she declared, such as to increase land
values in a neighborhood as would a
beautiful park
why not" he asked spend as
much money on the children proper
tionately as the grown-ups?"
Advocates Improvements.
Mrs. Rhodes advocated the grading,
fencing and repairing of the various
municipal Fairgrounds and laid parti-
cular emphasis on the need for the
construction of field houses and the
improvement on the grounds. She also
advocated the construction of wading
pools on many of the grounds.
While Mrs. Rhodes did not indicate
the number of children who used the
Fairgrounds in the past fiscal year.
she estimated that they exceeded the
number of persons who enjoyed the
public parks. 1T would SEEM" she
said, that an amount equal to the
children's share of the money which
goes to beautify the public parks
should, for time at least, until we
catch up, be spent on the beautifica-
tion of children's play spaces. If a
part OF every playground could be
treated and Kept up as public park, it
not only would add to the beauty of
the city, but would add greatly to the
comfort and the pleasure of those of
cur citizens least able to take care of
themselves.
Field houses should be constructed
that are attractive and suited to the
neighborhood," said Mrs Rhodes, land
the buildings should be of such size as
to provide an indoor recreation room to
be used in extremely hot, cold or
stormy weather. At present. with the
exception of the Virginia avenue,
Georgetown and Rosedale Fairgrounds,
the shelters on the playfields which
the District owns, are not credit to
the city. The stone lodges constructed
by the Federal Government on the park
Fairgrounds are pleasing and satisfac-
tory Even there. however, should have
a larger playroom for indoor use.
Athletic Fields Are Urged.
ct again would emphasize the need
of improving many of our grounds by
providing for fieldhouscs, grading. sur
facing and draining the grounds, for
fencing, setting border strips, trees and
shrubS-in general making the play
grounds comfortable by having them
beautiful. Every section of the city
should have an athletic field large
enough to include running track. All
playf1elds should be Handicapped and
planted. Wading pools should be con-
structed on many of the grounds"
Mrs. Rhodes said that one of the
most popular activities on the play
grounds is horseshoe pitching. Next
in popularity, she said is Tin can golf"
a game originating on the playground.
Tether. mass games and speed ball, she
pointed out, are among the other popu-
lar games.