the National Forests 25 



here used are all estimates, they are carefully made upon actual 

 counts, and the final product is not far from the truth. 



The further matter as to the market value of this body of 

 recreation can be determined within reasonable limits. Mr. G. A. 

 Parker, superintendent cf parks in Hartford, Conn., the recognized 

 authority on such matters, computes that park recreation as 

 managed in the United States costs on the average 2 cents an 

 hour. This, however, is cost, not value. 



The human value of an hour spent in skating in a city park or 

 fishing in a National Forest would be hard to estimate; but ulti- 

 mate human values are seldom estimated in dollars and cents. 

 Our usual figures indicate merely commercial values, i. e., market 

 prices. Now the commercial value or market price of recreation 

 is determinable quite as easily and exactly as the price of beans 

 or books or tobacco. Enormous quantities of recreation are daily 

 bought and sold in the open market, and the prices are as well 

 recognized as for any commodity of commerce. The movies cost 

 10 cents or 15 cents; the vaudeville theaters cost 25 cents or 50 

 cents; the "legitimate drama" costs 50 cents to $2 a hearing; 

 concerts cost from 25 cents to $2; grand opera, $2 to $5; a base- 

 ball game costs 50 cents; the circus costs 50 cents for the big tent, 

 10 cents for the concert, and 10 cents for the side show. 



A moment's thought will show that 5 cents an hour represents 

 the absolutely minimum cost of commercialized recreation. In 

 some towns a person can buy the mild entertainment of an hour's 

 ride on the street cars for a nickel. There still are streets where 

 the movies perform indescribable rubbish for 5 cents. 



On the whole, however, it is perfectly clear that very few and 

 very questionable forms of recreation are offered at the price of 

 5 cents an hour. If we go up to 10 cents an hour the availabili- 

 ties improve. The movies are better; we can occasionally get into 

 a skating rink for a dime; we can buy an hour's reading in a cheap 



