215 



Playgrounds and Recreation Centers as Factors in 

 Conservation of Human Life. 



Dk. \V. a. (iKKLEU. 



The enormous industrinl (U'volopiueiit of this coniitry in tlic i);ist 

 tliirty years lias brought witli it tlie serious problem of devisin.i,^ some 

 means whereliy the harmful effi-its of faetoi'y labor and the crowdin;;' oi 

 workmen ;uid their families into tenements and the districts about the 

 faetoiMes may l)e counteracted and coi'rected. ( )ur own native-liorn popu- 

 lation, as well as the hii'.:;est ]iropoi'ti<in of the inunii^rants that come to 

 our counti'y. ha\e bi'en forced to ada|)t themselves to a manner of life 

 which is ( idirely different from that to which thej' have l»een accustomed. 

 The child ^'rowing up in these surroundings, as well as the adult worker, 

 needs besides proper food and i)i-operly constructed dwelling houses the 

 playground and recreation center to preserve not only the physical but the 

 moral health of the class to which lie Itelongs. 



The conservation of the life and health of our population cannot be 

 attained through sanatoria and hospitals. From a business standpoint it 

 i.s very poor policy to build institutions to repair damage that has I)een 

 done and then not takt' the necessaiw steps of prevention. Although we 

 will never be aide to eradicate diseases (>ntirel,v there is a iiossibilit.v of a 

 great reduction in disease, and with it a lengthening of the average life 

 of the indhidnal. \\'e need i,iore than good housing conditions, a living 

 wage, pure tVxxl and proiier sanitary conditions in our factories to bring 

 about these things. 



Recreation and j)lay ai"e as necessary for rhe physh-al well-being as 

 are some of these other things just mentioned. The growing child needs 

 them for the proper development of his body and the adult needs them to 

 keep his bod.v in a healthy condition. Although the prevention of in- 

 fectious diseases is in the last anal.vsis a question of quarantine. th{> ])hysi 

 cal condition of tlie individual jtlays a very imjiortant jiart in every in- 

 fectious disease. As long as the conununity must suffer through the sick 



