EXPEEIEXCES— EECOMMEXDATIOXS 299 



fifteen new parks of that system "Xeighborhood-Center 

 Buildings/' or ^'field houses/"' is, I believe, most commend- 

 able and a practical move in the right direction. 



In these recreation houses are assembly halls, for district 

 meetings, lectures, etc. ; a branch of the public library, club- 

 rooms, refectories, gymnasiimis, s"^iimning pools, etc. All 

 have running tracks, and an outdoor g}Tiinasium for addi- 

 tional service in summer, wading pools and sand pits for 

 children, swings, giant strides, and other athletic para- 

 phernalia, all under the supervision of a gymnasium direc- 

 tor, and all free to any person conducting himself or her- 

 self properly. 



Although these field houses were opened for the first 

 time in the past simimer (1905), they have been patronized 

 by hundreds of thousands of people, and beyond the expec- 

 tations of those advocating their construction in the parks. 

 The 'Tublic thus receives a continuous and ample return 

 on its investment — daily dividends in health, happiness 

 and progress. 



While this plan for the enlarged use of public parks 

 is something of an innovation, it combines, with the ^''park 

 beautiful,*' the park practical, and vastly increases for the 

 mass of people the usefulness of their pleasure grounds 

 throughout the year. That the present trend of activity 

 and agitation for more playgrounds in all centers of popu- 

 lation will gradually develop into some such enlarged use 

 of the parks, is, I believe, inevitable. And the sooner the 

 people of Essex Coimty are enabled to enjoy increased 

 benefits and extended opportunity for recreation, in return 

 for their generous appropriations for the parks here, the 

 better. While the park system has been irretrievably in- 

 jured by the loss of one of the vitally important parkways, 

 the parks are susceptible of great possibilities for the fu- 

 ture. The 3,600 acres of park lands are forever dedicated 

 to park uses. A portion of this area is already embellished 

 with the best of modern park improvements. Other at- 

 tractive features and utilitarian conveniences will from 

 time to time be added. 



