The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-10
Survey Director Urges Use
of Merit Instead of
Political System.
ASSERTS SCOPE SMALL
Only 0ne-Fourth of Staff
Competent, Council of
Agencies Told.

appointing the staff of Indianapolis
Fairgrounds, Eugene T. Lies, di-
rector of a recreational survey of
Indianapolis in progress for six
months, today urged drastic reor-
ganization of city recreation depart
ment on basis of strict merit.
That the department, under the
political system, is only 20 to Is
per cent efficient was his state
ment before a joint meeting of the
survey advisory committee and
Council of Social Agencies at Christ
Episcopal church parish house on
the Circle at a noon luncheon.
Leaves by Jan. 1.
The survey will be completed by
Jan. l. Lies will leave the city
then, but will return in February to
address a number of meetings and
give a complete report on all pub
lie, semi-public and private recrea-
tional agencies.
r. Walter Jarvis, superintendent
Of parks, and Jeffrey Mcclure, city
recreational director, attended the
meeting and heard the denunciation
of the political control of appoint
mentS.
politics has been the important
consideration in appointment OF
workers in the recreation depart
ment," Lies said at todays meet
ing. Fitness has been secondary
and often has had no determining
influence whatever. The result is
that only from one-fifth to one
fourth of the summer Fairgrounds
staff of $50 persons during the last
summer was competent and really
earned the wages paid.
1.-THE result has been that pro-
grams of activities has been limited
largely to baseball and apparatus
work whereas there are scores of
other possible things worthy of pro-
motion which appeal to deep human
hungers for expression and which
promote health, character, happi-
ness and good citizenship. These
are in fields of music, games, ham
dicraft, nature study ard dramatics.
Below Many Others
Though indianapolis ranks high
in the quality. distribution and up
keep of it's parks and fairly high
in the number of Fairgrounds, it
is below many communities of its
size and of smaller towns in the
nature and richness of its public
recreation activity program. 1t does
not cater sufficiently to adults, es-
pecially to women. Its community
house program has been weak, al
though this now is being strength
ened."
Lies recommended adoption by
the city of merit systems of ap-
pointment based upon exanina-
tions conducted by competent COM
mittees selected by the park board.
He suggested an examining group
comprised of representatives of
Butler university, Teachers college,
Indiana university and Normal col
lege of the American Gynnastic
Union.
Additional recommendations were
for better attendance records, larg-
er cooperative service to churches,
clubs, homes, hospitals, social work
ers and industrial plants in the way
Of counsel on entertainment pro-
grams, drama production, picnic
plans, back yard and home play;
portable shower baths to be taken
through congested districts for use
of children in the streets; improve
ments of shrubbery, surfacing and
equipment on Fairgrounds; better
pay for a merit-placed recreational
staff, and extension of the play
ground season into early October.
Commends Efforts
He commended efforts of the city
library, Art institute and Children's
Museum to reach into the schools
and serve them through travelling
exhibits and lectures. He urged
larger financial support for the
Children's Museum.
The recreation survey covered 159
firms with 59,677 workers, Lies re-
ported. Ninety-four, or 59.1 per cent,
Of these firms, with 47847 workers,
were found to have some sort Of
recreation facilities while Sixty-flve,
or 408 per cent, had no such facili-
ties.
In eleven firms, recreational di-
rectors are employed, forty-eight
give annual picnics and thirty-one
promote inter-firm athletics.
Luther L. Dickerson, public lbrar-
ian, reported to the meeting on a
special study Of adult education op-
portunity, declaring the public
library will pay more attention in
the future to this problem.