215 



Playgrounds and Recreation Centers as Factors in 

 Conservation of Human Life. 



Dk. W. a. CjEKLek. 



The enormous iiHlusti'i;il development of this country iu the juisr 

 thirty j'ears has brougllt with it the serious problem of devising some 

 means whereby the harmful effects of factory labor and the crowding of 

 workmen and their families into tenements and the disti'icts about the 

 facto)-ies may be counteracted and corrected. Oiu- own native-born i)opu- 

 lation, as well as the largest proportion of tlie immigrants that come to 

 our country, liave been forced to ada])t themselves to a manner of life 

 which is entirely different from that to which they have been accustomed. 

 The child growing up in these surroundings, as well as the adult worker, 

 npeds besides proper food and properly constructed dwelling houses the 

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

 moral health of the class to which he belongs. 



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

 attained througli sanatoria and hospitals. From a business stsindpoint it 

 is very poor policy to build institutions to repair damage that has been 

 tlone and then not take the necessary steps of prevention. Although we 

 will never be able to eradicate diseases entirely there is a i)ossibility of a 

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

 of the individual. We need hiore than good housing conditions, a living 

 wage, pure food and proper sanitary conditions in our factories to bi'ing 

 about these things. 



Recreation and ))lay are as necessary for the physical well-being as 

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

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

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

 fectious diseases is in the last analysis a cpiestion of quarantine, the physi 

 cal condition of the individual plays a very important part in ever,v in- 

 fectious disease. As long as the community must suffer through tlie sick- 



