Evening star., 1938-09-05

nned by white uneS-lS not only q
mass of rocks and cinder but broken
glass as well. No sliding into Sec
ond base there!
The largest white area in Southwest
is the Hoover Playground. Delaware
avenue and N streets SW. Slightly
better equipped than its colored neigh
Dor. it still has only few swings.
seesaws and sand boxes, no trees, q
sun-baked, weed-grown playing field,
a mere shack of field house A
wading pool is being built, but through
a private donation.
Smaller Grounds Better.
The smaller neighborhood play
grounds are in slightly better condi-
tion. Here exist tennis courts, basket
ball standards, ball diamonds of lin
tied area, wading and sometimes SWIM
ming pools, slide swings, sand boxes,
etc. But there is little attempt made
at landscaping, planting of shade
trees, providing places for nurses and
mothers to sit. There is often nc
grass to speak of and the full heat
of an August sun beats down unmer-
cifully. A shady street might pos
sibly prove more enticing
Typical of a neighborhood area is
Georgetown Playground, Thirty-fourth
and Volta streets NV. It is one of
the three Oldest Fairgrounds in the
District. Funds for its purchase were
appropriated in 1907. It has, to be
sure, swimming pool of the old-style,
fill-and-draw type, but the question
whether its tennis courts should be
clay or grass has been left entirely
up to Mother Nature Its ball field
is dusty and unattractive and its
shade corner for little children Moth
ing but dirt patch under a tree.
Park View Playground, Warder and
Otis streets NV, is another. Its
equipment is fair but its surface would
do credit to a main trunk highway
and the heat waves rise visibly from
its unshaded area.
In the areas intended to be served
by these centers a number of children
are often found playing in the streets.
Palisades Exception.
Glaring exception is the Palisades
Potomac avenue and
Weaver street NV. Here, because
Of P. w. A. funds, a carefully planned
play area has been created. Futher-
more, it is popular.
Perhaps the presence of children
playing in the streets is partly due
to the fact that mothers are not suf-
flciently acquainted with the facilities
at their children's disposal. It has
been suggested to the Traffic Safety
Committee that circulars listing recre-
ational facilities be disseminated to
the public and propagandized. T. has
also been suggested that use of play
grounds be furthered in the class
rooms of the city's schools. In New
York older girls are taught that if
they take their little sisters to play
grounds their time will be free for
other activities. These girls grow up
to be mothers.
In the case of the Palisades Play
where facilities are adequate
and attractive, both children and
mothers are enthusiastically present.
1t is, therefore, questionable whether
residents need be informed of facili-
ties in their own neighborhood. It
has been shown in other cities that
it takes little time for attractive
areas to become well known and
patronized
Questions of Program.
1t is a question, however, whether
equipment and physical attractive
ness alone will draw" youngsters to
play areas. There are the questions
of program and supervisory person.
mel to be considered It is obvious
that children would be more likely
to patronize Fairgrounds and stay
out of danger if the games and other
activities and the personality and
of the supervisors appealed
to them
In considering a program it is nat
ural to assume that any program
developed to keep Washington young
sters off dangerous streets would nee
essarily be limited by the facilities
available to place such program
in operation. If facilities are lacking,
the program, of necessity, would be
lacking also.
Each year a Program Co-ordinating
Committee under the Craftsmanship
of Mr.. Barrett maps out a compre-
hensive program to attract young
sters to the city's recreation areas.
1t sets up hours when play areas
should be open. what activities should
be pursued, whether they should be
on a unit, interunit or
city-wide basis; how children should
be classified as to age and ability
and how the three agencies in charge
of Washington recreation-the Play
ground Department. the Community
Center Department and the Office of
National Capital Parks-should CO.
operate to put the program into effect.
But let it be assumed for the sake
of argument the program is adequate
for the city's need. There is yet to
be considered the problem of three
way cooperation in carrying it out.
The heads and other officials of
the three agencies which supervise
recreation in Washington serve on
Mr.. Barrett's committee. The pro-
gram specifically urges that the di-
rector and stan of each unit give
consideration in planning their pro-
gram to co-ordinating these programs
with the programs Of other units"
But Mr.. Barrett-guide, philosopher
and friend to recreation authorities
but with no authority himself-admits
that coordination on the program
gets little beyond the printed pages
Of the programs mimeographed copies.
The three agencies prefer to run
their own show" he said yesterday.
He pointed out that because recre-