UC-NRLF B M 503 W X /J &1B)H^©M fiCJfpTJ f^ntf^?^ TMm W®W£ 3La33&s °° °°O^Q°R>°° °°-C3°~[0)pp°0- o ° °°-i> -* frf (*9 - 1- 1 w ©mirwdf Price 50 Cents Prepared by a Special Committee of the Madison Board of Commerce Copyrighted, 1915, by the Madison Board of Commerce, Madison, Wis. TRACY & KILGORE, PRINTERS MADISON. WIS. REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE Organized by the Madison Board of Commerce at the request of its Committee on Health, Recreation and Charities to Approve, Support and Determine the Nature and Scope of the Survey Chairman — C. W. Hetherington. Professors— E. A. Ross, J. L. Gillin, W. H. Dudley, G. W. Ehler. Churchmen— Rev. F. A. Gilmore, Rev. A. A. Ewing, Rev. P. B. Knox, Rev. O. G. Siljan. Public School Interests — Thos. Lloyd Jones, Carl Tenney. Associated Charities — Rev. Geo. E. Hunt. Humane Society — Prof. L. B. Wolfenson. Truant Officer— Miss Martha Riley. Y. M. C. A.— Frank H. West. Trades Unions — Charles Burghardt. The Woman's Club— Mrs. John Aylward. The Woman's Civics Club— Mrs. W. G. Bleyer. Park and Pleasure Drive Association — E. N. Warner. Board of Police Commissioners — Jabe Alford. Press — Mrs. Richard Lloyd Jones, Mrs. O. D. Brandenburg. Olympic Club — C. H. Powell, Wm. Carey. Madison Medical Society — Dr. A. G. Sullivan. Madison Garden Association — L. L. Oeland. Volunteers of America — Capt. Morgan Griffiths. Art Association — Wm. H. Varnum. At Large — Mrs. Joseph Jastrow, Mrs. Joseph Hobbins, Victor H. Arnold. 324154 in LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL To the Committee on Health, Recreation and Charities, Madison Board of Com- merce, Madison, Wis. Gentlemen: We have the honor to transmit herewith the Madison Play and Recreation Survey, conducted by the Executive Committee of the Representative Committee appointed by the Board of Commerce for the organization of this survey. Inas- much as the survey covers the whole scope of play and recreation and was entered upon with thoroughness in order that it might serve as a real guide in constructive civic effort, and inasmuch as most of the preliminary work has been done by the voluntary help of persons already burdened with many duties, it has taken longer to complete it than was originally expected. The Committee feels, however, that the results are worth the effort and cost. Respectfully submitted, Executive Committee Conducting the Survey. Clark W. Hetherington, Chairman. Mrs. Joseph Jastrow. Mrs. Joseph W. Hobbins. Martha Riley. J. L. Gillin. W. H. Varnum, succeeded by Frank H. West. Thomas Lloyd Jones, succeeded by Victor H. Arnold. H. J. Reber £ Committee June, 1915. David E. Berg ) Secretaries. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Lists of representatives and executive committees )» • i IV Letter of transmittal . List of illustrations, tables, and charts • vm Foreword Introduction Nature of Recreational Problem 1 Economic Value of Recreational Facilities l Purpose of Survey Point of View Organization ^ CHAPTER I. Map Surveys Purpose S Distribution of Population by Wards Buildings and Open Spaces Comparison of Child Population and Space Conclusions 5 6 8 CHAPTER II. Promotional Organizations City Garden Association IO Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association 12 CHAPTER III. The City Government Public Parks . . .■ l6 Conclusions — Parks 2 ° Play Fields 2I Park Playgrounds ll The Zoo Bath Houses 2 3 Boat Houses 2 3 vi Contents Band Concerts 24 Refectories 24 A Municipal Natatorium 24 A Municipal Gymnasium 24 The Free Library 25 CHAPTER IV. The Public Schools As a Recreational Center 27 Special Districts 27 School Playgrounds 28 Summer Use of Playgrounds 30 School Grounds and Street Traffic 31 School Gymnasiums 33 Evening Use of Schoolhouses .' 34 Summary of Schools 36 CHAPTER V. Private, Philanthropic and Social Organizations Scope, Purpose and Method 42 Social and Recreational Clubs 43 Churches 44 Fraternal and Insurance 47 Labor Unions 48 Literary, Musical, Patriotic, etc 49 Philanthropic 50 CHAPTER VI. Commercial Recreation Motion Pictures 52 Theatres , 59 Vaudeville 59 Dance Halls 59 Across-the-lake Dances 62 Roller Skating Rinks 62 Boat Liveries 62 Billiard and Pool Halls 62 Bowling Alleys 63 Loafing Places 64 Candy and Ice Cream Parlors 66 Saloons 66 1 Contents vii CHAPTER VII. Natural Outdoor Facilities Use of the Lakes 68 Safety of Lakes 7° Fields and Woods 71 Winter Sports 71 * CHAPTER VIII. Home Work and Play of Children Purpose and Method of Survey 74 Outdoor Recreation 75 Indoor Recreation 77 Amusements 78 Personal Activities. . . .' 79 Home Work 80 Earning Activities 80 Religious Activities 80 Work and Play Influences 81 Grade and School Comparisons 82 Conclusions 82 School, Church and Family Opportunities 86 CHAPTER IX. Social and Educational Conditions of Play Community Conditions and Conduct (Dr. William Healy) 88 Results of Neglect of Play 91 Results of Neglect of Play and Recreation 92 Juvenile Delinquency 93 Recreation in Madison (Dr. J. L. Gillin) 94 CHAPTER X. General Conclusions Facilities for Play and Recreation 97 Needs by Groups of People 98 Agencies 100 Committee Proposed 102 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, TABLES AND MAPS Illustrations Page Interior of City Block 6 Drawing of Improved City Block 7 Arrangement of Residence Lot 9 Work of City Garden Association 11 Children's Day, Henry Vilas Park 17 Railway Parkway 19 Typical Block, Forest Hills Gardens 20 At Tenney Park 21 Vilas Park Zoo 22 Doty School Showing Playground 32 Washington School Playground 33 At Monona Park 68 Ice Boating 69 Class Rush 70 Toboggan Slide 72 Play Facilities 76 A Crowded Quarter 89 Conditions that Could be Remedied 94 Environment to be Eliminated 95 Tables and Charts. Table 1 — City's population by wards 5 Table 2 — Special districts, illustrating notable conditions 27 Table 3- — Evening use of schools 35 Chart 1 — School districts and the school as a district center 27 Chart 2 — School playgrounds, size and equipment 29 Chart 3 — School playgrounds, use and supervision 30 Chart 4 — Summer use of playgrounds 30 Chart 5 — School gymnasiums 33 Chart 6 — Use of high school gymnasium 33 Maps. Map 1 — Distribution of children between the ages of 4-10 inclusive 8 Map 2 — Distribution of buildings and open spaces 8 Map 3 — Areas of the city more than a half mile from any park 18 vin FOREWORD It is conceded by modern city planners and community builders that the city of greatest material growth in the future will be that city which gets the largest number of people to acknowledge the superior quality of its human background. It was in response to this fundamental principle of urban and community development that an inventory of the positive and negative factors of recrea- tion in Madison — "the four lake city" — was undertaken by this Board. A con- siderable outlay of time and money has been expended in this study. Time was freely given by a large number of men and women. Without the co-operation of these men and women this study could not have been made even if five times the financial outlay were expended. Adequate play and recreational facilities have too important a future eco- nomic value for a community to inventory the present worth of a study such as this from the standpoint of financial outlay alone. Then, too, a large proportion of crime and misery is found to have its inception in negative recreational facili- ties. Ample provisions for recreation are often so deciding a factor in the locating of a home or industry, or in attracting to a city a convention or a tourist party, that their importance in any movement for community promotion cannot be over estimated. If more efficient recreational opportunities can secure for the rising gen- eration a lower average of crime and vice and if, in addition, it is good business for a city to capitalize its recreational assets, then this study of recreation in Madison- ''the four lake city" — Wisconsin will have more than fulfilled its purpose. DIRECTORS MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE By E. M. McMAHON. Secretary. October 1. 1915 ^""" * lg ^ s ^ =i: ^^'^ c=a 5 -i^- ~ — ■ — ■ al to ^«« g ' ■ fl lip^ INTRODUCTION THE NATURE OF MADISON'S RECREATIONAL PROBLEM Madison's Natural Advantages. Surrounded as Madison is by four beautiful lakes, and possessing considerable park areas and many driveways, it offers unri- valed opportunities for all sorts of outdoor sports and recreation. All that is neces- sary to enable people to take advantage of these resources is a certain amount of planning and some outlay to furnish certain necessary facilities. For example,, to utilize the lake, bath-houses, boat-houses, boat rentals, skating rinks are necessary and should be provided. Congestion and Need for Play Space. Despite these natural advantages", Madison has been developing certain tendencies which characterize all American cities, bad housing, congested population, lack of play space in immediate vicinity of the homes, dangerous traffic streets and railroad tracks where children are forced to play. To.remedy this-evil is one of the large tasks of the people of Madison. Space for healthful play and exercise should be provided for both young and old, play- grounds for small children, playfields where youths and boys can play baseball, basket ball, and football and tennis. Parks and resting places for mothers and older people should be available. Indoor Sports and Games. For the wintertime and for bad weather when out door facilities are not available, other provisions are necessary. Gymnasiums, natatoriums, social clubs, play rooms and reading rooms must be available. Schools should be open for evening use under the direction of a skilled community secretary. Schools, the library, churches, fraternal organizations, all should work together to furnish the facilities for indoor play and recreation. Precautionary Plans and Measures. It is to check evil tendencies, to head off what might become unsolvable problems, to arouse interest and obtain action on one of the most vital of modern problems that this recreational survey was made. The movement for healthful play and recreation abounds in great possibilities for the regeneration and saving of modern society. Madison should do its part for its own citizens by promoting proper play and recreation. THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF HEALTHFUL AND ADEQUATE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES Society's Burden of Crime and Vice. Adequate and healthful play and recre- ational facilities are seen to be positive economic assets to any community when one considers the cases of the large cities like New York, Chicago, etc., where commer- cialized recreation is often the preliminary step to vice and crime. One should also consider the enormous amounts of money spent on police protection, the loss of property, the cost of courts, the costs of jails and other corrective institutions. 2 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE One realizes how intimately the misuse of leisure time is associated with the faults and failures of society as a whole. Moreover, when one realizes that a large pro- portion of this crime and misery had its beginning in lack of proper play and recrea- tion, one can easily appreciate the great economic burden that vice and crime puts on the shoulders of society and workers. Any scheme that provides facilities for healthful play and recreation, substitutes constructive for destructive interests, certainly deserves the support of the public. Reduction of crime and vice will mean the reduction of the number of non-producers and a corresponding increase in society's producers. This would tend toward a reduction in taxes. What ap- plies to larger cities applies, as well, although to a lesser degree, to all cities. Good Recreation Means Good Health. But proper recreation is not only a preventive influence; it is a positive and constructive asset to all citizens, of one's •own health and that of his wife and children. Money cannot buy health and happiness directly, but can only furnish the means and provide favorable condi- tions for them. One of these favorable conditions is proper recreational facilities. Attracts Prospective Industries and Citizens. Again, ample recreational and play facilities are an economic asset to any city. Strangers are attracted to beautiful -cities affording such facilities, and this is very often a deciding influence in the ■choice of a home. Industries as well as home-dwellers appreciate the value of such advantages and wish to be located in a city possessing them. Beautiful and health- ful recreational facilities, whether natural or artificial, are a commercial asset. Increases Working Power of Employees. From the commercial and industrial viewpoint, proper recreation possesses additional merit. Supplanting vitiating, ■enervating activities by healthful upbuilding activities is certainly to the advantage of the employer of labor as well as to the workers themselves. A man or woman who has spent an hour or two on healthful gymnastic exercise or outdoor sport the evening before will assuredly do better work than one who has wasted the evening or worse than wasted it. A proper use of leisure time is an economic asset to both employer and employee. Value of a Recreation Committee. A recreation committee directing and -co-ordinating the efforts of all the various agencies of the city engaged in furnishing recreation would enable these agencies to prevent duplication of work and useless expenditure of money. It would co-ordinate the efforts of the public school with those of other city agencies and thus prevent unnecessary duplication. Again, such a committee could push plans to utilize inexpensive natural resources, thus saving the money of the city government and that of its citizens as well. The most •expensive facilities for play are not always the most attractive or healthful; the natural resources are very often the most valuable and attractive. Developing Back Yards and Gardens. A campaign to clean up the back yards and provide play space for children will lessen the burden of the schools and city in providing play space, and will save the parents time, worry and money. Develop- ment of gardens for children and adults will bring about a happy combination of play and recreation, with an interest in growing things, will furnish fresh vegetables for the table, and decrease the family expenses. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 3 Early Investment Means Saving. Experience in other cities, especially in the large cities, has shown that sooner or later the problem of providing play space and healthful recreational facilities is as inevitable as providing police or fire protection. New York is tearing down valuable buildings to provide play space for the children. Chicago is paying immense sums of money for park and play space that a few years ago could have been bought for a fraction of the price. As Madison grows, the same urgent problem arises. Congestion of population, the increase of building area and the decrease in space will force the issue. If Madison will purchase land now, while comparatively cheap, and set this aside for play space and recreation in- stead of paying exorbitant prices later, it will be money ahead in the end. PURPOSE The purpose of this Play and Recreation Survey is to reveal the facts concerning play and recreation in Madison and make recommendations for improvement where it is considered advisable, or specifically: (1) To determine what the recreational needi or demands of the population of Madison are as indicated by their activities and efforts. (2) To discover what facilities there are to meet these needs by a survey of the city and its environment, and by a study of the various agencies that supply recre- ation. (3) To indicate the social, educational and economic influences of the various recreational activities as they exist. (4) To show where the facilities of the better class that exist might be more effectively used and where other facilities, organizations and effort are needed. (5) To make recommendations concerning needs, facilities, influences, organi- zations and effort, and propose a plan for constructive civic effort that will make the play and recreation life of this city wholesome and progressively better. The facts portraying and underlying these several purposes will give to citizens the basis for an intelligent consideration of the play and recreation problems of Madison. It is just as important to find out what the city does not need as what it does need. Without these facts and conclusions presented as a whole, citizens can know little relatively about the good or bad influences of the various recreational activities actually in progress, and all effort toward the improvement or better organization of recreation will be haphazard and without co-ordination to an end. POINT OF VIEW It is essential in considering the problems presented in this survey to understand the special significance of the child's and youth's play as contrasted with adult recreation. Play as it should be understood comprises practically every important activity of the young child, and this is true, to a less extent, of the youth. Play of childhood not only influences the leisure time habits of later life, but the play itself is a profound character-making influence. Play is the child's business in life; adult recreation is generally a matter of 4 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE spending so-called leisure hours. But although probably less important than the child's play, the method of spending leisure time has of course a very material influence upon life. A recognition of this fact is seen in the provisions many indus- trial enterprises make for recreation of employees. ORGANIZATION The Play and Recreational Survey of Madison was initiated by the Committee on Health, Recreation and Charities in March, 1914. As such a survey touches every phase of community life, a large sub-committee representative of all the organized social interests in the city was formed and asked to consider, approve and agree to support the proposed survey. This committee had four meetings, discussed plans for the survey as to its need, the value of the several items suggested and its relations to a general city survey, then turned over the execution of the plans formulated to a small working executive committee. CHAPTER I MAP SURVEYS Purpose. This section of the report presents graphically and in statistical tables (i) the distribution of the population of the city, (2) the distribution of build- ings and open spaces, (3) the distribution of recreational facilities, especially com- mercial recreation. These maps and tables give material for conclusions concerning (1) the present- day recreational problems of sections of the city in relation to available space, and (2) the building tendencies of the city in relation to future congestion of population and recreational facilities. They give also the background for consideration of problems in distribution of population and facilities treated in other sections of this report. Distribution of Population by Wards Table 1 gives the population of each ward, the distribution per acre, and information concerning the number of children in each ward by age periods. Com- pare with table giving the same data by school districts. Map 1 shows graphically the distribution of child population according to the school census. Each dot represents a child. The triangle 4-1 1 years of age inclusive. The square 12-14 years of age inclusive. The circle I 5 _I 9 years of age inclusive. The school census is taken in June when many families are out of the city- The census is therefore inaccurate, especially in certain distiicts, but not so much so as to destroy the significance of the map. Buildings and Open Spaces Map 2 shows to scale all buildings within the parts of the city surveyed. There will be noted a decided influence upon building conditions due to the location of the central part of the city between the lakes. Some serious city planning needs indirectly connected with this survey will not be considered here. From the purely play and recreational standpoint, the distribution of space about the majority of homes cannot be severely criticised, though much of this . space is not now available as is pcinted out below. 6 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Certain sections, however, are already congested. We do not refer to the business sections of the city so much as the sections where too great subdivision of the lots has taken place and where residential alleys are developing. These sec- tions show the effect of poor planning combined with a desire on the part of the owners to secure greater rent for each foot of land. They are, therefore, noticeable in the Latin Quarter, especially where the rooming houses are smaller and their inhabitants only moderately well-to-do. In the rooming house districts nearer the center of the city the absence of alleys has checked the tendency to subdivide. Subdivision is seen in purely residential districts of the sixth ward. It seems quite certain that the serious results of overcrowding will be felt in this city as it has been in any number of others if regulations are not adopted to A Little Planning Would Make this Interior Block Useful for Recreation Purposes. check present tendencies. Our death rate is now approximately two and a half times as great as that of Bourneville, England, a typical garden city; and our death rate will tend to increase as our city becomes less like the garden cities. Comparisons of Child Population and Space A comparison of the child population (Map i) with the distribution of space (Map 2) reveals some important facts and problems with reference to the play of children especially. The present study must restrict its attention largely to the more important conditions and tendencies. We have described in Table 2 five districts illustrating these. Map 2 shows a remarkable uniformity in the matter of location of dwellings: upon the lots throughout the city. It will be seen that the widely accepted prin- MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 7 ciple is that of placing the house very near the street, leaving only a small front yard. The deep city lots (132 feet) consequently afford each home a large back yard. Block after block is framed by dwellings and has an open interior except where stables and sheds or moved-back houses are to be found. For example, note the arrangement in the fourth and eighth wards. The open space is in the back yards. In much of the fifth ward, in the eighth ward generally, in the part of the second ward designated by the table, near the railway lines in the sixth ward, in the north quarter of the ninth ward, it will be seen that areas of the city having plenty of open space do not have much available space. The space is largely occupied by chicken coops, chicken yards, outhouses, sheds, fences, clothes lines, trash heaps and even Wash Drawing Illustrating How Interior City Blocks May Be Made Useful as Well as Beautiful . garbage piles in some cases. Gardens and lawns are not unknown in any section,, but they are by hundreds of residents entirely neglected. The larger part of the possible lawn area not now available is not being em- ployed in any useful manner. It is being wasted outright. But even if the space is conserved and this sort of waste eliminated, the result is the same — lack of much, needed garden and lawn and the evils resulting therefrom — virtual congestion. When such short-sighted economy and lack of foresight is characteristic of a- considerable section of the city, the result is especially bad. The figures for the density of population do not show this variety of congestion. It means a lack of play space for games of the community's children except in the streets or elsewhere, equally undesirable. It means also that play of the best kind is discouraged. Nor are the bad conditions in these districts generally relieved by entirely- vacant lots. These are very rare in the central portions of the city. School playgrounds are available to a greater or less extent everywhere, but they are too far from most of the homes to solve this problem and never can take the place of private space. s* Map No. 1. Distribution of Child Population Key: Triangle, 4-11 years of age inclusive Square, 12-14 years of age inclusive Circle, 15-19 years of age inclusive Map No. 2. All Buildings within the Parts of City Surveyed. All Buildings 14- rj ALLEY - **- C/3 c TO TO re re TO O »5 re TJ O 50 re pi re re r o C/5 3" O 3' TO O < CO r> i TO ~< O C re <-t- o p ", o ? sssos^^wiSiass^P!^ > I* C/> =c r Co O IT Hand Ball S-JO J* ^ > r o SLIDE »■'» Tee ts* 2-n I 5 vvrfji Pt Q | r 7 ,5 *J o r ,c > «f£ r > Co IT —4 7 ri" iffK t J K»lS 6 PI 5 I 9 Er WA L K O' P)OUL&V^R|P S T £ & E T CHAPTER II PROMOTING ORGANIZATIONS No organizations definitely working solely or principally to promote recreation are found in Madison except two, each devoting its efforts to specific fields. These are (i) the City Garden Association and (2) the Park and Pleasure Drive Associa- tion. Both of these "organizations have public funds at their disposal, i. e., have certain public administrative functions. THE CITY GARDEN ASSOCIATION The City Garden Association was first organized through the efforts of the edu- cational department of the Woman's Club, in 191 2. It has been from the first a voluntary organization of persons inter- Organization ested in the garden movement. It is now controlled by eight direc- tors elected annually by the members, and who in turn elect the officers, president, secretary and treasurer, from among their number. These three officers constitute the executive committee. During its first two years, the Association was supported entirely by its Support membership fee of $1.00 and by individual contributions. In 1914, $200 • was received from contributions and membership, and in addition $500 was appropriated by the Board of Education for carrying on the school garden work. The same amount has been appropriated for 191 5. In 1913 and 1914, the school garden work received $100 and $120 in savings accounts from the Savings Loan and Trust Company to be awarded as prizes for the best gardens. The same company gives $120 this year. The land used by the Association is supplied by holders of vacant lots in Land various parts of the city. Two directions of activity are to be noted: (i) that of supplying "family gardens," or gardens for adults, and (2) that of organizing school gardens. The phase of the work having to do with the securing of land for adults Family and aiding them in gardening has not as yet been developed extensively. Gardens but steps are luing taken toward increasing activity in this direction for the coming year. The Association undertakes to supply prepared land and, when necessary and possible, instruction and supervision. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 1 1 In 1914, 165 school children had gardens. Prepared land, seeds and ex- School pert instruction were supplied by the Association. Prizes included Gardens various awards for meritorious gardening and four for the best note- books. The rivalry between various garden groups of the city afforded an extra impetus toward successful work. The schools are this year introducing work in English calculated to prepare the pupils for garden work. From the first the teachers have been active in encour- aging an interest in gardening and have distributed application blanks which, when 1 Work of the Madison Garden Association. countersigned by the parent, entitled the child to a garden. Late applicants are placed on waiting lists, and from these lists children are found to take up abandoned gardens if there be any. Value of Work Added to the benefits of fresh air and healthful exercise, there are other benefits in gardening of special significance to the young gardeners. Children are trained in directions useful and productive; many take pride in contributing to the support of their families, and all learn practical lessons in economics, ethics, science and discipline without realizing it. The good work of the Garden Association need not be judged alone by the positive benefits of this kind. Said a business man in one section of the city: "Nothing has ever been done here 12 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE that so raised the standard of the boys as the school garden." It is not the hours of gardening alone which are so beneficial, but the widening of interests means a lasting influence, an increased attention to nature, to methods of cultivation, and to the pos- sibilities of succeeding by means of technical training and painstaking effort. It is the wish of the Garden Association to see the school garden work become a regular part of the school curriculum and be organized under the Board of Education's control and support. THE MADISON PARK AND PLEASURE DRIVE ASSOCIATION In January, 1892, a citizens' committee* was designated to secure sub- History scriptions and to disburse moneys for the construction of the Bay Road of the leading across the soft marsh from the university grounds to the Association Stevens farm, connecting the University drive with the Raymer drive, which Mr. George Raymer had graded and opened near the lake on his farm (now a part of the University grounds). The committee served until July 10, 1894, and collected and disbursed $7,000 in the building of the Bay road and of the Rustic Bridge beyond the Raymer farm and in opening up and grading some three miles of drive along the south shore of Lake Mendota. While this work was in progress, Prof. Edward T. Owen, of the State Uni- Owen versity, purchased a strip of land along and over a commanding height a Drive mile or so south of Lake Mendota, and laid out a driveway through it. This driveway and the park lands adjacent to it were conveyed to the MadisonPark and Pleasure Drive Association for the benefit of the public. It is now known as Owen Parkway and consists of about twelve acres of land. It extends from the cemetery westward and southward, a distance of about one and one-half miles. This was the first individual gift for park purposes. ** In 1894 the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association was organized Incor- and incorporated to care for and extend the driveway system and to poration secure parks for the city. It was a corporation without capital stock and its members consisted of those paying twenty-five dollars annually. The first three years the contributions to the Association averaged a little more than a thousand dollars. In 1897 the Farwell Drive was undertaken, and $10,000 sub- scribed. Since that time the collections from smaller contributions have varied from $2,100 in 1898 to over #4,500 in 191 3. *Consisting of John M. Olin, Chairman, Prof. C. S. Slichter, Carl Hausmann, John L. Erdall, L. S. Hanks, C. F. Cooley, M. R. Doyon, John A. Aylward, M. S Klauber, H. J. Veerhusen and A. L. Sanborn. Mr. J. J. Suhr now deceased, acted as treasurer of this ■committee. **This ground was purchased by Professor Owen for $3,000. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 13 But the holdings of the Association had become so great that a different The Act sort of corporation with broader powers was seen to be necessary, and so of 1899 in 1899, Chapter 55 of the Laws of that year was enacted and under it the present organization was perfected. It permits the Association to ac- quire and hold lands inside or outside of the city, in trust for the city, and gives it important powers and privileges. The annual membership fee was fixed at five dollars.* Beginning It was after the organization of this Association in 1899 that the work Park Work — started within the city limits. Tenney Park was acquired and its Tenney Park filling commenced. The subsciptions for this purpose were $5,778,. most of the money being contributed by Mr. D. K. Tenney, now deceased. Connecting the two principal lakes which border the city, was a Tenney Park rather sluggish and shallow stream called "The Catfish." It was almost altogether through a marsh and was bordered on one side by a corduroy road called "Water Street" by courtesy. Tenney Park bordered the upper end. Voluntary contributions in excess of $25,000 were made in 1903 and 1904 for the improvement of the Yahara river, the new name for "The Catfish." Henry Vilas Park Brittingham Park In 1904 the improvement of the land lying along Lake Wingra was undertaken by the Association. Senator and Mrs. William F. Vilas contributed toward this work $18,000 in 1904; in 1905, $10,000, and in 1906, $5,000. In 1905, Mr. T. E. Brittingham contributed $8,000 towards the redemption of the land lying along Monona bay. Mr. Britting- ham's total contributions of $24,500, and other sums provided by the city, have resulted in the creation of the Brittingham Park of today. Among large individual givers not mentioned above have been Mr. Other Large George B. Burrows, who gave twelve acres of land on Lake Mendota Gifts valued at $15,000; Colonel and Mrs. A. H. Hollister, $12,203.04; Mrs. Anna M. Vilas, for improving Henry Vilas Park, $25,003, and through the Zoological and Aquarium Society for the erection of an aquarium in Henry Vilas Park, $5,000; Mrs. Sarah J. Riebsam, $500; Mrs. Mary C. Stewart, for constructing a drinking fountain, $2,000. The total contributions, including those for 1914, amount to $307,012 — not including $60,000 spent by the railways in raising tracks and building new bridges, or $10,000 contributed by Mr. Halle Steensland, deceased, for a memorial bridge over the Yahara, on East Washington avenue. *The officers, consisting of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and five directors, are elected annually. i 4 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE In his annual address as president of the Association, Mr. John M. Establishment Olin, in 1902 and again in 1903, made an urgent appeal for the of Playgrounds securing by the city of lands for playgrounds. In 1892 the direc- tors presented a petition in writing to the Common Council of the city of Madison asking that body to appoint a committee to investigate the de- sirability and feasibility of securing in different portions of the city lands for park and playgrounds and to report to the Council the results of their investigation, to the end that the Council might take such action in said matter as might seem best for the welfare of the City. Pursuant to this petition, a committee was appointed and made its written report on May 8, 1903, recommending the purchase of certain lands named and payment therefor by the issue of long time bonds to the amount of -$35,000. On June 17, 1903, the Council by unanimous vote of the seventeen mem- bers present authorized the issuance of the bonds to the amount named. In May, 1903, Judge J. H. Carpenter, of this city, offered to donate and Kendall deed to the city of Madison specifiically for park, playground and kindred Park purposes, three lots in Block 170 of said city, on condition that the city secure and dedicate for like purposes three lots in the same block. This was done and the park was named "Kendall Park," in memory of the name of the deceased wife of Judge Carpenter. On May 4, 1903, Hon. Burr W. Jones, of this city, proposed to convey Burr Jones to the city of Madison four and one-half lots in Block 133, of the city Field of Madison, for park and playground purposes. The offer was ac- cepted and title to the property was conveyed as proposed. The city purchased another lot and a half in the same block, thus making six lots. This tract has been named by the Council "Burr Jones Field." On July 8, 1906, Hon. Burr W. Jones purchased eight lots in Block 37 Olive Jones of University Heights Addition for $4,800 and offered in writing to Field turn the same over to the city for a playground on being paid $2,300, the only condition being that the playground should be named Olive Jones Field, in memory of Mrs. Jones and should be used for playground and park purposes. The new Randall School building has since been built adjacent to the property and Olive Jones Field forms a fine playground in connection with this school. The one citizen of Madison who stands out above all others in connection with the work of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association is Mr. John M. Olin. The vast achievement of this association is the direct result of Mr. Olin's vision and leadership. The present activities of the Association include: (1) The administration and care of 269 acres of park land. (2) The care of many miles of drives not within parks included above. (3) The operation of two public bath-houses. {4) The operation of a public boat-house. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 15 (5) The care and maintenance of the zoo. (6) The maintenance of eight tennis courts and playfields. (7) The supplying of open air concerts. (8) The management of celebrations. Conclusions 1. The principal need to be noted under the head of promoting organizations is the entire lack of organizations engaged in promoting many of the important forms of recreation or engaged in general activities in this field. 2. School gradens for children are of great value educationally and recrea- tionally, and in order to make them fully effective should be operated in connection with instruction in the schools carried on by a trained garden instructor. The entire taking over of the school garden work by the Board of Education is to be desired, making more perfect the correlation between garden and other study and giving the Garden Association a better opportunity to take up other problems — in particular family gardens. 3. For the maintenance of the parks and drives in and about Madison the present organization is wholly inadequate. There is needed a park board with authority extending over a Greater Madison Park District, with power to secure and expend public funds in building and main- taining parks. The division of the Greater District into assessment districts in the manner successfully employed in Kansas City, Missouri, may be suggested as a possible feature of the plan. State support in the creation of additional boulevards and drives and the parking of the Monona lake shore is no more than may reasonably be expected. For this reason, it may be suggested that the Governor appoint some of the mem- bers of the park board. A definite plan for the amendment to the statutes should be drawn up and the matter presented to the Legislature.- CHAPTER III THE CITY GOVERNMENT The recreational facilities of the city government* are as follows: Parks, 1 Pleasure Drives, Play Fields Play Grounds, Bath Houses, Boat House, The Zoo. Administered by the Park and Pleasure Drive Association. The City Library and Branch — Board of Directors. The budget allotment for recreation for the year 191 5 totals to $51,741.01, excluding the library. The library receives from the city $14,503.55. The Public Parks The parks of Madison comprise a total area of 269 acres with 41,945 teet of water frontage. This area does not include many miles of drives maintained by the Park and Pleasure Drive Association except those in parks. These drives are no less a part of our park system than are the larger park spaces. All park interests of Madison are administered by the Park Administration and Pleasure Drive Association. Expenses and outlays for 1914 amounted to: Support Expense $18,426.03 Outlay 16,999.02 The total city appropriation for parks in 1914 was $34,999.02, and for 191 5 is $38,988.06. The rest of the park work is carried on by means of voluntary contribu- tions and minor operating receipts. The park areas and water frontage of parks are represented in this Park Areas table: *Excluding the Board of Education Activity and certain public aid given to winter sports and the use of the lakes. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 17 Parks Acres Brittingham Park 27 Burr Jones Field 1.5 Burrows Park 12 East Monona 6 East Washington Avenue Parkway 10 Elmside and Hudson Park 5.1 Henry Vilas Park 62 . 6 Kendall Park 1.5 Monona Park (Assembly Grounds) 30 Olive Jones Field 1.5 Orton Park 3.6 Owen Parkway 6 South Madison Boulevard 5 Spring Harbor 1 Spaight Street Park 1.5 Tenney Park 44 • 2 Washington Oval .9 Wingra Monona Parkway 33 Yahara Parkway 16.9 Water Frontage 437oft. Totals 269.3 550 ft. 5000 ft. 2000 ft. 6000 ft. 1350 ft. 4800 ft. 270 ft. 600 ft. 3800 ft. 6000 ft. 7200 ft. 41,945 ft. Children's Day at Henry Vilas Park. It is quite evident that parks are a necessity to any city. They are of special benefit where private space is being given over to buildings and where the population is congested; but if adequate park areas are to be secured,. it is important to provide the land before it has risen enormously in value. Parks are a good business invest- ment from every point of view, for health, for pleasure, for beauty, for education, for the advertisement of the city. The net per capita cost to the city of $1.30 for parks, 3— r. s. i8 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE pleasure drives and playgrounds is exceedingly low considering the benefit — a cost made possible only by the generosity of some of her public-spirited citizens. In addition to the needs for further improvements in existing park Three Facts areas, improvements which are being, or soon will be made, for Deducible completing and extending certain drives, there are three important needs indicated by facts noted below: (i) For greater park areas to take care of increase in population. (2) For parks nearer certain sections of the city- (3) For provision for future park area at the outskirts of the city. MAP 3. The Areas Shown in Black are More Than a Half Mile from Any Considerable Park Space Serving Residence Districts. The Dotted Area is Within a Half Mile of the Proposed Spaight Street Park. Map 3 shows in black areas of Madison over one-half mile from any Distance to park except Capitol Park. The university grounds are in part con- Parks sidered as park, but the Capitol Square is of so little service to resi- dential sections, that it cannot properly be accorded a half mile influence. Use of The certain need for greater park area in the future is indicated by the Present great crowds even now seen in existing parks, though many districts of Area the city have still to be built up. The advantages of having a park within a half mile of every home Advantages of cannot be questioned. The walk of a mile to and from a park is Nearness more than can be expected of even the strongest if the park is to be used daily or on any except extraordinary occasions. The half mile limit has been adopted as a basis upon which Chicago is planning its parks for the future. The need of beautifying and parking our Monona shoreline has Regarding the been emphasized by more than one report. This matter is impor- Monona Shore tant from the point of view of beautifying the city, but no less so from the recreational point of view, as is indicated by the great MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 19 number of people using the railway tracks along the lake as a parkway on beautiful days the year around. Hundreds of people promenade these tracks on beautiful days, even in winter. No evidence is necessary regarding the outskirts of the city and new The Outskirts plats. It is evident that the present need is not great far from the of the City and center of population. Nevertheless, concern for future generations New Plats demands that the question be given consideration, (1) for economy, and (2) because by planning ahead, better conditions can be se- cured than are possible where the plat has been accepted and settlement has become more or less complete without any plans for parks or playgrounds. A Railway Parkway, Used by Many People on Beautiful Days, Even in the Winter. The Sage Foundation Homes Company? in justifying the liberal allotment of play and park space in their Forest Hills Gardens plan, writes as follows: "Where land is so high in value such a liberal provision of land for common use and enjoyment is possible upon a sound commercial basis only by paying a round price for it; and in the last analysis, the price must be paid by the occupants of the lots. It is therefore a fair question how that price is £0 be paid — just what loss is to be set off against the gain. The question may be answered in two ways: On the one hand, lots having such advantages are thereby made more desirable, and are actually worth more to the occupants and worth more on the open market, lot for lot, than similar properties without these advantages; just as lots on paved and sewered streets are worth more than upon a street that is unimproved, the increased market value covering the cost of the improvement. * * * On the other hand, it is possible by a reduction in the size of back yards, so slight as not to reduce their practical usefulness, to save enough land for these neighborhood purposes without increasing the price of lots at all." Thus, the matter is viewed by this city development company from the purely business standpoint and without regard to the equally practical values of improved conditions for residence districts where children will be compelled to seek recreation under undesirable and harmful conditions if space is not allowed for healthful play. 20 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Conclusions — Parks The park areas of Madison are not inconsiderable — 391 square feet for each inhabitant if we include some space not yet improved. But when all the uses and benefits of parks are considered, Madison cannot be said to have parks enough. (1) One of our needs is a more continuous and uninterrupted and systematical- ly managed park system. (2) A considerable section of the city is more than a half mile from any park. This situation can readily be corrected by the creation of a Mendota lakeshore park near Franklin street and of a park in the eighth ward in or near Block 6. The latter should include a playfield. Typical Block— Forest Hills Gardens. (3) For the more numerous and not well-to-do people residing near the North- western railroad depot, a park is needed on the Monona shore and extensive parking of this shore would no doubt relieve the situation so far northwest that the Mendota parking would be much less necessary. The parks which are to be provided must be made highly attractive or they will fail in their purpose, but a comparatively narrow park strip outside of the railroad, on the Monona shore, would certainly be greatly appreciated by the public, and would be much used. (4) In the "Northeast District," a park will be greatly needed not far from Nelson's Corners (intersection of Washington, North, Winnebago and Milwaukee streets). The land should be secured before its price has become too great. (5) In plats for new sections of the city park spaces should be provided within a few steps of every home. Real estate men might well provide these spaces for the purpose of making the section developed more attractive. If they do not do sc willingly by dedication, special assessments for parks should be available. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 21 "The Willows", on the Lake Shore at Tenney Park. PLAYFIELDS The city parks are utilized as space for tennis courts, baseball fields, and a foot- ball field. The playfields are administered by the Park and Pleasure Drive Asso- ciation. There are now two tennis courts in Tenney Park, two in Henry Vilas park, two being built in Tenney park, two being built in Brittingham park. Baseball diamonds are to be found, one in Henry Vilas Park, two in Tenney Park, one in Brittingham Park. The baseball diamond in Vilas Park is used only on permit during the periods when it is greatly in demand. In this way the benefit is more equitably distributed. The only football field is located in Brittingham Park and is used by the High School teams. PARK PLAYGROUNDS The park areas of the city afFord space for four playgrounds which are operated very wisely under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education. These are Burr Jones Field, Olive Jones Field, and grounds in Tenney and Brittingham Parks.* *Last year the Brittingham Playground was under the management of the Park and Pleasure Drive Association. 22 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE The desirability of a single control over all playgrounds cannot be questioned. Playgrounds, as the term is here used, are for younger children. The city budget includes $90.00 for playground equipment in addition to that provided by the Board of Education. Conclusions With the extension of the park areas of Madison, a continued development of park playfields is greatly to be desired. The park officials are in a position to render- valuable service to the community by aiding in securing more play space as in the past they have aided in securing much of what we now have. At least one track and more and better fields for baseball and other games are immediate needs. The specific needs of the fifth ward were noted. ! ik- jM J H 1 *** 1 ■ , ' . ■ftiiMk ■ : JP - Vilas Park Zoo More tennis courts will certainly be in demand it these are maintained so as to be attractive to good players. Poor courts and grass courts are seldom very useful. It is so important that tennis courts be well kept in order to be useful, that in a city of the size of Madison the courts should be located at one place where equipment for rolling and lining can be kept and an attendant constantly employed. Tickets per- mitting use of the courts for an hour should be issued whenever possession of the courts is in great demand. THE ZOO The zoo, located in Henry Vilas Park, was established in 191 1 by a gift by Mrs. William F. Vilas. Under the control of the Park and Pleasure Drive Association, its growth has been rapid, especially during the last year. Today a great variety of birds and beasts is included; the list may be found in the report of the Association. The zoo, by interesting and instructing people in animals and their habits, is an educational influence of no little importance. The city appropriated $5,425.25 for the purposes of the zoo in 1915. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 23 Conclusions The zoo has been very successfully administered and has received the generous support which it merits. The Board of Commerce offers for the benefit of the zoo to exchange with any organizations in other sections of the country animals native to Wisconsin for others of approximately the same value not common in this state. BATH HOUSES Of the two bath houses in this city, the first was erected in 1909 in Brit- History tingham Park, at an expense of $7,500 borne by Mr. T. C. Brittingham, and the second in 191 3 on the Mendota shore of Tenney Park at a cost to the city of $6,000. The charges for use of the houses are: Charges Bathing suit, rental and towel, 10 cents; suit without towel, 5 cents;, towel alone, 5 cents. The majority of patrons own their own suits. During the warmer weather last year the average daily number of bathers Number was approximately: Using Brittingham Park 500 Tenney Park 600 A swimming instructor, who gave part of his time to the play- Supervision grounds, was last year maintained at Tenney Park by the Board of Education. Conclusions I. The equipment at the bathhouses is wholly inadequate for the Needed number desiring to use the bathhouses in hot weather. Equipment 2. Continuous supervision of both a man and a woman is needed at Needed both the bathhouses. This supervision should be by skilled instruc- Supervision tors, as was the partial supervision at Tenney Park last year. If ade- quate supervision is lacking, the bathhouses are dangerous.* BOAT HOUSES It was one of the conditions of Mr. Brittingham's gift of a bathhouse History that the city should erect a boathouse at some appropriate place in Brit- tingham Park. This was done at a cost of $5,000. ^Inadequacy of present number of bath houses is considered elsewhere. 24 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE The charges for space in the boathouse are by the year — five dollars for Charges the storage of a rowboat and forty cents per running foot for launches. This one boathouse hardly affects the problem of supplying adequate and inexpensive storage facilities for privately owned boats. The existing needs and a possible solution are considered later on. BAND CONCERTS For the past four years there have been furnished by the Park and Pleasure Drive Association band concerts in the two principal parks. Last year there were five concerts in Tenney Park and four in Henry Vilas Park at a cost of $597.00. The cost of these concerts has been met by the profits from the refectories in the parks. Conclusions Band concerts in the parks are a most popular and desirable form of recreation. Obviously nine concerts are not enough. REFECTORIES Refreshment stands are afforded in Tenney Park and Vilas Park when the pub- lic demand is sufficiently great to attract vendors. The income from the rent of stands is used in supplying band concerts. A MUNICIPAL NATATORIUM The city of Madison has no public baths or natatorium. The need for a nata- torium from the recreational point of view is great. Few, if any, more effective methods of bringing young people together in healthful exercise can be imagined. The presence of excellent facilities for summer bathing leads many to conclude hastily that a natatorium would be an extravagance. This conclusion would no doubt be somewhat justifiable if it were not a fact that a natatorium combined with other bathing facilities is greatly in demand the year round. In the warm weather the showers and cleaning facilities of a natatorium in Madison would certainly be in demand. This opinion seems to be thoroughly justified by the experiences of other cities. A MUNICIPAL GYMNASIUM Why is the gymnasium supplied for school children and not for the youth? Physical exercise is one of the crying needs of this day and age. It is not possible to train the physical self without influencing also the moral and social qualities. It seems self-evident that if there were a department of the city government as much interested in the study of the needs of adults as the Board of Education is in the needs of children, there would be other facilities offered than parks and lake MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 25 bathhouses. These other facilities would certainly include natatoriums and gymnasiums. Of course, the idea ot the riatatorium, or at least public bath, goes hand in hand with the public gymnasium. The great demand for a municipal gymnasium is indicated by the great use made of the High School and other gymnasiums. It ^seems safe to conclude that if every school were equipped with large, well-equipped gymnasiums, as they will be some day no doubt, open certain evenings of the week and supervised by competent instructors, the demand would be fairly well met. This method would have the advantage, moreover, of wide distribution of gymnas- ium equipment throughout the city without duplication of equipment now badly needed for the school children. In the meantime, a temporary structure is even more in demand owing to the lack of possible use of school gymnasiums. THE FREE LIBRARY A library is of course primarily educational, but much of its work is Growth of educational through channels of reading of the more easily appeciated Library varieties of books, such as fiction, literature of the less exacting types, poetry, history, music, and so forth; i.e., the library is educational in much the same manner as are other forms of recreation. Our library has been in existence for the past forty years and has grown enormously during this period. Especially during the last ten years has its progress been rapid. In the year ending in June, 1905, 81,079 books were circulated; in the year ending in June, 1914, the num- ber was 165,307 — an increase of 103%. The children of the city in 1905 read 24,848 books, and in 1914, 59,423 — an increase of 139%. In some cities the rapid increase I in the popularity of the moving pictures has been assigned as the cause of decreased reading. Madison has felt no such effect so far. As indicated by the figures presented above, the work among Library Service children is important in this city. In 1910 a branch library was for Children established on Williamson street, which has been a notable suc- cess with children as well as adults. In 1914, 12,205 children's books were loaned from this library — almost as many as the total circulation of the city library in 1905. The great influence of this branch library among children is exactly in line with the ideas which it is hoped this Survey will present; the library is within its field a recreational resource of the best type. As a supplement to the two libraries as distributing centers for children's books, there are books sent out by the central library to every schoolroom in the city to be distributed by the teachers, except at the Marquette School, adjoining the branch library, and at one of the parochial schools. Reading rooms for children are supplied at the central library and at the branch. Both are of ample dimensions. The chief difficulties expe- rienced by the library have been in securing books enough for the children, so thac every child may have at least a fair chance to get what he needs. 26 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Adults as well as children during the past ten years have not Facilities for ceased to look to the library as a recreational resource. In 1905, Adults and 56,231 books for adults were circulated; in 1914, 105,884 — 88 c ^ in- Branches crease. The library has a reading room for adults at the main building, well supplied with newspapers and periodicals. A refer- ence room also serves as another reading room. At the sixth ward building also, newspapers and periodicals are to be found in the reading room. The main reading room is open from 9:00 A. M. to 9:00 P. M. daily except Sunday, and on Sunday from 2:00 to 6:00 P. M. from October to June. The branch reading rocm is open from 2:00 to 6:00 P. M. daily, but on Sunday only from October to June. Stations where books may be obtained are maintained for the public at the Schenk-Huegel store on Winnebago street and the Menges Pharmacy in Wingra Park. At the telephone building and at fire station No. 4 are books for the people there employed. All departments of the library combined offer 33,000 books to the people of the city. At the main library building are four assembly rooms, use of Library Rooms which is granted without fee for any meeting having for its pur- as Social Centers pose the general welfare of the community and open to the pub- lic. Sunday lectures of an educational character are given at times during the winter under the auspices of the library. Several organizations hold their regular meetings at the library. The sixth ward building has an assem- bly room seating two hundred people, which can be divided by sliding partitions when more than one room is needed. During the past winter these rooms have been used three nights a week by Continuation School classes. The other three nights they have been used by three clubs of young people under leaders from the City Y. W. C. A. and the University of Wisconsin Y. M. C. A. and a teacher of the Continuation School. If the school buildings are used more widely for evening meetings, it would seem most natural that branch libraries should be established in the schools as rap- idly as expansion of library facilities is desirable. Such location would both make available for pupils and adults the books available and also provide facilities without the additional expense of special buildings for branch libraries. Conclusions The city library in the establishment of the sixth ward branch started the en- largement of its service in accordance with the modern idea that the book must be taken at least part way to the adult or child who needs it, but may not know he needs it. The experience of every city testifies to the fact that very few people will go to a library even a mile distant. An immediate need is felt for another branch library and reading room in the ninth ward to serve the western sections of the city. Foreign adults of this district should be served with newspapers and books in their own language. Such a branch should be established at once in a school building in that district. CHAPTER IV THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AS A RECREATIONAL CENTER The tendencies of the times, following the pressure of new social con- Scope of ditions and the rising recognition of the educational values of play, the Study have been toward a greater and wider use of the school as a play and recreational as well as an educational center. For this reason the Madison public schools have been studied from the play and recreational stand- point. The school officials have co-operated in making the survey. The investigation covers: 1. The character of the school district, its area in acres, the density of total population and the population by age periods (Chart i). 2. The location of the school in its district, its distance from the child popula- tion and the character of the school surroundings. (Chart i). 3. The size and character of the school playgrounds and equipment, the school gymnasium and equipment and the general facilities of the school buildings (Charts 2 and 5). 4. The use and supervision of the playgrounds, and the use of the school gymnasiums during the school year and during the summer, and the school as a center considered in relation to other facilities available in the same neighborhood, as seen in the map survey (Charts 3, 4, 6). 5. The evening use of the schoolhouse for adults and youths as well as chil- dren. In so far as possible, the material from this investigation has been compiled in chart form, making a comparison possible (1) between the schools and (2) between the school districts served. The charts presented are indicated above. SPECIAL DISTRICTS NEEDING ATTENTION The existing playgrounds are herein considered without special reference to smaller divisions of the city with unusual needs. The amount of private lawn space is not considered below. Before going further in this section of the study, it is, therefore, necessary to point out that in the eighth and fifth wards, in the Italian section of the ninth ward, and in a section immediately east of the square, the needs are aggravated by congested building and lack of private lawns. Certainly the first duty is to adequately supply those with greatest need; these districts should receive immediate attention. 2S MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS The school play facilities and their use as district centers Criteria of Judgment may be judged from the standpoint of several criteria — area, distance, location, equipment, surface, and supervision. The value of the playground increases, within wide limits, in proportion to Area the size of the space. Definite standards as to space have not been fixed. In some cities where property values are very high, the standard set by some educational authorities of 30 square feet per child, is often quoted. This allowance is not supposed to be entirely adequate. A hundred square feet (10x10) per child, or 440 children per acre, seems to be a fair minimum by which to judge the play- grounds of Madison. This is a standard below which the relative space should never be allowed to fall, since only certain simpler games can be played on so small a space. The most deficient playgrounds in this city are those at the Wash- Schools Deficient ington, Brayton, Irving (New Harvey), and Hawthorne (New Irving) schools. The greatest immediate need is at the Washing- ton school. On the basis of the total number of children in the district, all the Madison school playgrounds fall below the standard except that at Randall school. This deficiency is offset somewhat, however, by open spaces in some of the dis- tricts and by parks and parochial school playgrounds, but not fully except per- haps in the Longfellow and Doty school districts, which are adjacent to Bntting- ham Park. That the playgrounds should be large enough to accommodate almost, if not quite all, of the children in the district, cannot be questioned. Every young person, whether at school or at work, should play part of the time at active games in the open. High School Needs. The high school has no playfields of any description. Brittingham Park offers an opportunity for football and baseball practice under difficulties. The location of the high school, only one block from Capitol Square, makes this doubly serious. What is essential, if the high school is to meet the physical education needs of its pupils, is a series of courts and playfields that will accommodate the majority of the boys and girls in some kind of wholesome, vigorous play each day. This difficult problem should be attacked with determination. Distance. Experience in many cities has shown that the radius of influence of a playground is, for general purposes, not more than I !\ mile, except for older chil- dren who engage in organized games. Younger children prefer play in the street to walking a long way to reach a playground. The influence of distance is greatest in connection with voluntary use of the playground on non-school days. Applying the test of distance to Madison, it will be seen that over half the area of Madison is more than a quarter mile from any school playground. From this we conclude that considerable re-districting should be attempted. The greatest areas over a quarter of a mile from any school are in the Lapham, Longfellow, Randall and Hawthorne (new Irving) districts. These four have areas over a half mile from school. TABLE II Special Districts Area Acres exclud ing railway prop'ty Distri- bution per acre estiin'td Total popula- tion es- timated Number of Children from 4-19 Years, Inclusive Typical Conditions Found Totals 4-6 7-11 Years Years 12-14 Years 19-19 Years Buildings Open Spaces District Total f of total popu- lation esti- mat'd Total Total Total Total Character of Dwellings Secondary Structures Front Yards Rear Yards Vacant Lots Parks and Playgrounds Remarks 1 W.Wash. Ave. S Park St. Regent St. 30 20 800 2S0 35 57 100 02 61 Includes very cheap and unheal thful homes; dilapidated buildings found. Many cheap structures- Very small in almost every case, - great ma- jority of lawns lack grass, and are disord- erly. Gardens and chickens in a number of in- stances; wood and iron litter; no lawns. Filled with trash and litter, not actually va- cant; mud after rain. Brittingham Park easily reached, hut children play in the streets and in trash piles gener- ally. Italian section — conditions about the homes must be improved. - playground work is doing good work, but the children will always play near their homes, even in ashes and refuse. B Xo Murraj St. TV. Dayton St University Ave. Xo. BassettSt. 271 35 950 240 20 32 57 65 92 Largely well kept; in- expensi v e homes; many rooming houses; numerous two and three home apart- ments- Alley sare converted into "courts," a nd o 1 d house moved back or new one builton court; not a few stables next door to homes. Small front yards; very small on courts; gen- erally fairly well kept. Frequently very small; lawns rare. A very few in district, some of vacant space held as lawn and not open to children, not one adequate open space. Washington School and Brayton School play grounds not far. In Latin Quarter— Rooming house business has caused buildings to replace lawns. Playground work in summer at Brayton School would help, but a space is needed nearer this district's center. Building line regulations much needed 3. 8th Ward- Francis. Slate. Hem v. W. Wash- ington Ave. 89 29 2,601 .;-:, 26 108 107 12s 252 Largely inexpensive but well kept homes so far as building is con- cerned; numerous two and three home apart- ments. Many stables and sundry shed-like structures, chicken coops. Generally well kept, but not large enough to be true play spaces. Many barn yards; many trash pile yards; some vegetable gardens: no play space in great majority of instances Almost unknown in the ward. A few possible for play, but not large. Washington School play ground very small. This ward is shut in from all parks The playgrounds cannot solve this problem. Buildinir line regula- tions needed, hut chief need is for pride and interest in lawns and gardens, and removal of trash neaps and barn yards. 4. Xo. Butler. E. .Tin, gj No. Blair, E. Washington Ave. 39 830 21r, 26 41 73 50 52 Same as 3 Sheds and stables quite common. Almost no front yards, more 1U than ft. deep, not large enough for play. Gardens not uncommon: law ns almost uuknown. Almost unknown. St. Patrick's School and Lincoln School grounds near, little used. Another district far from any park. Here too a public park is needed. but more important still is the need tor building line regulations and care of lawns on part of in- habitants 5 Yahara Pk. way, Winnebago St. Railroad Si. So. First Bt 9 20 no 74 41 12 29 14 19 Small inexpensive, but very orderly homes. Sheds and stables not uncommon. Small. Numerous very pleasant lawns. A few. No adequate public space near. As it is wedded in between two rail- ways, this property is at the mercy of the city to a very real extent Why should it not be beautified by parking the space between the Northwestern and this plat, i. e., the widening of Railroad St.. and fencing the railway right of way. 2$ MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS The school play facilities and their use as district centers Criteria of Judgment may be judged from the standpoint of several criteria — area, ] distance, location, equipment, surface, and supervision. The value of the playground increases, within wide limits, in proportion to Area the size of the space. Definite standards as to space have not been fixed. I In some cities where property values are very high, the standard set by some educational authorities of 30 square feet per child, is often quoted. This allowance is not supposed to be entirely adequate. A hundred square feet (10x10) per child, or 440 children per acre, seems to be a fair minimum by which to judge the play- grounds of Madison. This is a standard below which the relative space should never be allowed to fall, since only certain simpler games can be played on so small a space. The most deficient playgrounds in this city are those at the Wash- Schools Deficient ington, Brayton, Irving (New Harvey), and Hawthorne (New J Irving) schools. The greatest immediate need is at the Washing- ton school. On the basis of the total number of children in the district, all the Madison school playgrounds fall below the standard except that at Randall school. | This deficiency is offset somewhat, however, by open spaces in some of the dis- tricts and by parks and parochial school playgrounds, but not fully except per- haps in the Longfellow and Doty school districts, which are adjacent to Bntting- ham Park. That the playgrounds should be large enough to accommodate almost, if not quite all, of the children in the district, cannot be questioned. Every young person, whether at school or at work, should play part of the time at active games in the open. High School Needs. The high school has no playfields of any description. Brittingham Park offers an opportunity for football and baseball practice under difficulties. The location of the high school, only one block from Capitol Square, makes this doubly serious. What is essential, if the high school is to meet the physical education needs of its pupils, is a series of courts and playfields that will accommodate the majority of the boys and girls in some kind of wholesome, vigorous play each day. This difficult problem should be attacked with determination. Distance. Experience in many cities has shown that the radius of influence of a playground is, for general purposes, not more than I '4 mile, except for older chil- dren who engage in organized games. Younger children prefer play in the street to walking a long way to reach a playground. The influence of distance is greatest in connection with voluntary use of the playground on non-school days. Applying the test of distance to Madison, it will be seen that over half the area of Madison is more than a quarter mile from any school playground. From this we conclude that considerable re-districting should be attempted. The greatest areas over a quarter of a mile from any school are in the Lapham, Longfellow, Randall and Hawthorne (new Irving) districts. These four have areas over a half mile from school. Open Sf 1J 5 ickens of in- ad iron F small; A 3. many some ns: no great ances. nmon: nown. iasant a Location of School IT No. Broom.. 12 East loruam 05 East lioglOQ Ave 161 West Wilson. 8 West Johnson Name of School Lincoln Bray ton Doty Draper Description of the District. 2237 Williamson. 003 Jenifer ,Irving . Marquette 432 East Dayton. Laphara 012 Chandler Longfellow i Spooner [Randall 124 Division ; Hawthorne 1st and 8th Wards. 2d Ward over i mile from Brayton School and 7th Ward, west of Brearly Street. 3rd and 2nd Ward within r mile. 4lh Ward. 5th Ward. 6th Ward, west of Ingersoll Street. 0th Ward, east of Ingersoll Street, and west of the Yahara River 7th Ward east of Brearly Street, and west of 4th Street. 9th Ward. 10th Ward. lilh Wai d east of Yahara River and 7th Ward east of 4th Street. Total (estima- ted for 11114. i Population of District. 2407 3818 1102 2682 1805 Chil dren 4-19 1911 school census 7558 973 053 508 793 368 578 902 CHART I The School District — Population The School as a District Center Area of District (exclud- ing Park andR. R. property ) Acres 112 102 171 218 240 500 Population per acre. Chil- dren per acre 5.8 5.0 4.6 4.0 2.6 3.8 Distribution of Boys and Girls in Each District by Age Periods. 7S3 368 578 902 638 380 175 294 447 313 330 252 413 193 284 455 325 96 of total chil dren ocity mo Children 4 6 157 101 123 245 160 %of total Children 7-11 247 166 189 307 211 Boys to Of total in dis tricl Children 12-14 91 146 122 I loj - ft of total in dis. trict Children 15-19 144 156\ 256 109 175 201 147 % of total in dis trict Location of School in District Area over i mile from school Area over i mile from school % of dis- trict % of dis- trict No.ot children 4-11, over 1 mile from school 19 17 200 34 % of all in dis- trict No. of children 12-19,overi milt from school , of all indis trict Character of School Surrounding (13 tn -X S J3 is ~s M S — S3 £ a • ■- C a *» g.^3 ■zs-S g>3 A Z Z Z 2 z Yes No Yes Yes Distance in Blocks (approximately 600 ) 4 1 i i 1 6 6 3 1 2 B 10 * across the street 1 adjoin- ing 3 2 2 1 1 1 2 5 3 adjoin- 2 3 3 adjoin- ing * 3 1 2 adjoin- ing 4 i 3 3 1 1 '■ 12 3 adjoin- ing adjoin- ing ' Within half mile ot another school. •Part within half mile another school. ^1 I CHART II School Playgrounds— Capacity and Equipment Public School Playground Area and Capacity Playground Equipment Surface of Playground Districts Total Children of School Age Total Children in Public Schools Area [in sq. ft.) Sq. ft. per child in school Sq ft. per child in the district Are there park or paro chial play- grounds indis- trict? @10 Xl0' per child as minimum, the total sq. ft defic iencyof this play ground is: X. o U 7d -O 43 to a m 09 O O CO "3 C 00 0> X o fi •d c o9 03 on •o u a o CQ u -a s a "5 0) Eh Cfl ba a £ o 02 en a> "H "C 93 a cJ "5 00 E ce n a o "E o m a) to c % 03 Turf Gravel Clay Drainage Grading Greatly Needed Is the field usable in wet weather and early Wards 1 Based up- on chil dren in the pub- lic schools 2 Based up- on chili- dren in the dis- trict Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Totals 7578 3706 3872 3866 1929 1937 7 1 1 25 21 3 3 7 7 1 and 8 Washington School Lincoln School Brayton School Doty School draper School rving School Marquette School Lapham School Longfellow School Randall School Hawthorne. School 973 579 653 508 793 368 611 578 902 638 955 480 277 323 256 380 175 290 294 447 3)3 456 493 302 330 252 413 193 321 284 455 325 499 423 313 300 243 308 315 307 246 410 387 614 226 164 150 128 154 149 141 135 213 193 290 197 149 150 125 154 106 160 121 197 194 324 10, 700 38, 250 13,400 31,200 31,400 13, 500 49,800 29, 700 6^, 100 98,800 20, 000 25 122 45 128 102 43 163 121 154 255 32 11 66 20 61 39 38 82 46 70 155 21 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes(?) 31,610 87,610 25,476 54, 920 18,650 37, 920 21.340 11,280 33, 900 27, 120 3 3 Yes Part Poor Poor Good Poor Fail- Fair Poor Poor Poor Poor Poor Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Part Yes Yes Part Yes Yes Yes Part Part Yes 2 and 7th No equipment No equipment No west of Brearly St. 16,620 Yes 3 1 1 1 3 4 4 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 No No 6 west of Ingersoll St 6 Ingersoll St. to the 1 18,040 No 2 1 1 1 3 4 3 3 No 9 ' 1 1 Part No 10 No equipment No 41,750 75,440 6 and part of 7 east of the 1 4 3 1 1 No MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 29 Location and Surroundings. Children's playgrounds should be in a safe and wholesome environment. From the point of view of environment, six of the Madison schools may be criticised: (1) The Washington school is in a dangerous district. The children from the first ward have to cross a very dangerous street (State) to reach school, and the school is at the back doors of business places on State street. (2) The Doty school is on a much used railway line. (3) The Bray- ton school is in a somewhat dangerous and a semi-business district. (4) The Irving (new Harvey) and Marquette schools are on street railway streets, the latter in addi- tion being on a general traffic and commercial street. (6) The Lapham school is near some much used railway tracks. Equipment. Equipment for games is obviously essential and must be suf- ficient for the activities of a majority of the children, but it is a simple item that is relatively inexpensive, though difficult to administer, so it will not be discussed here. The fixed apparatus represents the opportunities for physical play in the development of personal achievement and is just as important as the space for play. The variety of apparatus should give opportunities for a wide range of efforts, and the amount should include pieces to accommodate about one-fourth of the children in the school at the same time. On small playgrounds a larger allowance is needed. The Draper school is the only one in Madison at all adequately equipped as regards number of pieces of apparatus, and there no sand box is provided. Teeter boards and swings are popular forms of apparatus and are needed at almost every play- ground. The equipment of the playgrounds is in almost every case of an unsatis- factory quality. Surface. An otherwise model playground cannot be used extensively if it is not well graded and drained. The Brayton school playground is the only well graded, well drained, gravel-surfaced ground in the city. The surfaces of some of the playgrounds are so bad that their use is impossible a considerable port of the time. This is bad economy and a serious handicap to playground use. It is very important to have every playground well drained and surfaced with gravel so that it will be usable at all times except during actual rainfall. Steep slopes in playgrounds are a serious handicap to their use and popularity. The size of a playground must be judged chiefly by the area of level space. The Lincoln school grounds have been in the past entirely too sloping, only parts of them being available for the ordinary- games. Beauty must be sacrificed where the more important consideration 'of utility is presented. Fencing of Playgrounds. The advantages of fencing the playground are: (1) That it makes easy the establishment and enforcement of playground limits and prevention of dangerous play in the streets, etc. (2) That it makes possible . greater care of apparatus at night without difficulty. (3) That in certain ways it aids in maintaining discipline on the playground, and in this way makes possible • greater playground influence. (4) That it makes possible the closing of the play- ■ ground at night in order to exclude rowdies likely to disturb the neighborhood. But, if the playground is too small, fencing seriously interferes with play and is not effective in the ways just indicated except for care of apparatus. A fence alone; a dangerous street may be necessary in spite of objections. The \\ ashington, Bray- 30 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE ton and Irving (new Harvey) school playgrounds are too small to permit of fencing. The side street (Broom) at the Doty school might better be graded to the level of the playground than be fenced off. The terraces at Lincoln school make fencing less necessary. Draper, Marquette, Lapham, Longfellow, Randall, and Haw- throne (new Irving) school playgrounds would be improved if fenced. Organization and Supervision. Unsupervised and unorganized playgrounds are not successful. Such playgrounds are a nuisance to neighbors, are unsafe, and frequently are centers for great injustice and even corruption. Where all elements meet, the worst by force of numbers is likely to prevail. At all events, wholesome play, justice, and safety require supervision, and the supervisor to get results must be an active organizer, not a mere police officer or guard. The stand- ards of conduct set by supervision offer restraint not felt on the streets and in alleys; therefore, the play director must organize play so that the children will have better times than elsewhere; otherwise the playground will not be the true play center of the district. The playground director should stand as the public antidote for prac- tically all the bad habits known to childhood, and as an educator in the practical science of healthy play and wholesome relations with others. Charts 3 and 4 indicate that during the last year few if any of our playgrounds were truly play centers for their districts. They show, also, that there was almost no effective supervision, except on a few playgrounds in the summer. They indi- cate finally much dangerous play. These charts clearly indicate the local needs. The lack of organized play and the lack of playground use are important and will be noted specifically. SUMMER USE OF PLAYGROUNDS Summer Vacation as a Problem. With the close of school and the beginning of the summer vacation, parents and policemen are confronted with new duties and problems. The school children with whole days at their disposal, and in most cases nothing definite to do, develop an enormous capacity for mischiet. The restraint of school discipline is left behind and the children sow and reap their yearly habits of willfullness, of idleness, and very often vicious habits. Then every fall the same task of overcoming the bad habits and establishing good habits is incumbent upon the teacher. If play supervision and organizations are necessary during the school year, how much more are they necessary during the summer months. Independency of Presenr Provisions. The inadequacy of the present system of play during the summer vacation is apparent (see chart) when we discover that only three school playgrounds were provided with play leaders and that eight had none whatsoever during summer 1914. These three were the Doty, Marquette and Long- fellow schools. The deficiency of Lapham school is pretty well offset by the near- ness of Tenney Park, while the Irving school children used Marquette school, and Randall school is in a district with a great deal of vacant space. The Burr Jones Field was not officially open last summer, and at present the equipment is in a run-down condition. Here is a problem needing immediate attention. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 31 THE SCHOOL GROUNDS AND STREET TRAFFIC The item of safety is ore deserving special consideration in this connection. t should be noted immediately that che greatest means of insuring safety is super- vision—supervision to keep the children from crossing railway tracks and racing nto the street, and supervision of the expert kind that will draw all the children to he playground and away from their tag and "nibs" on the way to and from the layground. The various elements entering into playground safety and not directly con" lected with the supervision of the play activities have to do with going to and from chool. The methods used for securing such safety are: 1. Education of the children in safety matters. 2. Education of drivers as to "Safety First" in connection with traffic. 3. Strict enforcement of traffic regulations. 4. Placing signs at such distances from approaches to schools and dangerous xossings as will warn drivers before they reach such danger zones. 5. Fencing the playground in some places, or at least perpendicularly banking he edges so that rules as to play limits can be enforced. 6. Placing traffic police at the more dangerous crossings. 7. Closing streets at certain hours when children are passing through them in large numbers. 8. Selection of location for the schools yet to be built where necessity of >assing through or of crossing heavy traffic streets will not exist. A general "safety first" educational campaign in Madison bi Educational would seem to be desirable at this time, for the safety of school Campaign children if for no other reason. It has been the opinion of many that some accident will occur in the near future., which will nake it easy to arouse sentiment in favor of greater safety, but with two fatali- ies to children occurring in this city caused by automobiles during the year 1914, nore incentive for action could hardly be hoped for. It matters little that the Irivers weie less at fault than the children; the educational campaign should reach )oth. Perhaps so far as children are concerned, school instruction will have more iffect than warnings to drivers, but certainly many delivery wagon drivers, and >thers are notoriously careless. Some of the blame lies with the police department. It is not an easy matter to enforce speed regulations equitably, but 3 olice the fact that it is not done in Madison does not imply that it cannot Regulations be done. The department is urged to take active steps in reducing the speed of vehicles on State street and elsewhere, using methods ;hown to be effective in other cities. The city this spring took the very wise step of placing signs at the ap- Danger proaches of school grounds, but the signs are not located far enough from Signs the schools to be of greatest service. A distance of at least 100 feet should be allowed for slowing down and in order to protect children not 32 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE directly in front of the building. Signs should be placed on State street, warning vehicles that the intersection of that street with Henry and Johnson is especially dangerous. The decorative effect need not be considered in these signs: DANGER School Grounds speed limit, 8 miles per hour Simplicity and effectiveness are important elements. In regard to placing traffic police at certain corners, this city has Traffic Police not been deficient. One corner is especially dangerous, viz, the for Safety comer named in the last paragraph, and at this corner there is an officer stationed from 11:30 A. M. until 12:15 P. M. and from 3:15 P. M. until 6:00 P. M. A posted officer at this point is certainly of great value; though he alone cannot accomplish the task of making a dangerous corner perfectly safe, as is indicated by our remarks concerning signs and speed regulations. Doty School Showing Playgrounds. With regard to closing streets, it must be remembered that as a safety Closing measure little can be done. The dangerous streets are not those that Streets can be spared in the majority of cases. Consideration of the possi- bilities in Madison has led to the conclusion that closing of streets is not a great need except in one instance. By closing Broom street as a means of entering the railway triangle at the end of Brittingham Park, and by adequate fencing of the playground's railway limit, safety can be secured as far as the railway trains are concerned. The present situation is intolerable. Locations of the present schools are considered with regard to safety Schoolhouse in Chart 3. Only one school has been seriously criticised with Locations regard to location. The Washington school serves two wards divided by State street, a heavy traffic street. The school is cen- trally located in the district. Two schools would obviate the necessity of crossing CHART III Playgrounds — Use and Supervision School Popularity of Playground Compared with Play in streets — Prefer- Supervision of Play Dangerous Practices Before School Recesses Noon Hour After School Summer Vacation Directed Play Supervision to Prevent Accidents Noted *3 (0

* cj E 43 Li U '3 o o T3 a 3 p ti - 0> 0> t4 53 U 'o O o Z T3 c 3 O u bo CD CD (- 02 CD CI "o J3 Q o 55 a 3 o u r° as' «? / -C Oj U V! X W t- Ss o -a o a o > a) 3 CD a 0; 0) & CD ,0 CD a (A o 3 (a .2 CD a O Noon Hour Holi- days Summer Vacation Recesses and after School Noon Hour Holi- days Summer Vacation be en ■2-S is o s „ C £ S ft Oh UQ a a « ■RS« c . 3 04) "> _g So ft V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V None ti it ti it None ti None Play- ground Instruct'r None Play- ground Instruct'r None Play- ground Instruct'r ci Teachers and Principals watch the play to the best of their ability. Older children when deemed specially capable, are given supervisory duties. None ti None Play- ground Instruct'r None Play- ground Instruct'r None Play- ground Instruct'r None Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y'es Yes Yes Yes Yes Doty V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V Yes Randall V V V V V Yes Yes Yes V v V Yes 32 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE directly in front of the building. Signs should be placed on State street, warning vehicles that the intersection of that street with Henry and Johnson is especially dangerous. The decorative effect need not be considered in these signs: DANGER School Grounds speed limit, 8 miles per hour Simplicity and effectiveness are important elements. In regard to placing traffic police at certain corners, this city has Traffic Police not been deficient. One corner is especially dangerous, viz, the for Safety corner named in the last paragraph, and at this corner there is an officer stationed from n 130 A. M. until 12:15 P. M. and from 3:15 P. M. until 6:00 P. M. A posted officer at this point is certainly of great value; though he alone cannot accomplish the task of making a dangerous corner perfectly safe, as is indicated by our remarks concerning signs and speed regulations. ■^■1 -!!!&? Doty School Showing Playgrounds. With regard to closing streets, it must be remembered that as a safety Closing measure little can be done. The dangerous streets are not those that Streets can be spared in the majority of cases. Consideration of the possi- bilities in Madison has led to the conclusion that closing of streets is not a great need except in one instance. By closing Broom street as a means of entering the railway triangle at the end of Brittingham Park, and by adequate fencing of the playground's railway limit, safety can be secured as far as the railway trains are concerned. The present situation is intolerable. Locations of the present schools are considered with regard to safety Schoolhouse in Chart 3. Only one school has been seriously criticised with Locations regard to location. The Washington school serves two wards divided by State street, a heavy traffic street. The school is cen- trally located in the district. Two schools would obviate the necessity of crossing CHART IV Summer Use of Playgrounds — 1914 Play Ground School . _4 3S ■o.£ a> t/i as »2 Q * Bad Surface No 2 B $ Ves Yes Ves No No No No 1 Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Football i S as, Only by High School Adequate H. S. Field Needed ZU No Basketball 1) en rs ^3 a No No No No No No No Yes Yes Sand Boxes Loads of Sand 1 No No Yes 1 Y'es No None ».E S-o « ; a £ £ < *u H d * < O P5 EH < co 01 o -3 o ^ ■u Ml a a> O CQ mi mi •i— « X 3< o CO M . . r T' tr-l *tH . co o© 73 • O © Ml 3 s3 CQ o X ■f. a> -a eS ^O o o o o PQ *i i" d a mi O, a> S o £ £ > o s3 a> 01 CO Ml oi 3 be S3 a> X o t- 3 X o 3 o 3 ■ — I r l*H -~ a-' o -a oi a C £• oi a 3 CO bo 3 3 u o Ml 01 Ml Ml s3 o a 3 'mi s3 3 a o r-4 o o -3 o CO XI bo Ml 3 s3 CQ Ml Ml 3 s3 O. Ml o X 'd Ml P "3 a> Ml s-X 0) a 3 .0 3 CO 4J *-' •i-H o "o o ,3 O CO ,3 be s T3 3 s3 a OS a? to " £? o o a^M X 3, . mi o i-r 1 s3 01 X Ml Ml 01 S3 rt cqo s1§ o o 'S , C0 7J -affi a , S3 J- ^•2 Ml O 3 r? gcom Ml o "o o x) o CO X3 be s Ml P Ml 3 S3 cq m m * o "t» Ml OS Ml 3 S3 cq Ml Ml ^H ffi Ml 01 a o S3 o J3 2 -^ CO o 4-) XI S3 bt § 3 3h Ml O £ Ml o S3 X ^ Ml X QJ o3 (j cq © Q a, Ml o x be Ml Ml S3 U r. 3 Ml 0) oi a S3^ a S3 0) E-i S3 X 4-1 0> en S3 CQ Ml "£ O o 3 bf s3 01 X u 3 X O Ml 3 S3 cq T3 01 Ml t.X 0} 3. 3 CO a S3 01 S3 X 01 Ml S3 cq 01 3 3 • r- 1 be 3, S3 Ml 01 C J u X h Cl t-. S 3 X O Xi 01 Ml P X5 01 >. Ml X > >. •d t-X 01 01 Ml 3 P co 3 o G I 01 3 o o — U iC ai «3 3h Ml 'C o 3 a S3 0) 3 Ml 01 3 & EH a be Ml ^^ Ml s3 S3 X 4^1 01 Li 01 . X tu ^ Ch u § Ml S3 S 3 cq X o M Ml 01 01 3 2§ 3 S3 cq Ml Ml Ml '?3 O O 2£ 01 0) 3 5§ . 01 OT3 01 3 o< £ £ •3 0) Ml «i—i > S 1 £-X 01 a 3 CO bo 3 3 0) > a o Ml S3 01 Ml «J Ml S3 ft 01 X be 3 •— u 3 -3 -3 01 >> S3 01 a s3 be X o 43 s3 3 O >s »J 01 3 CHART V School Gymnasiums and Space Used for Gymasium Purposes Dimensions Light Use op Gymnasium Supervision Location in Condition of Heated Finish of Ventilation School ^ " S c a § 8 r1?b ^55 0- - r. a & TJ g W Building Floor Day Arti- ticial Walls By Whom At What Times '£3 o ^- : IT. Ol Principal or Older Children in every case 6th, 7th and 8th grades-boys Each one afternoon a week 1 Washington 60 20 11 Attic Good O. K. Yes No Rafters Windows Gth, 7th, and 8th grades— girls Two afternoons a week Yes 2. Lincoln No Gymnasium or Gymnasium equipment. New building will have a modern gym. So ?>. Bray ton . . 15 18 60 00 11 11 Attic Attic Good Fair Yes No Rafters Windows 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades— boys 6th, 7th and 8th grades- girls si Three afternoons a week Two afternoons a week Yes i. Doty 36 24 11 Basement O. K. O. K Wir'd but not in Yes Plaster Fan system and Windows 6th, 7th and 8th grades- boys 6th, 7th and 8th grades— girls a o Each one afternoon a week (?) Two afternoons a week Yes Yes Services of High School boys or Uni- 5. Draper. . . . 60 20 11 O. K. Yes No Rafters 6th, 7lb, and 8th grades— boys >»■£ Each one aflei noon a week Yes versity sludents not satisfactory, 7th and 8th grades— girls ,D bl Each one afternoon a week as in most cases no helpful coach «_ w- ing gi^en; merely acting as ref- ii. Irving No Gymnasium or Gymnasium equipment. eree. University could co-operate and give grade school boys and " Marquette.. 45 15 12 2d Story Hall Good O K. Yes Yes Plaster Fan system and Windows 6th, 7th, and 8th grades— boys 7th and 8th grades -girls 3S 3 3 b£ bO d> Each one afternoon a week Each one afternoon a week Yes girls much helpful coaching and supervised play. 8. Lapham .... No Gymnasium or Gymnasium equipment. 9. Longfellow.. 60 20 12 Basement O. K. O. K. \'es No Plaster Windows 6th, 7th and 8th grades— boys 7th and 8th grade— girls « Each one afternoon a week Each one afternoon a week Yes 30 40 16 Basement First lloor O. K. O K. Yes Y'es Plaster Fan system and Windows \ es Yes 10. Randall ... 11. Hawthorne. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 33 State street. The one serving the eighth ward would provide for a rather small district, but one not lacking in population. The one serving the first ward, if lo- cated near the corner of Gorham and Carroll, would draw children also from sec- tions of the second ward, now more than a quarter of a mile from any schoolhouse. SCHOOL GYMNASIUMS Grade Schools' Needs. It is during the school ages that physical develop- ment and training are most needed. Such development should not be overlooked in winter and is not by the modern school. There is only one grade school gym- nasium, that at Randall school. Six schools have improvised basket ball courts capable of partially satisfying the demands of enthusiasts. Two new buildings are being erected with adequate gymnasiums — Lincoln and Hawthorne (new Irving) ) Washington School, Spring of 191 5. The Street is the Playground. schools. Lapham and Irving (new Harvey) schools lack even a basket ball court. Almost no supervision is provided for gymnasium work. Organized and directed play on a large scale is much needed. Competent leaders are demanded. [Equip- ment is greatly to be desired in every gymnasium. At present almost none is found except for basket ball. High School Gymnasium The students have been deprived of entirely adequate use of the High School gymnasium owing to the generous desire of the Board of Education to extend its field of usefulness by including persons not attending high school. Chart 6 shows the use and supervision for the past year. The equipment of the High School gymnasium is meagre considering the number accommodated and the possible ex- tent of its usefulness. The High School enrolled a total of 1012 pupils for the year 191 4-1 5 — 444 boys and 568 girls. There are over two thousand young people be- tween the ages of fourteen and twenty, who are not in any school and who might be greatly benefited b\ physical training if they were given the opportunity. 4— r. s. 34 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE EVENING USE OF SCHOOLHOUSES Progress in Fuller Use of School Buildings. The tendency of modern times toward utilizing public property to its fullest extent, towards a free and unre- stricted use of the school buildings, for example, is taking root in the consciousness of Madison people. Nothing could be more economical and advantageous than to make the modern school building with its generous and varied equipment a civic center for the young and old of the neighborhood. For several years attempts have been made to utilize the school buildings of Madison in this way, but not until last year (1914) has it been possible to even approach an organization of districts with regular weekly schedules for the use of the buildings during the evening. Agencies Supplying Leaders. Progress in the development and carrying on •of the evening activities in the schoolhouses and community clubs is due in a large measure to the co-operation of young men and women from the following organi- zations: City and University Y. W. C. A., Social Service Group, University Y. M. C. A., Young People of University Methodist Church, advanced students in physical education, public school music, sociology and home economics of the University. In all nearly thirty instructors and leaders donated their services to this work last year. Clubs and Classes, Evening Schools. Evening use was made of six schools during the past year — the Randall, Longfellow, Draper, Washington, Doty and Lapham schools. Table 3 shows the meeting place of the various groups, the nature of the activities and the time of meeting. At the Longfellow and Randall schools the boys were divided into groups by age so that each group might have interests in common. The girls in the ninth ward (Longfellow district) having but one night a week, were divided with half the •evening for those under fourteen, and half for the others. Classes were held in cooking, plain sewing, and chorus work. Not one of the three schools in the sixth ward contains an assembly hall. The seriousness of this situation led three organizations to combine to secure a small house in the northeast district (corner of Atwood avenue and Demming street) which served as gymnasium and club house. Work done here during 1914-15 included basketball, gymnasium work, folk dancing, social dancing, games and choruses. On Sunday afternoons there were talks and musicals. The work is not continued during the summer. A room in the branch library (near corner of Williams and Patterson streets) affords another center in the sixth ward, where practically the same activities were carried on. Success and Enthusiasm Aroused. The work was very successful, as shown by the large attendance and the constant demand for the use of the buildings. The schools with large halls were most in demand. Longfellow and Randall schools were used during the winter every night sometimes by more than one group in one evening. So popular were the supervised open meetings, that boys came regularly once a week from the second and seventh wards (not supplied with halls) co play at Randall school — a distance of over two miles. Opportunities for Improvement. The importance of the evening recreational MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 35 TABLE III Evening Use of Schoolhouses Meeting- Place. Name of Club. Members. Nature of Work. Day of Week. Longfellow Sch. Boys' Club (under 14) Girls of District 4C boys and others Hebrew boys Italian boys Continuation school Boys Girls Big boys Big boys Big boys Adults Gym . baskbal] Basketball, chor (two classes) Basketball Basketball Basketball Night school Monday and Wed. Friday. Thursday. Tuesday. Saturday. Mon., Wed., Fri. Randall School t ; ( ( I. u u Boy Scouts Catholic Knights Young men, 2d, 7th wds Randall boys 4Cboys 10th Ward Association Dancing Club School boys Adults i< School boys Big boys Adults ii Gym. (2 classes) Basketball Basketball Gymnasium Gym.&bask'ball Social Social, dancing Wednesday. Tuesday. Thursday. Monday and Tues. Monday. Tuesday. Saturday. Draper School Boys' Club Girls of District Working boys Boys Girls Big Boys Social and Gym Friday. Thursday. Wednesday. Lapham School Boys' Club Neighborhood Club Boys Adults Social and Gym. Social & Educa. Thursday. Friday. Washington Sch. St. John's Church Club Big boys Basketball Tues. and Thur. Doty School Neighborhood Club Adults Social & Educa- tional Friday East End Com- munity Club (( If Sixth Ward boys Sixth Ward girls Boy Scouts Neighborhood Club Boys Girls Boys Adults & chil Bask'ball, Gym. (three classes) Bas'ball, games (two classes) Gym. and drill Music, talks, lectures Mon., Tues., Thur. Wed. and Friday Saturday. Sunday, P. M. 6th Ward Lib Italian Theatre Girls' Club Italian Welfare Ass'n Girls All Gym., dancing, and games Music, talks, lectures Friday. Sunday, P. M. 36 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE and social use of the schools is not easily exaggerated. The same equipment suit- able for the regular work of the younger school children can be used in the evening in such a way as to give a vast amount of pleasure and physical and moral better- ment. What has been done against great odds in the Longfellow, Randall and Draper schools can be done elsewhere under the directions of a community leader. The new buildings (Lincoln and new Irving schools) afford gymnasiums tending to make the work easier in their districts, but the earnest co-operation of many people will be required to carry forward the work and a skilled director of all recreational work in the public schools both during school hours and in the evening will be necessary to make the co-operation fully successful. Needs, i. Facilities for adults, large assembly halls especially, are lacking and are much needed in every district except that served by the Randall school. 2. To administer the work a full time supervisor is urgently recommended. SUMMARY BY SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS WASHINGTON SCHOOL Location. School is centrally located in one district, but the immediate sur- roundings are unfortunate. The eighth ward would of itself be a better school dis- trict with its center further west than the present school. First ward and part of the second ward would then be a new district, (i) making a desirable location pos- sible for this as well, (2) obviating the necessity of crossing State street to school, and (3) bringing a school within a reasonable distance of children living in the western half of the second ward. Playground. A very inadequate playground is provided — one-fourth large enough for present minimum requirements. The playground is very meagerly equipped with apparatus, its surface is unsatisfactory, making it unusable in wet weather and early spring. No directed play is provided. The grounds are little used, the streets being equally popular and more convenient. The need for ade- quate and attractive grounds is greater because of the almost total lack of space about homes. The number of children per acre is greater than in any other district (6.1). Thirteen per cent of the total children in the city live in this district. Unsatisfactory, small, low attic room is used as gymnasium. Little supervision. No skilled directed play except by the instructor responsible for eleven other schools who takes occasionally a few minutes from the playgrounds. Sparse equipment provided. Summer Play. This school was not used as a play center during the last sum- mer, the nearest playgrounds being operated at Doty school and Brittingham Park. Evening Use. This school is not equipped for adult evening use and has not been so used, nor is the school made use of largely by younger groups. The need for evening meetings for adults and youths is great. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 37 LINCOLN SCHOOL Location. The school is so located that children in the western part of the second ward are almost, if not fully, a half mile from school. This situation makes the playgrounds of little use to this section without exceptionally well organized play. The proposed first and second ward school would correct this situation. The im- mediate surroundings of this school are attractive. Playground. The present playground is too sloping to be useful for many forms of play. Grading is necessary to secure a sufficiently large, level, quadrangle and to make the whole space available. For the children this is a greater need than the natural beauty of the slope and trees. The total space is adequate if made available. Supervision is not afforded for the purpose of organizing play. Gymnasium. The Lincoln schoolhouse being erected includes a gymnasium and equipment. Summer Use. The playground was not used last summer. The Burr Jones Field was not used last summer. If it had been, the need of Lincoln school playground would hardly have been felt. Evening Use. No use has been made of this school in the evenings either by adults 3r children. BRAYTON SCHOOL Location. The school's location in many ways is not desirable, but in this dis- irict better locations are almost impossible to find, and locations satisfactory today might be invaded by garages and traffic tomorrow. Playground. The playground is wholly inadequate for present needs. Almost no other space is found in the district except in the streets, and at St. Patrick's school playground at the extreme eastern edge in the second ward. Most of the streets are very dangerous. Lack of equipment and supervision, as at Washington school, prevents the playground from being attractive and the real center for play. Gymnasium. Two medium-sized attic rooms are used for gymnasium pur- poses. Equipment is almost wholly lacking. The ceiling is too low and the room is not heated. Summer Use. The nearness of Burr Jones Field makes the lack of summer use of the Brayton playground less serious when the former is used. Evening Use. No provision for evening use of this school was made last year. DOTY SCHOOL Location. School is well located except as regards the proximity of the rail- road. As conditions now exist, children play almost on the tracks, and with no fence at the end of the street, children cross the tracks to play in Brittingham Park. The street end should be fenced immediately. Playground. When both front and back yards are used, the grounds afford 128 square feet per child in school, but only 61 square feet per child in the district. However, Brittingham Park relieves the deficiency somewhat. The surface is un- 38 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE satisfactory and wholly unusable after rainfalls. The grounds have better equip- ment than some others. Gymnasium. A far too small, low, basement roomserves inadequately for basket ball. No equipment is provided except for basket ball. Summer Use. The needs of the district in the summer were adequately met as regards younger children. The older children played in Brittingham Park without supervision. Evening Use. One club used this school in the evenings. DRAPER SCHOOL Location. Almost half of the district is more than a quarter of a mile, but none over a half mile from the school. The immediate surroundings are attractive. Playground. The playground is not deficient on a basis of number of children in public school, but a very small proportion of the children living in this district are in public school. Play space is lacking about homes to a marked degree. It is in other ways an important district; ten per cent (only n schools in town) of the chil- dren of the city live in this district. A larger space and organized play are needed. The equipment of this ground is practically complete. Gymnasium. A room in the attic serves for basket ball court. The ceiling is too low, the floor poor, the room imheated and generally unattractive. Summer Use. The much needed supervision was not supplied on this play- ground last summer. The demand for open space caused it to be considerably used notwithstanding. This is certainly one of the centers greatly needing organ- ized play in the summer. Evening Use. Three young people's groups used the school in evenings last year. IRVING (NEW HARVEY) SCHOOL Location. School is the center of the smallest district in the city in area (with Doty as a close second), but a considerable portion of the area is more than a quarter mile from the school. No portion, however, is over a half mile from the school. The immediate surroundings are not extremely objectionable, the chief objection- able feature being the street car tracks. On the other hand, the neighborhood is an attractive one. Playground. The playground is very small and fails to adequately meet pres- ent needs. This situation is somewhat less serious than it would be were it not for Marquette school within a half mile, but additional space of at least 18,000 square feet is needed for minimum requirements. There are now 43 square feet per child in school and 38 square feet per child in the district. Gymnasium. The school has no gymnasium or any room capable of being used as one. Summer Use. This playground was not in use last summer. The Marquette playground (within a half mile) served as a partial substitute. A woman super- visor is much needed here for the younger children. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 39 Evening Use. The school was not used in the evenings for either adult or children groups. The use of the branch library made such use less necessary. MARQUETTE SCHIOOL Location. The school is a little too far west to be centrally located in the dis- trict, but this defect is not serious. The surroundings of the school are undesirable — a business and traffic street on one side and car tracks on the other. When the present building is abandoned, the site should be abandoned and one adjoining more secluded streets selected. Playground. The large playgrounds are not large enough considered on a basis of the total number of children out of school as well as in. The equipment is very deficient. The use of these playgrounds is extensive, but could be increased enormously by resurfacing, by increased and better equipment, and by supervision of play. The playground need in this district is great. Organization and super- vision are especially needed. Gymnasium. A small second-story corridor is used for basket ball and indoor baseball as far as possible. Nowhere in the city is a well equipped gymnasium more needed or more desired by the young people in and out of school. Summer Use. Two supervisors, a man and a woman, provided for these grounds excellent supervision last summer. Evening Use. The schoolhouse is not fitted for evening uses, but this situa- tion is met by rooms provided in the branch library for social and other clubs of adults and children. LAPHAM SCHOOL Location. Lapham school district is too large. The surroundings are very satisfactory, the only objectionable feature being the railroad tracks. The size of the district could be reduced either by moving the school or by adding another be- tween Lincoln and Lapham schools. Playground. The area of the playground is sufficient since play space is af- forded by Tenney Park also. The grading and drainage are very imperfect. The equipment is deficient. No directed play is provided. Gymnasium. No facilities are provided for any kind of gymnastic work. Summer Use. The use of the park playground made Lapham school unneces- sary last summer. The equipment of this playground should be utilized in summer. Evening Use. The school was not used for adult or children's evening meet- ings. More evening use is desirable. LONGFELLOW SCHOOL Location. This district has 12% of children of city within its borders more than a third of whom are over a quarter of a mile from the school. This objection is not serious. The school surroundings are attractive. Playground. The playground, supplemented as it is by Brittingham and 40 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Vilas Parks, is not deficient, but greatly needs a better equipment as well as supervision. Gymnasium. A small room in the basement serves inadequately for basket ball. Summer Use. The playground was in use last summer and two supervisors were provided, one man and one woman. Evening Use. Considerable use was made of this school in evenings by chil- dren and a little by adults. Extensive adult use is to be desired. The buildings are in many ways poorly adapted for the evening uses. RANDALL SCHOOL Location. For the present the location of the school cannot be objected to, although 81% of the area of the district is more than a quarter mile away. Some redistricting may be expected, when the district is more closely built up (present population per acre, 3). The school surroundings are excellent. Playground. The size of the playground is sufficient, but grading and a better surface are needed greatly. Directed play is needed. Gymnasium. The school has an excellent gymnasium and showers, but no gymnastic equipment except for basket ball. Summer Use. Supervision was not afforded during last summer. The need is undoubtedly less in this district owing to the excellent opportunities for play elsewhere, and to the great distance from homes to playground. Evening Use. The school is well equipped and was much used by children and adult groups in the evenings, but there was little adequate supervision. HAWTHORNE (NEW IRVING) SCHOOL Location. The district includes 12% of the city's children, considerably over half of them living over a quarter mile from school, many living over a half mile rom school. For the present this situation may be considered necessary owing to the sparseness of the population (3 per acre). Gymnasium. The new building provides an adequate gymnasium. Summer Use. Summer supervision and directed play would be desirable in this field. Evening Use. Although the schoolhouse was not used, the Community Club building was used last year in evenings and Sundays by children and adults. RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended: (1) That the following playgrounds be expanded by the addition of at least the number of square feet here indicated so that they may meet the immediate minimum requirements for their districts: MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 41 Washington School 60,000 Brayton School 16,620 Draper School 37,920 Irving School (New Harvey) 23,340 Hawthorne School (New Irving) 41,750 (2) That gravel or equally usable surfaces be provided for all schools. (3) That these playgrounds be graded: Washington School, Lincoln School, Doty School, Draper School, Irving (new Harvey) School, Randall School, and Hawthorne (new Irving) School. (4) That modern and adequate equipment be provided for each school play- ground. (5) That some arrangement be made in every district to afford gymnasium work for school children and as rapidly as is possible modern school gymnasiums provided. (6) That each school playground and gymnasium be put under a director or special teacher under the general supervision of the director of physical education of the school system. (7) That the school buildings be opened and specially equipped for evening social and educational uses of children and adults and that a school official be em- ployed to organize and superintend evening activities. CHAPTER V PRIVATE, PHILANTHROPIC AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS* Under the title of Private, Philanthropic and Social Organiza- General Nature tions are included such associations as the Gisholt Club, Madison of the Study of Turnverein, Madison Club, Churches, Masons, Elks, Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A., baseball and basketball teams, etc. The purpose of this section of the reports is threefold: (i) To show Its Purpose the nature and the extent of the recreation offered by these various organizations. (2) To determine what forms of organization, what kinds of recreational facilities and what methods of operation have been most suc- cessfully employed. (3) To make suggestions and recommendations as to methods and needs relating specifically to organizations or applied to the organizations as part of the whole recreational field. Officers of 152 organizations were interviewed; officers of 38 others, not Extent interviewed in person, were reached through the mails, making a total of 190 canvassed in this study. Only two organizations refused to make an effort to secure information. Response (1) Number of organizations whose officers gave full reports, 148; (2) Number giving partial reports, 4; (3) Number failing to respond in any way, 32; (4) Number having disbanded, 6; total organizations, 190. Each organization was visited and the officers interviewed for information as to their physical equipment, manner of support, number of members, purposes and natures of efforts, employment of trained recreational leader, meetings, etc., etc. In addition to the tabulation of questionnaires, the committee met frequently and discussed results, then again visited the institutions in question. Records of organ- izations were called for and these used to clear up points of doubt. To insure clear- ness of presentation, a classification was made, based more upon the practical expe- diency of obtaining the facts than upon any scientific grouping from the recrea- tional viewpoint. It will be observed that some organizations fostered by and confined to the members of a given type of organization are listed in another division. For ex- ample, the Knights of Columbus will appear in the Fraternal Group, not the Church Group. *Prepared under the direction of E. W. Balkeman and Henry Barnbrock with 52 per- sons devoting a great deal of time and energy during a period of three months. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 43 The following classification was used: Number. 1. Social and Recreation Clubs 7 2. Churches 33 3. Fraternal and Insurance Organizations 46 4. Labor Unions 18 5. Philanthropic Organizations 7 6. Literary, Musical, Patriotic and Miscellaneous... 33 Total 143 SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL CLUBS Gisholt Club: Membership, 450. I. Equipment: Small gymnasium and club room, dining hall, clay pigeon trap, and rifle gallery. The building is owned by the company operating the fac- tory and the equipment by the club. II. Activities: Activities vary with the conditions of the business in the factory. During the past year activities included twelve dances, four minstrel or vaudeville shows, several musical programs, baseball, basketball, bowling games, wrestling, boxing, and shooting matches. An annual picnic was -attended by about 2500 people. III. Observations: This club is the only enterprise reported as attempting to supply definite recreational activity for the factory employees. The Madison Turnverein: Membership, 150. I. Equipment: A gymnasium with a fair amount of apparatus, two showers, four small rooms, and one large one with a stage. II. Activities: During the past year 432 gymnasium classes for men, women, boys and girls were conducted with a total attendance of 16,344. Also seven outings with an approximate attendance of 300, 18 suppers with a total at- tendance of 350, 2 dances with approximately 100 in attendance were held. Fifteen men were enrolled in bowling matches every two weeks. The hall was rented to outside parties for one walking and six boxing matches. III. Observations. This club is one of the two organizations in the city reported as having a paid director. The gymnasium is not now used to its maxi- mum. A pool would increase the effectiveness of the work. IV. Suggestions. This club has a constructive program. The director has a vision, and is making good use of the facilities at hand. Any recreation com- mittee will do well to study carefully the history of this organization. The Madison and University Clubs: Membership total of 747. I. Equipment: Each club house supplies lounging rooms, reading rooms, dormitories for part of the membership and for guests of the membership, restau- rants, billiard and pool tables, etc. 44 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE II. Activities: Banquets, billiard tournaments, dances, card parties, musical and literary programs, etc., are frequent. III. Observations: No provisions for outdoor recreation are made. Mendota Yacht Club: 202 members, and Madison Motor Boat Club: 41 members. Total, 243 members. These important recreative organizations provide rare opportunity through ice boating, yacht and motor boat racing, for an important recreational use of the lakes, but rather highly specialized and limited in extent of possible active partici- pation. Owing to the necessity of certain large expenditures and the need of cer- tain skill, the number indulging in this line of recreation must always be very small. Olympic Club: 82 members. I. Equipment: Four small rooms and one spacious hall are provided with chairs, card tables, a piano and a victrola. II. Activities. Dances, banquets, card parties, bowling, basketball and outings are included. III. Observations: The membership is composed of young men. Social functions nourish, but athletic features are not emphasized. The erection of a club house is anticipated. CHURCHES Church Organizations Surveyed — 33 * First Baptist. Roman Catholic — Holy Redeemer, St. Bernard, St. James, St. Patrick's, St. Raphael's. Congregational — First, Pilgrim, Plymouth. Epis- copal — Grace, Emmanuel's. Evangelical Association. Angudas Achin Aushy Synagogue. Lutheran — Bethany Evangelical, Bethel (Norwegian), Bethel Lu- theran Chapel, English Lutheran, German Lutheran Zion, Immanuel Lutheran, Our Saviour's Lutheran, St. John's German, Swedish Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran. Methodist — African, First, German, Trousdale, People's Church of South Madi- son. Presbyterian — St. Paul's. Scientist — First Church of Christ. Seventh- Day Adventist Society. First Unitarian Society. Observations 1. The Survey reveals a conscious effort to advance the interests of the organization by means of the social and recreational features. 2. A general appreciation of the need of gymnasiums and game rooms for boys. 3. Prevalence of the idea that the municipality as such might provide com- munity centers available to all organizations, including church groups. *The Catholic and Methodist University churches are omitted as are University organizations from other sections of this report. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 45 4. The expense of up-keep imposes upon every movement to provide recrea- tion the necessity of exacting a fee. This fee tends to become prohibitory. 5. The need of trained leaders in recreation is appreciated by many of the churchmen, but at present no church in the city makes an appropriation for the salary of such a man. 6. Though some churches have a multiplicity of organizations and a wide range of activities, few, if any, accurate records of the work from year to year are being preserved. A constructive program may therefore be said to be lacking. 7. Effort is being made to stimulate inter-church recreation and a combina- tion for the joint use and support of gymnasiums and game rooms is being perfected through the several Sunday-school leagues of the city. Social Activities Number of churches surveyed . 33 A Membership 15454 Social Activities. No. per Annum. Aggregate Attendance. Card parties 15 3°75 Cooking Club 12 120 Dances 8 720 Entertainments 82 l ^S7S Gymnasium Classes 100 3800 Outings 139 1 1336 Smokers 4 140 Socials and Receptions 881 42820 Suppers and Banquets 75 8335 Teas 80 800 Totals 1398 87721 s Estimated value as amusement #21,930 Average number of social functions per member 6 Churches with baseball teams 6 Churches with basketball teams J 8 Churches with bowling teams 2 (a) One large church having no social activities withholds a statement concerning church membership. (b) The aggregate figures are low due to the fact that church records of social and recreative activities are poorly kept. 46 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Special Equipment for Recreation Number of Equipment. Churches. Gymnasium 4 Shower Baths 3 Pool and Billiards 2 Playground I A Lawn Tennis 1 Moving Picture Lantern 1 Paid Directors o No Equipment 4 B The extent of recreation in the church groups is very difficult to ascertain. One church reports over 175 families, but makes no distinction between adults and children. This church comprehends three lodges and maintains a large social room used daily. Dances, parties, lectures, musical programs and games of athletic nature are frequently held. Yet we have no way of determining how many dif- ferent children are accommodated nor how many children are counted more than once. A church of over 800 members reports seventeen organizations. One of the seventeen is a Sunday-school with nearly 400 members, yet we cannot determine how many of these are included in the membership given as 800. No doubt many children in excess of the church membership receive the benefit of the social and recreative occasions. In this church record is kept relative to a class of youths and another of adults, but beyond this there is to be found no Recreation Function record of activities for any one of the thirty children's Not Recorded classes. No doubt there are being carried forward scores of social and recreative activities of the churches which are not made a matter of record. It may be observed that a very definite policy on the part of the churches comes to the surface just here. Recreation Policies Believing that Christianity is a motive for altruistic Should Be Handled activity in various lines, churches plant religious devotion Carefully and expect it to flower in wholesome activity. Recrea- tion is to them an incident. It is therefore thought as a by-product in church life. It remains for some agent concerned with recreation as such to take this element which the churches think of as secondary and study it critically in order to deter- mine how recreation in the churches may become correlated with the recreational problem of the whole city. One of the possible dangers, however, in establishing a system by which the recreation elements of the churches shall be directed is loss of spontaneity. A director of recreation seems to be needed to correlate the activities and to make them accommodate the largest possible number with the least possible expense of time and energy. This correlation should increase the effectiveness of (a) Playground has no equipment. (b) Churches meet in homes or rented halls. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY. 47 all recreation. However, if the element of personal initiative be lessened in the process and spontaneity be sacrificed to system, recreation may lose its recreation power. Any play committee must face this possible danger of defeating its own purpose. It is recommended that some correlating agent be supplied; that adequate records be encouraged; that the value of a constructive program extending through- out the year be sought; that organizations of similar type be federated as for example Sunday-school teams; that frequent conferences be held by the recreation director with church leaders for the purpose of creating an appreciation of the values of re- creation as a moral and spiritual factor in the community and therefore a co-partner with the other constructive agents. FRATERNAL AND INSURANCE ORGANIZATIONS Number of Organizations Surveyed 46* Ancient Order of Hibernians; Banyan Camp of Modern Woodmen; Benevolent Protective Order of Elks; Black Hawk Tent No. 59, K. O. T. M.; Caledonian Society, Camp No. 1 of the Defenders; Catholic Order of Foresters, Holy Redeemer Court, 2 lodges; St. James Court, 2 lodges; St. Joseph's Court, 1 lodge; Court Wis- consin, No. 928 Foresters; Four Lakes Council Royal Arcanum; Fraternal Aid Union; Fraternal Order of Eagles; Iduna Lodge, Sons of Norway; Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 3 lodges; Independent Camp of Royal Neighbors of America; Knights of Columbus; Knights of Wisconsin, St. James' Branch; Knights of Wis- consin, Holy Redeemer Branch; Lake City Camp Loyal Order of Moose; Royal Neighbors; Madison Firemen's Relief Association; Madison Assembly Loyal Ameri" cans; Masonic Lodges (8 organizations); Monona Chapter, O. E. S.; Knights of Pythias, 2 organizations; St. Michael's Benevolent Society; St. Mary's Sodality; St. Raphael's Court No. 118; The Ladies of the Maccabees of the World; Tribe of Ben Hur; Woodmen of the World, 3 lodges. t Social Activities Number of organizations surveyed, 46. Membership, 8614. Number Aggregate Social Activities. Per Year. Attendance. Card Parties 98 5650 Dances 106 16410 Entertainments. . / ' 105 1 1825 Outings 22 5975 Smokers 53 2300 Socials 217 1 7766 Suppers and Banquets 76 I2 5^5 A Total 677 7261 1 *Fraternal orders among students omitted. (a) Does not include attendance at club houses and rooms which aggregate about 125,000 yearly, exclusive of special social activities. 48 • MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Organizations having baseball teams . . 3 Organizations having basketball 2 Organizations having bowling 4 Value as amusement (estimated) $18,153 Average number of social functions per year per member 8 Observations The conspicuous factor in the fraternal order group is the existence of equip- ment. Large club houses or adequate rooms greatly aid them in social activity. The Elks, Masons, Knights and Moose are examples. Certain officers have referred to the spirit of co-operation between fraternal orders and suggested that co-operation might make possible further equipemnt. LABOR ORGANIZATIONS Number of organizations responding to survey, 18. Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees; Barbers; Brotherhood of Firemen; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; Auxiliary, Brother- hood of Railway Trainmen; Carpenter's Union; Cigar Makers' Union; Hod Carriers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; International Moulders' Union; Machinists; Madison Federation of Labor; Mason's and Bricklayer's Union; Painters' and Decorators' Union; Steamfitters' Union; Teamsters' Union; Typo- graphical Union. LABOR UNIONS Social Activities A Number of organizations surveyed, 19. Membership, 1586. Number Aggregate Social Activities Per Year. Attendance. Card Parties 3 7 2 Dances 5 1 280 Total 8 1352 Value as amusement (estimated) $338 Number of unions providing baseball 1 Number of unions having bowling I Average number of social functions per year per member I (a) An annual labor day picnic is held by the unions but no satisfactory data could be secured. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 49 Observations Twenty of the thirty-five labor organizations co-operated in the survey. The report reveals a striking lack of social activity and absolute lack of equipment for the recreation of their members. Rapid change of membership and lack of funds, together with the industrial (or bargaining) purpose of these organizations seem to make for a dearth of whole- some amusement. Members are interested in the survey. Unions, as such, have taken no part, as yet, in the movement to develop recreation in the city. LITERARY, MUSICAL, PATRIOTIC AND MISCELLANEOUS ORGANIZA- TIONS Number of organizations surveyed, 33*. Buech's Orchestra; Co. G. Wisconsin National Guard; Camp Randall Memorial Association; Dane County Relief Committee; Dane County Soldiers' Memorial Association; Daughters of American Revolution; Gudrid Reading Circle; Guenther's Sextette Orchestra; Henry Harnden Camp No. 2, Sons of Veterans; H. U.Quent- meyer Camp No. 10; Spanish War Veterans; H. U. Quentmeyer Auxiliary No. 8; Imperial Orchestra; International Order of Good Templars; Lucius Fairchild Post No. 11, G. A. R.; Lucius Fairchild Women's Relief Corps; Madison Choral Union; Madison Horticultural Society; Madison Literary Club; Madison Mannerchor; Madison Real Estate Board; Madison Skat Club; Madison Women's Club; St. Michael's Singing Society; Scherer's First Regiment Band; Scherer's Orchestra; Social Democratic Party; Thompson's Orchestra; Three Links Club; University of Wisconsin Collegiate Alumnae; Women's Christian Temperance Union; Wimo- danghsis Club; Ygdrasil Literary Society. A Social Activities Number of organizations surveyed, 32. Membership, 2642. Number Aggregate Social Activities. Per Year. Attendance. Card Parties 29 1054 Dances 3 360 Entertainments 117 11940 Outings 9 500 Smokers 12 345 Socials 152 9881 Suppers and Banquets 38 2305 Literary Programs 74 47^o Total 434 3II45 *Catholic Women's Club with membership of 345 (not included in Survey because of recent organization). University faculty and student clubs are omitted. (a) There is no special recreational equipment. Camp Randall (G. A. R.) is used occasionally. Parks used in summer. 5— R. S. So MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Value as amusement (estimated) #7786 Average yearly number of functions per member 12 Number of paid directors o Observations Organizations vary widely, accommodating many types of people. Many organizations listed elsewhere have literary features. In the thirty-two here grouped there is a conspicuous lack of equipment. Camp Randall accommodated for the patriotic groups something over 20,000 people last year, and the parks offered facilities for various gatherings initiated by these agencies. A number of "fatigued" organizations, according to function falling naturally within this group, came to the attention of the committee. Some of these having elected officers recently, may soon be revived. However, many short-lived organizations are born each year. PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS Organizations surveyed, 7.* Buia Brith, King David Chapter; The Consumer's League; Madison Humane Society; Madison General Hospital Association; Volunteers of America; City Y. W. C. A.; Queen Esther Circle. Social Activities A Number of organizations surveyed, 7. Membership, 1144. Number r Aggregate Social Activities. Per Year. Attendance. Dances 1 100 Outings 15 2335 Socials 3 2 l8 3 8 Suppers and Banquets 3 I 5°° Total 51 5773 Value as amusement (estimated) ^443 Average (yearly) number of social functions per member 5 Organizations offering basketball 1 Organizations providing summer camps . . I Paid directors 2 ^University Y. M. C A. and Y. W. C. A. omitted as are other student institutions. (a) Y. W. C. A. has rest, reading, and assembly rooms and kitchen. Organization lacks equipment. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 51 Observations The dance indicated was a charity ball given by the Jewish Society. The Attic Angels were overlooked in the survey. Outings: Picnics, hikes, lawn socials, boat parties, etc., given for dependent families and household employees. Attendance runs beyond membership and records are not available. It is not possible to determine the overlapping and duplicating. With proper co-ordination under a general committee interested in the whole recreation problem of Madison, the work of these various organizations along recreation lines could be made very valuable in a general recreation scheme. CHAPTER VI COMMERCIAL RECREATION MOTION PICTURES The rapid growth in the popularity and the enormous ad- Motion Pictures as a vance in the production of the motion picture is proof that Form of Recreation motion pictures satisfy a certain recreational need. As is natural with any rapidly growing business, certain evils have grown up with it which are not integral parts of it and with proper attention can be eliminated very easily. It is claimed for the motion picture as a recrea- tional institution (i) that it has substituted good recreation — not always above criticism, to be sure — for many less desirable forms, (2) that it has encouraged a very economical manner of enjoying an evening, and (3) that it has tended to draw families together by giving them a common interest and method of spending many hours together. No one can take issue with these claims. A careful investigation was made of all the movie theaters in Madi- Method of son, the five downtown theaters and the seven community theaters, Study i. e., those serving the needs of a certain residence section of the city. The study was made with an effort to obtain reliable information as to (1) the nature of the audience, (2) value and influence of the film stories, (3) the mechanical details of construction, lighting, projection, etc., of the buildings used as theaters. With this body of information as a basis, certain conclusions and suggestions could be made. The facts were obtained during the months of Octo- ber, November and December. The weather, a factor possibly influencing at" tendance, was almost uniformly pleasant, though part of the time extremely cold. I — Size and Nature of Audiences The most conservative estimate that could be obtained as to the Average average daily attendance at motion picture houses was found to b< Attendance 4,000 persons for week days, and 7,000 persons for Sunday, with an Per Week average weekly attendance of 31,000 persons. This attendance, when one takes into consideration the fact that Madison has a popu- lation of approximately 35,000, including university students, indicates that at- tendance at movies is an extremely popular form of amusement. The productior of a good many motion pictures of an unusually high order attracts people of a type who do not ordinarily attend the movies. This helps swell the total attendance MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 53 The variations in the make-up of the audiences are due to a num- How Audiences ber of factors, such as (A) the day of the week and the time of the Vary day, (B) the location of the theater, (C) the character of the pic- tures, (D) the price of the admission. Under each factor will be noted the following elements, when of significance; the proportion of men to women, the percentage of children, the percentage of children accompanied by elders, pro- portion of boys to girls, and number of infants accompanied by elders among those children, number of family groups noted, and social classes. As a basis for considering the specific conditions, a general average Proportions in of the whole city was taken from all reports received. It was Total Reports found that 44.7% of the total, or 4,665 persons reported as at- tending the movies, were men, 34.4% were women, and 20.9% were children under 17 years of age. Of the children, 28.4% were accompanied by elders, 3.5% of all the children were infants, 54.9% were boys, and 41.6% were girls. The percentage of attendance of children at movies in many cities has been estimated at about 20 r ^, thus indicating that Madison is not exceptional in the number of children attending. The proportion of men to women attending is 4 to 3. The same ratio, 4 to 3, is the proportion of boys to girls. A — Audiences as Influenced by Time Sunday differs from week days not only in the greater number of Sunday persons attending movies then, but also in the kind of audiences. To Attendance bring out these differences, Sunday attendance is compared with the total week's attendance. The percentage of children on Sunday is only slightly larger than that of the total week, 21.4% as against 20.9%. A much smaller percentage (14.5%) of the children is accompanied by elders, and a smaller percentage of family groups was noted, a ratio of I to 6 on Sunday instead of 2 to 5 on total week. These-Sunday figures indicate a much higher percentage of men, the ratio being 2 men to I woman instead of 4 to 3. Also it is interesting to note that the ratio of boys to girls is increased to 3 to 2 instead of 4 to 3. The possible explanation of the increase both in actual number and in percentage of the men and boys as compared with women and girls is that the men and some of the older boys who are fieed from the work of the week avail themselves of the movies as a means of recreation on Sundays. Apparently, too, the children are given a little freer hand on Sundays, possibly because of the fact that most of the children's attendance comes on Sunday afternoon. The proportion of men, women and children in audiences on week Attendance on days differs but very slightly from the percentages of the whole Week Days week. The proportion of children is practically the same (21%); the percentage of accompanied children (31.8) is somewhat larger, more than twice the percentage of Sunday; the proportion of men to women is almost the same, 1 1 to 9, as against 4 to 3 (12 to 9) for the whole week. 54 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE The time of the day is an important factor in attendance. Compari- Influence of sons were made between late afternoon and all evening. In the Time of Day downtown theaters few, and very often no, children were found in attendance after nine o'clock. However, in the theaters not situated near the Capitol Park, the percentage of children, including infants, did not de- crease considerably even up to the time of closing, at ten o'clock. Figures were obtained as to late afternoon attendance so that the Afternoon school children were included in every report. More girls were re- Audiences ported than boys, contrary to the total week's average and the per- centage of children accompanied by elders (12.4%) was a great deal smaller than the week's average (28.4%). Of course, there is nothing alarming in children going to movies in the afternoon unattended by elders. Naturally, too, more boys than girls would attend the movies in the evening and vice versa for the afternoon. The character of the afternoon audiences differs in other ways from the evening audiences. On week day afternoons they are composed of a high per- centage of well-dressed women and but few well-dressed men. Again, whereas the total week's average shows a ratio of 4 men to 3 women, on week day afcernoons, the ratio is 2 men to 1 woman, the former condition probably indicating that well- dressed women are less busy than the men of the same type. The latter condition, the increase in the ratio of men, may be due to the fact that a considerable nu mber of workingmen were out of employment during the time the observations were made. The ratio of attendance of men to women in the evening is a great deal Evening different from that in the afternoon, 7 men to 6 women. In the Audiences evening there is a greater number of family groups in attendance than in the afternoon and a greater number of children are accompanied by their elders, about 33.5% as against 12.4% in the afternoon. This contrast is gratifying. As a result of this part of the study, we already find supporting Generalizations testimony to the claims advanced in favor of the motion pictures as a recreational institution. Their appeal is broad, they are patronized by the well-to-do as well as the working classes. They are a substitute for less desirable forms of activities, offer amusement to the men in the evening and keep them from saloons, etc., attract the boys in large numbers and keep them out of mischief during the evenings. They offer a relaxation to tired mothers who can attend with their babies. Very often family groups attend and the children are under parental influence. Then, tco, it helps to fill the need of Sunday recreation America's play day, when, in most cases, custom limits the range of activities. B. — Variation of Audience Due to Location of Theater The attendance at community theaters, i. e., theaters located in Attendance at residence districts, is 36% children, 27% of whom are accom- Community panied by elders, while only 13% of the attendance at downtown Theaters theaters consists of children, 30% of whom are accompanied by elders. Only one downtown theater may be said to be popular MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 55 with children; very few children attend the others. One community theatre in par- ticular shows a remarkable proportion, 54.4% of children's attendance. Excluding this one theater, the proportion of children's attendance in community theatres is reduced from 36% to 24%, which shows how extremely popular this one theater is with the children. Probably the explanation for this lies in the fact that it is the only theater close to homes in a densely populated district. One downtown theater is popular with children, having children as 35% of its audiences. The other theaters have the nature of their audiences influenced by their locations. One is located in the Latin Quarter and is well patronized by University students; they comprise 20% of the audience. The other, located in the Italian district, is at- tended almost exclusively by Italians. This same theater has a slightly larger attendance of girls than of boys. Theaters in Latin Quarter and Italian Section C. — Influence of Character of the Pictures on Audiences In some cases it is difficult to determine the proportion of influence Complexity of on audiences exercised by the location of theaters and the character Problem of their pictures. This is true because both conditions tend toward the same effect, that of attracting a large proportion of children, as is the case with the two theaters in the Italian district. Certain types of pictures, if their character be of a sensational and Influence of cheap comedy nature, are shown because they supply a demand on Sensational the part of a certain kind of audience and again these same kinds Pictures of pictures may be the means of determining the make-up of the audience. One theater showing pictures of sensational and cheap comedy Sensationalism tendencies has a high percentage of children in attendance. Part and Children's of this theater's attraction may be ascribed to the low price of Attendance admission, but we may safely assume that this class of pictures is a great drawing card. The character of the pictures has two other influences: Influence of Drama- (1) few children attend features such as dramatization tization of Novels of novels, and (2) houses producing such pictures are usually evaded by children. D. — Effect of Price of Admission The five-cent moving picture houses constitute the community Community houses and attract a higher percentage of children than do those Houses charging ten cents for adults and five cents for children, excepting one downtown house where adults pay ten cents. The houses charging ten cents straight and those charging more than this have almost no children in attendance. 56 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE II. — Value and Influence of Film Stories An effort was made in the survey to secure reports as to the Method of Study nature and content of the motion picture stories in specific films from people of very different points of view. To a certain ex- tent their reports represent personal impressions, but as far as possible no opinions were asked for but definite facts, from which conclusions might be easily deduced. It will be seen that the more important data used is fact, not opinion. Managers of Madison moving picture houses are to be congratu- Good Influences laced upon the number of both educational and inspiritional "features" that have been exhibited. There is hardly a theater in the city that has not run some pictures with no other possible benefit to itself than obtaining the respect of the average citizen who occasionally thinks of the moving picture 3S an educational influence. Out of no film stories, 18 were educational, 24 stimulated the Commendable artistic and 27 the moral sense, while 25 were inspirational and 32 Features were clean fun. Moral lessons were preached in 37 and reform in 2 movie dramas. Of course, some of the films combined various qualities, but a total of 68, or 62%, contained features that were distinctly benefi- cial and uplifting. In a few cases these qualities were partially offset by the presence of objectionable features occurring in the same film. One can see great possibilities of good in the motion drama if objectionable features can be eliminated The conclusions to be drawn from the analysis of the character Objectionable of the film stories are not as favorable as they might be. Whereas Features Noted 68 of the films contained features having good influences, 72 con- tained features with some traces of bad influences, although in extenuation it may be said that only 20 contained features that could have a de- cidedly bad influence. A list was made of various sensational incidents noted, which includes 7 films dealing with murder, 16 with violent death, 5 with suicide, 14 with physical peril, 13 with shocking injury. The conduct of 10 characters was classed as wicked and horrible, and 13 were guilty of immodest conduct. Thirteen plots dealt with immorality and 8 with vulgar incidents. The films were also classified as having possibilities of influencing Film Stories conduct, of increasing youthful sophistication, of accustoming the Setting Bad children to sights of vice and crime. Seventeen were found to Example have an influence as examples of drinking, 9 as examples of vulgar flirtation, 1 of intoxication, 6 of deception, 12 of cigarette smoking, 18 of use of weapons, 4 of immorality, 4 of gambling, 3 of cruelty, 8 of fighting, and 2 afforded instructions in villany. Instructions in villany are carefully sought out by the National Board of Censorship, but two instances were reported notwith- standing. One of these was due to the failure of the producing company to make an alteration ordered by the Censorship Board. No one can any more doubt the evil of witnessing crude, sensa- Bad Influences tional movie dramas than of reading the same type of literature. It is degrading to the finer feelings and emotions of adults to wit- MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 57 ness dramatized scenes of murder, violent fury, vulgarity, gambling, immodesty, immorality, intoxication, cruelty, jealousy, and all the degrading and vicious elements of human nature, and how much more so to children. The cheap comedy films are the chief offenders as setting bad Comedy Films examples in vice. In these, for instance, scenes in saloons are shown, where there is drinking, smoking, gambling, brawling, and vulgar flirtation. Immorality as an evil influence is found in the type of films of White Slave which "Three Weeks" is an example, where extenuating cir- Traffic Films cumstances are pleaded for the immorality shown, but which makes vice attractive and does not bring home forcefully the inevitably evil consequences of vice. On the other hand, the production of the so- called "white slave traffic" subjects may possibly have a good influence. There is generally nothing improper about the treatment of the subject and usually it points a moral in chat it shows the terrible consequences of vice. The objections to this type of film are twofold: (1) that these Objections to films appeal to a low class of people among others, who revel These Films in the sensational disclosures, and (2) that they are felt by some to be revolting, disgusting, and highly sensational of necessity. The truth of these contentions leads to the conclusion that a large number of such films would be extremely OBJECTIONABLE. As noted before, 1 3 plots deal with immorality, or about 12% of the total films. Too much attention is paid to this form of vice, especially when we realize the large proportion of children in the audiences. The large amount of this kind of film may be a passing incident due to the present interest in a hitherto tabooed subject. III. — Condition of Buildings and Other Considerations All the movie houses in Madison were found to be reasonably san- Construction and itary and safe as regards fire risk. No unsuitable structures are Ventilation used as theaters and in no case has the management been found grossly negligent. Only one case of law violation was noted, blocking of aisles, and that has been remedied. The State Building Code prepared by the Industrial Commission of the State, will insure safe conditions. Several instances of occasional poor ventilation have been noted, which should be remedied as soon as possible. As a rule, the theaters are very comfortably heated, only one Heating, Lighting case of excessive heat being reported. A number of instances and Projection of insufficient lighting were observed. In some houses a better distribution rather than a greater amount of light is needed. Mechanical details of projection were found to be nearly perfect. Several cases of temporarily faint projection, one case of a creased curtain, two cases of poor operation, and one case of a badly worn film comprise the total of imperfect pro- jection that might strain the eyes. 58 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE Some excellent music of the lighter order has been heard at the motior Music picture houses. Only two houses need to give music more attention. One of these could easily provide much better music. No very pool music should be tolerated, and both of the houses referred to have occasionally furnished very poor music. All the houses were found to be orderly and quiet, with a very few except- Order ions of no significance where children were the offenders. No police supervision is needed for moving picture houses. Suggested Directions of Improvement We find little justification for a general condemnation of moving pic- Value of tures. They deserve the place they have taken as a form of amusement. Movies There are, however, certain lines of improvement that should be continued and other which can be indicated. I. One means of securing a better class of films is by supporting the efforts of the National Board of Censorship. The Board works through the voluntary co- operation of the producers, censoring only from the point of view of adult audiences almost all the pictures released in this country. The exhibitor should not show uncensored pictures even if they be of an unobjectionable nature, if it is possible to avoid so doing. Uncensored pictures must be looked upon with suspicion by the public. But there are three decided limitations upon the work of the national cen- sors: (i) It is not calculated to eliminate pictures unsuitable for children; the Board makes no pretense of doing so, but favors further action by localities for censorship or special theaters for children. (2) The alterations ordered by the National Board are not always made. (3) Certain pictures are in circulation which have not been censored. How to overcome these limitations is a problem deserving attention. II. The exhibitor generally selects personally only a few films of the type called "features." The "program," or general run of films, is ordinarily sent by the exchange without special arrangement. It is important for every exhibitor to realize his responsibility so far as he selects films or influences the program sent him by general requests. It has appeared that in Madison the cheaper program films have been more likely to contain objectionable elements than the features selected by exhibitors. The features are generally betcer productions. For these reasons the features should be encouraged. Inasmuch as they are more expensive, a higher admission price is necessary when features are run. Exhibitors, on the other hand, should not feel that they have no responsibilities for their cheaper program. III. Children's days and children's theaters have been suggested as means of solving the question of programs for children. The exhibitor would be expected to select films suitable for children so far as possible. The idea deserves support. IV. There is also clearly a need for more extensive exclusion of children from programs suitable only for adults. V. Theater managers should be advised to help in enforcing the nine o'clock curfew law in regard to children. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 59 VI. All problems in the improvement of motion pictures deserve careful con- sideration by well informed social agencies. Any plan of action desired certainly should be presented to the local exhibitors for their suggestions. VII. Finally, it is necessary to call attention to the fact that whether good or bad pictures are presented is largely determined by whether good or bad are de- manded. The public must see to it that the best is supported. THEATERS The numbers attending the Madison theater and halls Theater Conditions used for concert purposes cannot be accurately estimated Good in Madison owing to a great variation from week to week. The great numbers of music enthusiasts in the city can be guessed from the great attendance at symphony concerts; eighteen hundred persons is not unknown. Particularly good drama is equally well received, though the capacity of the theater is less than twelve hundred. The excellent influence of the better form of drama and music cannot be questioned. Madison can congratulate itself upon the support offered to the best of each. No improper performances are wilfully tolerated in the city. The mayor in person supported by the sentiment of the public sees to it that objectionable features are eliminated, whenever possible. Vaudeville The report of the Russell Sage Foundation investigation in New York includes these sentences: "As to vaudeville, its most characteristic is simple stupidity. Three-fourths of the performances are classed as 'not objectionable.' No person of moderate intelligence can attend a dozen vaudeville performances without being disgusted at their vapidity." The worst types of vaudeville are unknown in M?dison owing to the fact that the city is free from mixed vaudeville and motion picture houses in which the former is given a place of importance. Madison is fortunate also in having only one vaude- ville house and in having a large vaudeville attendance. These conditions make possible a high class of performance. The weekly attendance is estimated as 10,000 persons or more. In spite of the care taken by the management to eliminate bad points and of their willingness to listen to criticism of the patrons, certain objec- tionable features are observed in Madison's vaudeville performances. As to the extent of the influence, we are not prepared to decide definitely, but do not believe that the harm done is great. Continued careful attention to the elimination of questionable features is to be desired. Public Dance Halls There seems to be some uncertainty as to which of the dance halls are to be con- sidered under police supervision. There are degrees of publicity List of Public which confuse the officials and lead to misunderstanding. For Dance Halls this reason we herewith list some halls which it is believed should be licensed and should be carefully supervised by the police. 60 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE The Colonial, 115 E. Mifflin, Kehl's Hall, 309 W. Johnson, Eagle Hall, 23 W. Main, 3d floor, Woodmen's Hall, 1-5 S. Pinckney, Brown Bldg., 4th floor, Gisholt Club, Gisholt Works, S. Baldwin, Park Hotel, 24 S. Carroll, Woman's Building, 238 W. Oilman, Keeley's Hall, 112 State, Turner Hall, 21-23 S. Butler. No licenses have been issued this year. Only three of the halls have ever been licensed — the Colonial, Kehl's, and the Gisholt Club halls. The present ordinance would require all the halls to be licensed except perhaps 3 or 4 where Dance Halls invitation dances are given. The difficulty in determining whether Should Be or not a dance is a public dance could be done away with by the Licensed licensing of all halls rented to the public, i. e., public halls, whether or not so called "public dances" are held therein. I he present ordinance calls for the licensing only of halls where dances are held to which "the public generally without any restriction may gain admission without payment of a fee," or where instruction in dancing is given "for hire." The combined effect of the difficulty of enforcement of this ordinance and lack of attention on the part of the police sufficiently accounts for the failure to license any halls. Generally, the only public danaes being given regularly are those attended chiefly by university students and subject to the severe scrutiny of a sorority and other chaperons and those given at the Colonial and the Gisholt Club. The numbers attending dances of a public nature excluding students Attendance are probably during the winter season per week 400 or over. Men are greatly in the majority. The student public dances ordinarily draw something over 70 couples per week. The dances of a strictly public nature constitute the most important Downtown single problem to be considered in connection with direct, influence of Dances commercial recreation. The worst of these public dances are known as "pig races" and are spoken of as being rough by people habitually going to them. So low a crowd of girls attend some of the dances, that the mistaken statement is not infrequently made that all women present are of bad character. The conduct at the worst dances shows the influence of consider- Objectionable able restraint. (1) For the past few weeks a police officer has Features Noted been sent to watch all public dances in the center of the city at least. (2) Early in the evening many older people watch the dancing and are undeniably a good influence. (3) No liquor is sold and almost none drunk at the dances except by men going out to visit saloons. (4) Many of the girls present — -the most of them to some extent — have ideals of conduct which alone is a restraining influence of importance. The mode of dancing is not all, or very little more open to criticism, than that seen in the homes of our best families. Separation of bodies is needed at times. Horse play is not excessive, but at rare intervals is permitted in objectionable form. Vulgar and indecent remarks of men MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 61 can easily be overheard by women occasionally. Nervous excitement, laughter and screams are heard occasionally. A great many men and a few girls leave the hall on pass-out-checks. The practice is looked upon as almost disreputable by the women generally and is therefore restricted. Perhaps one-half of the women taking pass-out-checks were Drinking under 21. The men who pass out with other men go to saloons almost During without exception. The couples or small groups go to the lunch wagons Dances perhaps, loaf in doorways, or go up the alleys. The practice of the women drinking beer while up the alleys has been found to be extensive. Some whiskey is drunk at the dances, though whiskey is recognized by the manage- ments of all such places as dangerous. An instance of checking beer with coats has been noted, though this practice is not common. The men's cloak room and toilet room were found to be in far from sanitary condition in the principal downtown hall. Large numbers of girls and almost all men attend without partners or in the case of women without any male escort. A few of those coming Lack of Proper alone go home with men, perhaps strangers, met at the Introductions, Etc. dance. Over half of the girls at the usual dances permit men to dance with them without introduction. The prac- tice is not particularly indicative of indiscretion. Very rare cases of intoxicated women and consequent immodest actions have been noted. Instances of needed action upon the part of management or police were noted. A policeman made the remark to the investigator that a certain couple should be put out, but he failed to act. The mask balls are less orderly than other dances. Some undesirable cos- tumes are worn. Smoking is permitted at the principal hall in spite of rules posted conspicuously. In addition to permitting smoking, the fire risk is increased by congestion permitted in and around the stairway of the principal hall. The same hall has Fire Risks an exit opening inward. Another hall has been ordered to make alterations, but fails to comply. Enforcible building regulations are lacking. It is recommended : Recommendations (1) That careful attention be given to the public dances by all interested in the welfare of the city, and that if a complete re- adjustment does not take place, the halls giving public, or essentially public, dances be closed. (2) That pass-out-checks be forbidden by ordinance and until council action is possible, by order of the mayor. 1(3) That certain well-known persons be excluded from the halls by the manage- ment or the police acting unofficially by means of warnings. (4) That strict attention be given to questions of conduct in the hall. (5) That the mayor appoint chaperons to attend each public dance and report suggestions to him. (6) That mask balls and costume parties be not permitted as public dances. (7) That shadow dances be forbidden. 62 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE (8) That a proper position in dancing be defined and enforcement provided. (q) That older people attend public dances. Families, churches^ and commu- nities represented by younger patrons should supply unofficial chaperons. (10) That all halls rented for dances be considered as public dance halls and re- quired by ordinance to be licensed. ACROSS-THE-LAKE DANCES The use of dance pavilions across the lakes has been limited by the feeling in the minds of many that these affairs are not always adequately chaperoned or perhaps that adequate chaperonage is under existing circumstances impossible. It is our belief that there is sufficient reason for this last conclusion, and that it is unneces- sary to consider in detail reports as to the results of the situation. It is urgently recommended: (i) That all parks across the lake Recommendations be fenced and adequately lighted for night use* and that no more than one or two entrance gates be permitted. If this recommendation is not complied with, it certainly becomes the duty of the city to promote public dances at Monona Park under desirable conditions. (2) That older people attend public dances. Families, churches, and commu- nities represented by younger patrons should supply unofficial chaperons. (3) That the mayor appoint competent chaperons to attend each public dance and report to him. ROLLER SKATING RINKS One roller skating rink is found in Madison operating during the later winter months only. It is not particularly popular even when music is afforded. For this reason it is probable that it will not be operated next year. It should not be operated without very careful supervision and chaperoning; and for roller skating rinks neither of these is easily secured. BOAT LIVERIES The uses of the Jakes for boating is offered commercially by eight boat liveries. The usual prices for boats by the hour are as follows: Canoe, 25 cents an hour; ice boat, 50 cents an hour; $2 a half day; launch (medium size), $2 an hour; launch (small), $2 the first hour, #1 thereafter; launch (large), $5 an hour; row boat, 20 cents the first hour, 12 cents thereafter. The supply of boats is upon occasions of special demand entirely inadequate. BILLIARD AND POOL HALLS Morning, 11:00 A. M. to 12:00 noon, 38; early afternoon, 2:00 P. M. Attendance to 3:00 P. M., 46; late afternoon, 4:00 P. M. to 5:00 P. M., 66; late evening, 10:15 P. M. to 11:15 P- M., 62. The figures presented indicate typical number of players at various periods of * Adequate lighting is lacking at the City's Monona P.ark as in other city parks. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 63 the day. Low rather than high instances have been taken so as to err on the conservative side rather than exaggerate. Billiards and pool considered as one game constitute a form of Favorite with commercial recreation of moderate importance. It is, however, Young Men of considerable importance among young men and especially so among the largest class of players who are regular patrons of the halls. The skill and careful training required to become an expert pool or billiard player leads to the conclusion that these games have considerable value recrea- tionally. The discussion of the use of the halls as loafing places is found Objectionable below. This is no doubt the most important point regarding Features players and others, it being significant that out of the total number of billiard or pool halls (excluding those connected with saloons), |8% are important as loafing centers. The attractions of many of the billiard balls of Madison include minor forms of gambling, such as shaking dice with the proprietor, money staked against trade being the most common form. Patrons sometimes play games of dice and poker among themselves. The amount of petty gambling varies with the various halls, but the existence of some form of gambling seems almost universal. Many of the frequenters of billiard and pool halls are persons whose influence cannot be said to be beneficial. Many so-called "sports" and "rounders" are found in some of the halls. Their coterie naturally gravitates toward the tables. Their ideals and ideas are everywhere met with in language and conversation of profane and obscene nature. These facts may be regarded as added testimony concerning the influence of these halls as loafing places or "hang- outs. The saloons which have billiard halls in the same room or in Connected with rooms opening directly into them are of necessity not those Saloons important among young men owing to the law excluding minors from saloons. Of the eighty saloons of the city, eleven have pool or billiard tables or rooms in connection with them. Neither the making of a billiard hall into a saloon or of a saloon into a hall for games is recreationally desirable. It is recommended: (1) That the police strictly enforce Section 2 of Chapter XVII of the ordinances of 1904 forbidding obscene language and disorderly conduct in billiard halls as well as other public places. (2) That in order Recommendations to facilitate investigation and regulation of pool and billiard halls, only a limited number of licenses be issued. In order to reduce the number of halls in existence, the conduct of patrons and managements should be studied and compared and those most objectionable be refused licenses. (3) That social agencies interested in the welfare of the city give their assistance in discovering and eliminating the objectionable conditions. BOWLING ALLEYS Bowling is a desirable form of commercial recreation from the point of view of d hysical exercise. It resembles billiards in being attractive to only a part of the 64 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE general public. The bowlers are a comparatively exclusive crowd, Bowling as but perhaps less so than their fellows of the pool and billiard halls. Recreation Bowling alleys attract loafers in the manner of pool rooms and tobacco shops, but there is an unmistakable difference between the two kinds fo halls, (i) Onlookers are generally particularly interested in some game or match in progress. (2) The onlookers in Madison alleys, like the habitual players them- selves, are better behaved than those found in billiard halls. The billiard hall pro- prietors evidently have a more difficult problem to cope with. Rudimentary bet- ting and gambling are not unknown in bowling alleys in Madison, but there seems to be much less of it then in pool and billiard halls. A new attitude on the part of 1 the police toward the regulation of gambling would perhaps entirely remove them. . LOAFING PLACES .. "Most of the thieves are recruited from young men who spend their time and around places known as hang-outs, such as candy stores, cigar stores, two-and- half-cents-a-cue pool parlors, fake social clubs, low saloons and restaurants."' This is a quotation from a lately published police manual said by authorities to be the best of its kind in existence. Given the gymnasium, baseball ground, bowling alley, swimming tank, or other recreational device, thf^group of young people will still fail to fully take advantage of the possibilities unless supervision is provided. Without either Evils of facilities or supervision or restraint of any kind, the activities of Loafing Places the young people may lead in any direction. The group least pro- vided for and most thrown upon its own resources, is invariably the one encountering bad influences and assimilating them. In a city, even the best cities, there are centers offering destructive influences. It is, no doubt, incorrect to assume that all loafing places are necessarily bad. Some of them may be centers "really not of loafing, but of discussion and social intercourse well worth while. It is, however, invariably the case that in some of them the worst influences will be felt. Moreover, judging from the present investigation made of the loafing places, the great majority of such places are frequented by people of far from admirable char- acter. The relation between the ages of the frequenters and the influ- Encourages ences of the places shows clearly that for young men to idle Vitiating Habits away their time without serious consequences is almost im- possible. The language of the young men is more profane and obscene than that of any adults of middle life except the most depraved. Cigarette smoking is almost universal among frequenters between the ages of 18 and 22. Minor devices of gambling are extensively used, such as poker games with a mod- erate limit and dice games. It must be remembered in regard to places, that any hall or room may have several uses. A billiard "parlor" may operate (0 as a place to play billiards, (2) as a place to watch billiard playing, (3) as a cigar store, (4) as a *Cahalene, Police Practice and Procedure, p. 160. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 65 hang-out for a crowd of friends of the manager or employees. There may be two crowds — one of the younger men and boys and another of much older men. The most important single element of the problem is that of removing Odious objectionable characters who operate places used for loafing. These Habitues men may be attractive in proportion to their lack of fitness. For ex- ample, one of the saloons most popular with minors, is operated by a man who permits disorder, loud swearing and highly improper language and who has been known to offer to give confidential information regarding women of bad character. Needless to say, this manager is of the good comrade type, having many friends among his patrons. If no license is involved, and even in many cases when a license is needed Remedies for the place, it is not possible to exclude all bad characters from contact with the public. The solution of the problem consists of an educational process intended to raise the grade of public demand, and of the provision of facili- ties for supervised and desirable recreation and clubbing among young men. A well supervised gymnasium will easily overcome the tendency of groups to spend long hours at some "hang-out." There are considered below the number of persons loafing at billiard Attendance halls, cigar stores, hotels (not visitors), barber shops (not customers), bowling alleys (excluding mere on-lookers), lunch wagons (including all habitual frequenters on friendly terms with men in charge), railway depots, switch houses, fire stations, round houses. The definition of loafing must include a certain amount of attendance in saloons, but no clear line of demarcation can be found. Thirty-three loafing places have been noted, 162 persons loafing have been noted between 7:00 P. M. and 9:30 P. M., }o c c of all loafers are estimated to be under 21 years of age. The total of minimum estimates of daily attendance of minors for each place gives a figure something over 200. The amount of duplication can only be guessed. Another open question is as to the proportion of the total represented by boys to be counted every day. How many regular members of the crowds are there? Perhaps 75% might be safely considered regular, this figure standing not for daily loafing, but for but a small proportion of days missed. The irregular minor attendants upon loafing places must to a greater or less degree include the whole masculine population between the ages of 18 and 20 inclusive, 660.* This (exclud- ing university students entirely) would indicate more than 2 1 '2 and less than 4 boys loafing in public places almost not at all or intermittently for every one doing so regularly. POPCORN, PEANUTS AND CANDIES Popcorn and peanut stands and candy counters are of no significance from the point of view of the present study. *Estimated. 6— R. s. 66 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE CANDY AND ICE CREAM PARLORS In the city there are eight ice cream and refreshment parlors at which no intox- icating liquors are sold. There are in addition as many more places operating a soda water fountain the whole year and serving other refreshments, but not wholly engaged in this service, the tables being located in the same room with drug stores, tobacco stores, or small shops of various types. The places serve persons seeking a moment's rest and refreshment, and in this way are a benefit to the community. Private booths such as are found in several of the Madison shops are not ob- jectionable because those within them are not withdrawn from the public view. This is not the case in one of the shops where the situation may be considered with- out reference to specific results of the arrangement of seats; some readjustment is evidently needed including the addition of more effective lighting facilities. LUNCH ROOMS AND WAGONS In so far as lunch rooms and wagons are of significance in the present study, they are covered elsewhere in the report. SALOONS The following discussion of the attendance and conditions in Madison saloons is based upon a study of 24 out of 80. Some of these 24 were not thoroughly investigated: Estimates of daily number entering saloons in Madison per day Extent of Use place the minimum figure at 4,000 or over. No single statement is possible regarding the patrons of saloons Character of owing to a great variety of nationalities, classes, and occupations Attendance represented. Some statement as to a few important representa- tive groups may be made. Saloons are found in Fair Oaks and elsewhere which do a large (1) The Factory business with skilled and other laborers from shops. At closing Workers hour, they are filled with tired men who drink a glass of beer on the way home. Beer is almost the only drink of these men, though a few take whiskey or carry a whiskey flask. The factory workers are orderly, clean in speech, and seldom heavy drinkers. There are many German and Scandinavian saloon centers in this (2) The Foreign city. The proverbial German glass of beer and the national Element workingman's club easily explain the German barkeepers. The national influence so far as felt seems to be toward an orderly, well-managed saloon, one nationality excepted. There are two principal student saloons in the city with four or (3) Students more others drawing a small amount of student trade. The Bohe- mian atmosphere congenial to the young college man leads many to make occasional visits to saloons. Few students on principle refuse to patronize MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 67 them. During the last four years student drunkenness has fallen off so rapidly that it is now extremely rare — almost unknown, in fact — except when so-called cele- brations are given with returning alumni. Student drinking has likewise fallen off. Beer is almost the only drink chosen by students. There is a certain limited group of students who are certainly injured by continual attendance at saloons. These generally run with town boys who are little better than "bar-flies." One of the stu- dent saloons was found to be frequently disorderly — quarreling, slight intoxication, loud profanity, obscene language, passing confidential informacion concerning women, etc. The saloonkeeper is closely associated with the conversations and actions of patrons. Fifty percent of all students in the university are minors. A number of Madison saloons habitually sell to men who, if not intoxicated accord- ing to their standards, are at least not in full control of their facul- (4) Bar-flies ties. Such saloons have coteries of "bar-flies" who regularly spend a large part of their income on drink and loaf or play cards in saloons for hours. Some of them have no regular employment. Many are young men whose chances for future success are greatly reduced by late hours, bad company, and squandered money. It is probable that the number of women buying liquor at public (5) Women places in Madison seldom exceeds 75 per day. A considerable per- centage of this number is well known at the places they patronize Of course, certain instances of undesirable conduct may be recorded. Intoxica tion, disorderly conduct, immodestly affectionate actions, improper, even obscen language — all were found among women in several places at rare intervals. Th chief fault lies with the class of people who frequently enter these places. Speaking only of a very limited number of Madison saloons? Objectionable the following conditions have been noted: (1) Selling to Conditions in minors; (2) drunkenness and selling to intoxicated persons; Madison's Saloons (3) selling to habitual drunkards; (4) vile language; (5) loud quarreling and rough games; (6) giving information as to women of ill fame; (7) gambling with dice and with cards. Recognizing that the saloon serves a recreational need in Madison, Conclusions which need is not at present fulfilled by any other existing institu- tion, but recognizing also that certain Madison saloons have so subordinated the recreational value of their services to commercial ends as to per- mit conditions injurious to the community, it is recommended: (1) That licenses be refused all liquor dealers permitting improper conduct in their saloons (including those discovered in this study). (2) That the police give special attention to saloon regulation and avoid com- promising friendships with saloonkeepers or bartenders. (3) That social agencies interested in the welfare of the city give their assist- ance in discovering and eliminating the objectionable conditions. (4) That one entrance only be permitted each saloon and that leading directly to a public way, and that no opening for the purpose of selling beer and other liquor to persons outside the saloon be permitted, and that the saloonkeepers be not permitted to aid in the serving of liquor outside their bar-room. CHAPTER VII NATURAL OUTDOOR FACILITIES Madison can boast of easily accessible natural opportunities for outdoor recre- ation, perhaps unsurpassed anywhere on the continent. Her lakes, her hills, her woods and fields, her climate, all unite in offering opportunities for a variety of out- door and outing activities for young and old. These are: (i) Boating — canoe- An Outing at Monona Park ing, sailing, rowing, motor boating, lake trips, (2) swimmins, (3) fishing; (4) pic- nicing; (5) cross-country running; (6) hiking; (7) shooting light game; (8) motoring; (9) tobogganing; (10) coasting; (11) ice boating; (12) skating; (13) skate sailing; (14) skiing. THE USE OF THE LAKES Every form of boating except sailing is provided commercially in Madison. 1 he charges are indicated elsewhere. Many hundreds of boats are privately owned. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 69 These are stored either in private boat houses, in space rented in storage Boating boat houses, or along the shore of the lakes on private and park property with and without permission. The difficulties in the way of use of the lakes are being met by all manner of devices showing a widespread interest in water sport on the part of all classes and ages. Sailing is an especially popular sport in Madison, great interest being Sailing aroused in races. These and all sailing activities are fostered by the Madison Yacht Club. v tiJUMK* Ice Boating on Lake Mendota Lake and inter-lake passenger boats are important recreationally, making possible visits to parks and cottages and most of all for the trips them- Passenger Boats selves. The city of Madison gives its aid to the use of the lakes by maintaining the locks between Mendota and lakes Monona in the Yahara.* A greater number of privately owned row boats would probably be Need of maintained if there were proper facilities for caring for them. Park Storage and street-end platforms for storage and wharves should be maintained Facilities by the city possibly financed by charging a fee of $2.00 per annum for mooring boats in the lake and for using the wharves and platforms for storage. Such charges would not be prohibitive to the boat owner. For those not owning boats or canoes proper action by the city or park asso- ciation would make boats or canoes available at a nominal price and thus extend the popular use of the lakes. The great popularity of swimming in the summer months is indicated Swimming by the hundreds of people using the bath houses each day, but much of the bathing is done without use of the bath houses. This is espe- cially true in the university quarter. The custom of passing down the streets in *Cost 1915, Tender (6 m'os.) $300.00. Repairs and replacements, $600.00. 7o MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE bathing attire has aroused criticism on many occasions, as has also the practice of using private beaches for boisterous bathing parties. The burden of the criticism should be felt to rest upon the city, for it lies with it to secure facili- Need of ties for bathing adequate for the present needs in the shape of bath Bath Houses houses and supervision. The extent of the bathing now done from homes indicates that there is immediate need for at least three more public bath houses. These might be located as follows: (i) At the north end of Franklin street; (2) in Henry Vilas Park; (3) in the university quarter. The last should be constructed by the city and university jointly and maintained jointly according to an apportionment of the cost in some way approximating the ratio of university and town use. Watching the Annual Class Rush Fishing opportunities in the lakesare excellent, pickerel, pike, and bass, afford the best sport. The problem of promoting easy access to boats is the Fishing chief problem in connection with making fishing opportunities wide- spread. The Madison Gun Club has undertaken to stock the lakes so as to conserve and foster fishing as a sport. SAFETY ON THE LAKES The protection of life on the lakes is a matter largely left to private initiative, and, no doubt, however effective special life saving facilities are made, an important, if not the most important, life saving agency will be the private owners Boating and operators of boats, especially passenger service launches. The university takes two precautions for the care of students using the lakes not considered necessary by the city: (1) A red flag is exhibited by the weather bureau at such times as the lakes are likely to be dangerous to small craft. (2) A life saving launch, specially equipped, and capable of great speed, has been placed on Mendota lake. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 71 The city ordinance affecting safety provides (1) that the chief of police shall in- spect passenger boats at frequent intervals to see that life preservers City are available for all passengers; (2) that all boats on the lake after Regulation dark shall have lights; (3) that steamers shall give right of way to sail boats, and (4) that whistle and bell signals shall be used as provided by the United States government for inland lakes. The second and first ordinance requirements are not enforced adequately. Such a warning flag as Suggestions is exhibited by the weather bureau should fly at all boat livery depots. The advisability of placing a rapid life saving launch on Monona lake is a question deserving careful consideration by city officials. Safety provision for swimmers is now made by the city at the two bath house beaches. At Tenney Park an instructor is provided and at Brittingham Park a life guard. The university during summer session provides a life guard Swimming for the Latin Quarter shore during the hours of the day when swim- ming is most popular. With the provision of adequate bath house facilities and at least one guard for each, the dangers from drowning can be greatly reduced. During busy hours two skilled instructors are needed at each bath house. Specific information as to the needs at each bath house should be secured by con- sultation with the guards or instructors, USE OF THE FIELDS AND WOODS The lake shore and hills about Madison afford abundant opportunities for lake shore cottages, camps, and picnic excursions, which are not neglected, but which, on the other hand, might be used with satisfaction by much larger numbers if efForts were taken to organize means of making this possible. Considering the great benefits of hiking and camp life for Camping and Hiking young boys and girls, and the great opportunities afforded for Children for organized outing excursions, the past work of this kind may be regarded as mere samples of what might be done. It will not be difficult to organize camps practically self-supporting for almost every boy and girl in the city. Tramping trips for business and professional men and women on Saturday after- noons and holidays have a peculiar value. Hundreds of men and women in other cities have shown an enthusiastic interest in such trips and gained Outing for what they needed in recreation, when the pleasant routes were Adults selected, leaders appointed, and a group drawn together by associa- tion or permanent committee. Large numbers of individual women have not the time for such planning and organization — their interests need to be pooled in committee effort. Without organization and broad interest, the great natural resources of the fields and woods will continue to go to waste. WINTER SPORTS Ideal opportunities are afforded for coasting within the city and on hills nearby. Last year certain less used streets were designated by city officials where slides were 72 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE established and maintained by the children of the district. They were Coasting in great demand. Too great care is not possible in connection with Hills safety on coasting hills, (i) The hills should be lighted the whole length of the slides by strings of incandescent lamps. (2) Warning signs should be placed near all street intersections for safety during the day or at least near intersections where buildings obscure the view and rapidly moving sleds may appear suddenly in front of approaching vehicles. (3) Slides crossing railway iwmi Toboggan Slide on University Campus tracks should not be permitted. Expense of properly arranging slides will be amply justified by the amount of pleasure and benefit accruing from the slides. Super- vision during the busy hours is another important need felt as a guarantee of orderly conduct. For the few who own ice boats and for those who can afford the time and money to rent them, ice boating on the Madison lakes is especially signifi- Ice Boating cant. This is one of the great attractions of the city. Important races and ice regattas are held here each year. Only at certain times are the open lakes available for skating. Efforts to keep spots cleared of snow and smooth have been made, but they have been largely unsuccess- ful. Park lagoons have been swept by the officials with considerable Skating success. No vacant lot rinks are maintained nor have the efforts to flood and utilize the baseball park been a success. The need of centrally lo- MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 73 cated spaces for skating protected from the wind is great. There is 'an especially urgent demand for a space in the eighth ward and one for the district immediately about and east of the square. The plan of utilizing the ball park is an excellent one. Experience in other cities has shown that vacant level spaces with banks can be flooded, and when carefully tended, they make excellent skating rinks. Such , work should be undertaken by the park officials. For the proper development of skating, instruction and supervision is greatly to be desired. Fees for admission I to the baseball park and other rinks in the evening and renting of refectory priv- ileges may well be considered as possible features of the plan likely to bring a con- siderable revenue which would make possible more extensive promoting of skating. An association for the fostering and developing an indoor rink and curling is much needed in the city. Excellent tobogganning opportunities are offered by the university to student and other groups paying $2.00 for the season's use of its slide. The Tobogganing slide is built from the summit of Observatory Hill to the lake and far out on the ice. This slide might have much more general use under the tactful and energetic inspiration of a recreation committee. Madison is unfortunate in not having a permanent ski slide, though some of the hills in the districts immediately adjacent to the city offer unusual opportunities for slides. These hills have frequently even without a slide, been made use of Skiing by skiers. Skiing is a sport which has proved very attractive even with- out organized support. The great difficulties of securing and maintain- ing slides have been met as best they can be by the groups who are most interested. Few, if any, forms of outdoor exercises are more calculated to develop healthy and robust manhood or womanhood than skiing. The promotion of this sport would certainly have a good influence. Judging from the numbers now interested and from the experience of other cities and towns, it would appear that many adults and great numbers of young people might readily be interested in skiing if special steps were taken to promote it. CHAPTER VIII HOME WORK AND PLAY OF SCHOOL CHILDREN Purpose and Method of the Survey The problem of home work and play of children is a part of the whole great com- plication that modern society, and especially the modern city, has created. The development of modern industry and the yoke it has placed on the City Child's working class has not only tended to distort and cramp the lives of Lack of Play the workers themselves, but has placed its heavy hand on the Facilities children of the workers. The rich play heritage of the country or the village child is not bequeathed to the city child. Hunting, trapping, fishing, great fields for sports, gardening, swimming, tramping in forest and meadow, skating, sleighing and all the exhilarating activities that call for mus- cular endurance and deep breathing, that may be engaged in at will by the child of country or village, are not obtained by the average city child. Not only is the city child robbed of much fresh air and sunshine, of forest and stream, of healthy play facilities, but he has inherited play traditions and forms of activities that are vitiat- ing instead of upbuilding. Many commercial amusements, gaming, "hanging out" at livery stables, billiard halls, tobacco stores, playing scavengers of dump piles, sneak thieving of fruit and pilfering from box cars— hideous and demoralizing activities — rob many a city child of his finer feelings and warp both body and soul. It was with the idea in mind of ascertaining if possible what activities our children engage in, to discover whether those activities are of a nature to build muscle and character, or such as to destroy health and moral fibre, that a survey Object of in the form of a questionnaire was undertaken. It was suspected that Survey possibly city children generally are under-active in their play, that they engage in some dangerous or pernicious forms of play, that the home does not provide sufficient social intercourse or play facilities to fulfill the needs of the children. When the actual conditions are ascertained, remedial and constructive suggestion can be made. Hence we might say that the object of this study is three-fold: I. To ascertain the nature of and the proportion of attention paid to work and play outside of school by the school children. II. To distinguish between good and bad features of their activities. III. To recommend such a course of action as will conserve and improve the commendable practices and such remedies as can be applied for correcting the less desirable features. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 75 Questionnaires were sent out in January to all the schools in the city, including public and parochial graded schools and the Sacred Heart Academy. To insure a free expression, pupils were given numbers to conceal their personal Method identity- A copy of the questionnaire was given to each pupil to fill out for himself. Only the pupils in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades and in the high school were given questionnaires because children in the three lower grades ct uld not express themselves well enough. The questionnaires called for play and work activities on Sunday, Saturday and schcol days, in the morning, afternoon and evening, and also for a statement of the number of nights out during the week and the things they did on these Questions nights. Specific questions were asked for Sunday morning, afternoon Asked and evening. The amount of time spent on various forms of activities was not called for, since it was felt that the information would be only approximate and not very desirable. The fact that the questionnaires went out in the winter time means a heavy registration of the winter sports and slight mention of the summer activities. This reservation must be made, however, in evaluating the children's replies, that they do not tell the mischief they do and do not speak of the times they idle, and, finally, that their conceptions of their activities are not always clear. Out of a total enrollment of 3,983 pupils, 1893 boys and 2090 girls, a total of 3,328, 564 boys and 1764 girls, returned their questionnaires. A total of 929, 375 boys and 554 girls, came from the high schools, and 85 from the high Number of school were not classified due to failure of pupils to indicate their Questionnaires rank. A total of 2312 questionnaires, 1 155 boys and 1157 girls. Returned came from the graded schools. A total of 1572 public graded, 812 boys and 760 girls, answered; 689 parochial, 317 boys and 372 girls; 51 of the 7th and 8th grades of the Wisconsin High School, and 47 girls from the Sacred Heart Academy. Outdoor Recreation A great variety of play activities and sports were mentioned by the school children in their answers to the questionnaires. Both boys and girls speak of outdoor sports, baseball, basketball, tennis, iceboating, skating, skiing, Varieties of tobogganing, coasting, catching bobs, swimming, rowing, canoeing, Activities sailing, handball and hiking. The boys speak of football, hockey, hunting and fishing. Watching games and athletic events are also mentioned. A long list of games are mentioned, such as duck-on-a-rock, hop- scotch, marbles, ball and jacks, etc. From the above enumeration, it might be judged that the children had ample opportunities for outdoor play, but when we consider that there are 5,000 school 7 6 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE children in Madison, we realize that it is a task of some magnitude to Play in furnish space and facilities for their games and sports. How much time Streets is devoted to outside sports cannot be determined, but we may judge of the necessity for play space when we note that about 35% of the children speak of playing in the streets. Such sports as sliding, baseball, pull-away, duck- on-a-rock, ball and jack, marbles, prisoners' base, and a score of other games that require no equipment are all played mostly in the streets. V S.o^C. Play Facilities Offered Some of Our Children Comparisons of Activities on Various Days A comparison between the relative amount of attention given to outdoor sports on different days, as indicated by the number of children mentioning them, can be made in terms of per cent, tor the total of a week the boys devote 16.4% of their attention (not time) and the girls 9.9% to outside sports and games, which shows not only that a very gratifying amount of attention is given to sports, but also that the boys do a great deal more than the girls. Apparently, the least activity exists on Sundays, where it absorbs only 11% of the boys' attention and 7% of the girls'. On school days the proportion is 16.5% for the boys and 10.2% for the girls, and on Saturday the proportion is the greatest, 21.1% for the boys and 11.9% for the girls. No doubt the traditional manner of regarding Sabbath recreation has a good deal to do with the small proportion of outdoor activities. However, this conclusion may not hold good for the percentages for the activities on school days are somewhat misleading when making a direct com- parison with Saturday and Sunday activities. They represent the proportion of the attention spent on activities outside of school; consequently, the amount of time spent on outdoor sports on school days may be actually less than the time spent on Sunday. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 77 Of course, it is a truism to say that the boys spend more time in outdoor sports than girls do, but merely because this has been true is no reason why it should always remain so. Girls are as much entitled to strong muscles and good Comparison of lungs, to robust constitucions, as the boys. Not only are they Boys and Girls entitled to outdoor play, but girls delight in vigorous play as well as do boys and only need facilities and encouragement to engage in it. Merely one example is sufficient to illustrate this difference. On Sunday morning 767, or 49%, of the boys spoke of outdoor sports and only 516, or 29%, of the girls did so. One rather surprising thing that the survey showed was the much larger proportion " of children engaged in outside play in the grades than in the high school. For instance, on Sunday afternoon 759, or 66%, of the grade boys Comparison of mention outdoor sports, and 172, or 46%, of the high school Grades and boys; 561, or 49%, of the grade girls mention it, and only 113, High School or 20%, of the high school girls. But this difference in outdoor activities between the grades and high school is only a difference in the average of a series of steps which show a gradual and steady decrease in the proportion of those engaging in outdoor sports from the 4th grade to the 4th year in high school. For example, 68% of the boys and 55% of the girls in the 4th grade speak of outdoor sports on Sunday afternoon and only 33% of the boys and 15% of the girls speak of it in the 4th year of high school. This condition of affairs cer- tainly points to the necessity for providing facilities for play that will arouse and hold the interest of the more mature children and the adolescent. Healthy, ab- sorbing play activities that will appeal to the more complex and more sophisticated interests of the adolescent, play demanding skill, courage and powers of organiza- tion must be provided for the adolescent to prevent indolence, mischief, and even crime in some cases, and to substitute therefore the powerful educational influence of right play. Indoor Recreation Under the term indoor recreation are included such activities as reading, playing cards, playing on musical instruments, and singing, playing games Varieties of in the house, dancing, pool, billiards, bowling, basketball, indoor Activities baseball clubs, etc. The list is rather heterogeneous and no gen- eral statement can be made which will include all, so that many of the activities will require special mention. Reading is by far the most popular form of indoor pleasure. The registration on Sunday afternoon is of considerable interest, for 979, or 63%, of the boys mention it and 1216, or 69%, of the girls do so. To appreciate its importance Reading and in the children's lives, it is only necessary to state that it constitutes Home 7-o% of the boys' and 7.3% of the girls' total outside activities of the Pleasures week. No other single play activity approximates it in importance except attendance at the movies, of which more later. Music, play- 78 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE ing the piano and singing, is an important part of Sunday's program, constituting 4.4% of the boys' total number of activities and 8.4% of the girls'. On Sunday evening, for instance, 329, or 21%, of the boys mention music, and 690, or 39%, of the girls. Playing cards is more popular with the boys than with the girls, but is not a very important activity, constituting as it does only .7% of the week's activities. Playing games in the house is mentioned quite frequently, especially by the younger children, in the evening. Dancing is mentioned but little by the boys and absorbs only .4% of the total week's activities, while with the girls it is 1.2%. Most of the dancing is done by the girls on afternoons of the school days, when 88, or 5%, of the girls mention dancing. Indoor sports, basketball, indoor baseball, handball, bowling, etc., play an impor- tant part in the boys' activities, especially, constituting 6.3% of the week's activ- ties of the boys and 2.8% of the week's activities of the girls. Indoor Sports The largest number of children play on school days, when they have access to the school gymnasiums, such as they are; 273, or 18%, of the boys mention it and 137, or 8%, of the girls. The popularity of these sports suggests the idea of permitting the use of all school gymnasiums on days other than schcol days. Bowling, billiards, and pool are mentioned by a dozen high school boys, and by one boy in the 7th grade; consequently, from these figures they cannot be said to play a very important part in the activities of the boys. Attend- ance at clubs is rather popular with both boys and girls on Saturdays. AMUSEMENTS By the term amusements is meant moving picture shows, theaters, including vaude- ville and drama, lectures ard entertainments. The theory is that these are dis- tinctly different from sports and games, where usually some Meaning of Term considerable proportion of self-activity is present, in that they involve a passive reception of a prepared program and involve the payment of an admission fee, with the possible exception of a number of free lectures and entertainments. The extreme popularity of the movies is evident from the following facts: That 471, or 31%, of the boys attend the movies on school days, that attendance at the movies absorbs 10% of the boys' activities and 7% of the girls' on Sun- Movies day afternoon, and that it constitutes 6.5% of the boys' and 5.0% of the girls' activities of the whole week. One surprising aspect of the situation is that attendance at movies forms such a large proportion of the children's activi- ties on school days, 6.8% for the boys and 5.3% for the girls. It is gratifying to note that very few girls go alone to the movies or theater at night; for example, only 1% of the girls go to the movies alone on Sunday night. About 50% of both boys and girls report going to these amusements with their families. In comparing the grades with the high school, one notes that although a larger proportion of grade children attend than high school pupils, attendance at MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 79 movies forms about the same proportion of their total number of activities, which is due to the high school pupils listing a smaller number and range of activities. A summing up of the significance of the movies in children's lives will follow later in the discussion. Theater attendance, principally vaudeville, plays a considerable part in activities of the school children on Saturday and Sunday as reported. It constitutes 8% of the activities of the boys and 5^ of the girls' activities on Sunday Theaters, afternoon. More girls attend the theater on Saturday after- Lectures and noon than boys, and more boys attend Sunday afternoon than Entertainments girls. There is very little attendance of the theater on school days; consequently, it forms only 1-9% of the boys' and .9% of the girls' activities for the week. Lectures and entertainments together play a much less important part in the children's activities than either movie or theater attendance. Theater attendance constitutes a larger part cf the high school boys' total activities than of the grade boys. More high school girls attend lectures than grade girls. From the estimates given in the section on Motion Pictures, in the chapter on Com- mercial Recreation, that 31,000 people attend the movies weekly, 20.9% of whom are children under 17 years of age, we may conclude that with an Amount Spent attendance of 6,500 children weekly, probably $400.00 a week is a moderate estimate of the amount spent. Including attendance at vaudeville and theater (10,000 total weekly vaudeville attendance), probably no less than $600.00 a week are spent by school children. Are the results accruing to the children whollv commensurate with the outlay in time, money and vitality? PERSONAL ACTIVITIES Bv the term personal activities is meant those which are not distinctly play, amusement or work, which are engaged in voluntarily and Meaning of Term are self-cultural. Such activities include practising music, fancy work, shop work, experimenting, letter writing, garden- ing, choir practice and study. Whereas personal activities occupy ll-9% of the boys' and 19.3% of the girls' activities for the week, the major itsm is that of home study. On Sunday evening, for instance, 630, or 40%, of the boys, and 792, or 45%, of the Home Study, Etc. girls speak of studying lessons, and on school evening 562, or 39%, of the boys, and 876, or 52%, of the girls speak of home study. Study constitutes 7.7% of the boys' and 9.8% of the girls' activities of the week. If we are to trust the children's version of the case, certainly this shows a commendable seriousness of interest in their school work. A great many children 8o MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE speak of writing letters on Sunday. For instance, on Sunday afternoon 238, or 15%, of the boys, and 469, or 27%, of the girls speak of writing letters. The other activities mentioned by the children are individually inconsiderable in amount, for very few children speak of any one of them. HOME WORK Considerable range of home activities is mentioned. The boys speak of tending the furnace, cleaning walk, hauling ashes, chores, carrying wood, water Varieties and coal, caring for animals, washing dishes, etc. The girls, of course, of Work mention all the various kinds of household activities — baking, sewing, washing, caring for children and for pets, running errands, etc. Home activities occupy 30-8% of the boys' and 31.3% of the girls' activities of the week, being largest on Saturday. This is a very gratifying condition in some ways. Proportion and There can be no doubt that the performance of these routine Value of duties has a valuable disciplinary value and that it helps out Activities considerably in the general household scheme, relieving the mother especially of a great deal of drudgery. And yet, how- ever valuable the performance of these duties may be to the parents and to the children themselves, and however essential it may be to continue these duties, certain elements are involved which are not entirely satisfactory. The difficulty is that odd jobs, hauling ashes, cleaning basements, washing dishes, etc., lack certain elements necessary to contribute most vitally to the development of the child. No zest, no initiative, no qualities of leadership, no vital all-absorbing interest are in- volved in these activities, and unless activities that do involve the above qualities are engaged in, the children's physical and mental growth may be warped and stunted by too much work. The problem is to provide opportunities tor and stimulate interest in play or recreational activities that will be constructive and supplement routine activities which are necessary and valuable to a certain extent. EARNING ACTIVITIES The boys speak of janitor work, odd jobs for others, sweeping stores, waiting on table, clerking, playing at dances. One boy speaks of writing articles Various for the Sunday paper, and a few of operating moving picture machines Activities as means of earning money. The girls speak of clerking, sewing, care of other people's children and household work for other people. These activities absorb only 3.6% of the boys' and .3% of the girls' attention for the week. Saturday is the day when most of this work is done. RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES Religious activities consist of attendance at church and Sunday-school and religious instruction. These constitute 1 .02% of the boys' and 1.4% of the girls' total activi- MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 8i ties for the week, Sunday receiving the heaviest registration. A v< Nature and gratifying proportion of children attend church and Sunday-school — Proportion ~^i, or 50' , , of the boys, and 989, or 56%, of the girls attend Sunday- school, while 932, or 59^ , of the boys, and 1237. or 70%, of the girls attend church. A smaller proportion of high school than grade pupils attend Sunday-school, but a larger proportion of high school pupils attend church. But while 47' ( of the public graded pupils speak of attending church, 95* < of the paro- chial pupils mention it. The parochial boys have the largest registration, 307 out of 317, or 97%, of them speak of church attendance. A few of the children speak of religious instruction or "reading for the minister," most of which is done on Satur- days. The use of Sunday in a manner that is edifying and at the same time enjoyable is a problem that confronts adults as well as children and both municipalities and churches. City governments have in a great many cases taken Opportunities of steps to solve the problems, have provided concerts, boating and the Churches picnic facilities to meet the need for Sunday recreation. With the exception of religious services and Sunday-school, very few of the churches have taken steps to meet the need for profitable use of Sundays. A valuable service can be rendered to society by the churches if they can work out a plan for providing recreational facilities for adults and children, but especially for childien. Such a procedure would strengthen the position and power of the churches as well as prove of great benefit to the children. ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON WORK AND PLAY To bring out the variation in activities as influenced by environment, schools were chosen typical of crowded sections and of sparsely settled districts. To represent the conditions of greatest density, two public graded schools Representative were chosen that were located in the districts having greatest Schools Chosen density of population and children. These were the Washing- ton school district, population density of 26 per acre and 6.1 children per acre, and theBrayton school, population 26 per acre, and 5.8 children per acre. Then to represent districts of least congestion, two public graded schools located in the most sparsely settled sections were chosen — the Randall school, pop- ulation 3.06 per acre and 1.1 children per acre, the Hawthorne school, population 2.96 per acre and .99 of a child per acre. A direct percentage comparison shows that the least average number of activities is registered by the Washington pupil, 5.7 for both boys and girls, the general average being 6.2 and the highest being in the Hawthorne dis- Differences of trict, 6.6 boys, 7.3 girls. In the sparsely settled districts the Activities pupils apparently do more work at home, and for others, play more out of doors, and more of the children play or practise 7-R. s. 82 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE music. In the congested districts more pupils play indoors and more read at home. Undoubtedly the children in the outlying districts have ample opportunities for outdoor play, and their recording of their activities is supporting testimony to their possession of this advantage. Larger numbers of pupils living in the heart of town go to church on Sunday. RESEMBLANCE OF EIGHTH GRADE AND FIRST YEAR HIGH SCHOOL A comparison between the different grades shows that the average number of accivities drops from 7 per pupil in the 4th grade to 4.9 per pupil in the 8th grade. In the cases of both boys and girls, there is a decided decrease in all Comparison activities, with a few exceptions. "Read at home" and "Write Different letters" are the same; "Go to church" and "Play music" increase; Grades and "Study lessons" decreases with the girls, while the boys "Go to church," "Read at home," "Play music" are the same, and "Study lessons" decrease from 50% to 20%, a very decided diminution. There is a de- crease of play activities from 34% of all activities to 28% with the boys and from 29% to 19% with the girls. Most astonishing, however, is the resemblance between the activities of the 8th grade pupils and those of the first year in the high school. One would naturally expect a gradual change from the 4th to the 8th grades, but Eighth Grade there is a sharp break between the 7th and 8th grades. For and First Year example, in the 7th grade the average number of activities is 6. 1 , High School while in the 8th it is 4.9, a drop of 1.2. But in the first year of high school the average is 4.7, the difference between 8th grade and first year high school being only .2. With a few exceptions, the activities are strikingly similar between 8th grade and first year high school. In "Study" there is an increase from 25% in 8th grade to 38% in high school, due, of course, to the difference in the curriculum. This remarkable resemblance of activities raises the question as to whether the break between grade and high school should be where it is at present or whether it should not come rather in the 7th or 8th grades. However, the fact that the 8th grade pupils are inclined to ape the activities of the high school pupils, as they look forward to attending high school may partly explain this break in the activities of the 7th and 8th grade pupils. CONCLUSIONS A. — Favorable Conditions Found A certain number of conditions that are very satisfactory are brought out by this survey of the school children's play. It is very commendable on the children's part that so many of them do much house work, which seems to play an Home Work important part in the general scheme of the family activities. That girls should gain practical knowledge of and develop ability MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 83 in household work and management is absolutely essential for them as future home- makers and for society as a whole. There is opportunity for encouragement and systematizing of this line of activity. With the boys the work they do at home is less valuable than that for the girls, and activities that will play the same part in the boys' development should be provided. Then, too, that so many children study at home speaks well for their serious interest in school work. A fairly good proportion of the boys are engaged in earning activities. A large number of children attend church and General Sunday-school. A thing that speaks well for the results of music in Activities schools and promises well for the development of the pupils' artistic sense is the large number of children who p. ay and practise music, piano, violin, voice, etc. Then there are negative conditions which are very satisfactory. For instance, very few girls speak of going unattended to movies or theaters in the evening. A large number of the children go to amusements with their parents. Lack of That they do not go out many nights during the week, the average Objectionable number of nights out per week for the boys being 2.4 and for the Activities girls 1.8 nights, is commendable. Very few of the boys speak of playing pool, billiards and bowling, which is gratifying, because while there is nothing intrinsically pernicious in the games themselves, the environ- ment in which they are played is usually vitiating, physically and morally. Then, too, very few of the girls speak of going uptown or shopping in the evening. Most of this is done in the afternoons of school days and Saturdays. A very fair proportion of the boys speak of outdoor sports and Outdoor Sports games, and no other line of activity could be more beneficial to the children. B. — Conditions Not Favorabi r The questionnaire to the school children brought out certain conditions which are not wholly desirable. However, the problems raised cannot be solved offhand, for they are extremely complex, involving as they do a great Relation of Child to number of factors, especially the family, the school, the School and Church church, and the physical environment. School children all and Home have intimate relations with these centers of influence; they furnish the great molding influences of children's lives. 1 he aims and mode of training of each are in the main disciplinary and at first sight directly opposed to play and recreational activities. At any rate, their restraining and irksome features are uppermost in the children's minds. Essentially, they are the great social agents of control in the children's lives. With adults other factors have taken their place and influence their conduct more directly. 8 4 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE To make suggestions and recommendations as to radical changes of policies and adjustments by these important social institutions would Opportunities of of course be presumptuos, and yet certain opportunities for These Institutions strengthening their influence and increasing their effective- ness may very properly be pointed out. No such oppor- tunities for increasing their power and grip on children's imagination and conduct should be neglected by these agents. As to the influence of the physical environ- ment, its problems are specifically and pertinently discussed elsewhere in this report. One of the great problems raised in the consideration of the child's welfare and development is the proper balance between his attention Balance of Mental to intellectual activities and physical activities. Too much and Physical stress must not be laid on one or the other; the body Activities should not be developed at the expense of the mind, and the mind should not be developed to the detriment of the body. From the results of this questionnaire, this problem can be stated specifically. Is there a proper adjustment between bodily activity and mental activity when 23.0% of both the girls' and boys' attention to outside activities of a week is A Specific devoted to the confining activities of reading, home studying, and Problem attendance at movies and theaters, and when 22.7% of the boys' and only 12.7% of the girls' attention is devoted to active sports both indoors and outdoors? It must be remembered that this attention to reading, studying and amusements is in addition to the regular school work. Do the chil- dren devote enough attention to physical activity to offset the inaction and stagna- tion of the school room and these other inactive pursuits, and not only enough to offset them and prevent illness, but sufficient to build up robust cinstitution, which should be the personal capital of every child with which to commence the business of life? A more specific aspect of the same question comes out. Are the girls receiving their due quota of physical capital, when about one-half as many Girls' Outdoor girls as boys speak of active pursuits? Again, is it not a dis- Activities couraging indication that only one-third as many children speak of outdoor activities in the 4th year high school as in the 4th grade? The difference between the activities of girls and boys cannot be wholly accounted for by the difference in their interests. Girls have been Their Interest in bound by conventions and traditions, but given proper These Activities encouragement and provided with adequate facilities, they probably would engage in active pursuits with the same keen zest that characterizes the healthy boy. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY s- I he decrease in the number of high school pupils engaging in active games and sports points out a very serious weakness in the whole social scheme. High school pupils are adolescents who are leaving the child world to The Needs step into the adult world. Their natures are a mixture of the out- of the grown child interests and the dawning interests of maturity. The Adolescent pleasures and games of childhood fall on them; the activities of maturity have not been learned. Their interests are much more complex than those of the child,, a more critical attitude has developed. In most cities adequate facilities have not been provided and skillful planning has not been done to engage and hold the interests of the adolescent. The adolescent, with his great potentialities of good and evil, when his life's habits are being formed, should receive careful attention as to tire disposal of his leisure time. A very serious consideration that must occur to the observing is the conserving of the children's eyesight. One of the great tragedies of old age is the failure of the eyesight. Just at that period of life when the mind has reached Eyesight and its maximum development, when eyesight is the greatest asset to a Recreation man's activities, the eyesight fails a very large proportion of people. The terrific strain that modern civilization puts on the eyesight makes its possession unimpaired absolutely essential. No one can doubt the folly of allowing children to obtain too much of their recreation in reading books, and medical opinion is unanimous in declaring that frequent attendance at the movies is a severe strain on the eyes. One may safely conclude that too much time and energy is spent on activities which are a continual strain on the eyesight. Play in Streets and That adequate play space is lacking is evident from the Lack cf Play Space number of children who speak of playing in the streets. This specific problem is considered very fully in the sec- tion on the Public Schools. A proof of the fact that the homes do not afford sufficient opportunities for pla\ is evident from the number of children playing in the streets. That so many seek commercial amusements, especially in the afternoons, may be Home Facilities partly due to lack of home attractions. The small number of for Play nights that the children go out, if we are to accept their tes- timony in good faith, certainly speaks well for the influence and discipline of the parents. The amount of home study spoken of may be suffi- cient to occupy a large proportion of the children's time in the evenings ot school days. Broadly speaking, the conclusion is that the home alone does not provide ample opportunities to satisfy fully the more or less sophisticated and complex interest of the city child. In reading through these questionnaires filled out by the school children, one is struck bv the variety of activities that individual children mention. Children men- 86 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE tion six to a dozen various play activities; no general scheme Haphazardness of interests runs through the week's activities. One is forced to of Activities the conclusion that the activities are sporadic and haphazard, that they need organization and direction. With proper direc- tion, there will be no danger of crushing out initiative, of robbing children of spon- taneity in play. Training and capital do not rob business men of originality or initiative; why should direction and learning of new games rob children of their originality and initiative? It is just as important to learn how to play well as to work well. OPPORTUNITIES FOR CO-OPERATION OF SCHOOL, CHURCH, AND FAMILY This study reveals the great possibilities of establishing more vital relationships between the child and the three great socializing agents of Need of Vital childhood — the school, the church, and the family. Too great a Relationship gulf has existed between the methods and aims of the home, which are more or less restricted and haphazard, and those of the school and the church, which are explicit and formal. Children are inclined to look upon the school and the church as irksome, restraining influences, to which they are forced to submit. Both the school and the church, without weakening in the slightest degree their position as disciplinary and educative forces, could afford School and Church to broaden the scope of their activities to provide greater Could Broaden recreational facilities for the children. It would mark a Their Programs great step in the development of the influence of the schcol and church if the child would arrive at the point where he would turn instinctively and eagerly to them as the means of satisfying his need for play and recreation. The school is much to be commended in the work already The School as a accomplished in this direction, in its providing gymnasiums for Recreational children, in its welcoming neighborhood clubs and evening Center gymnasium and dancing classes. It is during the winter especially that the schoolhouse can be utilized to great advan- tage by both children and adults. Further development in this direction is very desirable. Possibilities of Another advance that is not radical or pioneering would be the Vacation School establishment of vacation schools, where outdoor sports and manual activities would occupy the major portion of the pupils' activities. Such a school would save many parents a three months' worry and would be of incalculable benefit to the children. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 87 I he two weeks' religious school during the summer, under Religious Summer the direction of the various churches, is a step in this School direction. Its attention to music and recreation is very commendahle. But the greater opportunities that exist for both church and school should be realized and utilized. For example, both school and church by opening their doors on week days, by providing ample gymnasiums and playrooms, Greater by organizing dramatic work and story hours on both Sundays Opportunities and week days, by getting into vital contact with the lives and interests of the children throughout the whole week instead of, as in the case of the church, a few hours a week, and by co-operation in a construc- tive community recreational program, would gain a powerful leverage upon the fate of the future generation. CHAPTER IX SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CONDITION AND PLAY As a direct relationship has been found to exist between juvenile delinquency (also lesser faults) and the influences of environment connected with the use of free or play time, the statistics on juvenile delinquency in Madison were com- piled and Dr. Gillin asked to interpret the local situation. As this relationship is not peculiarly local, but universal, Dr. Wm. Healy of the Psychopathic Institute of Chicago was asked to put his great experience and that of other experts into a brief statement that would show the larger meaning of this problem for Madison. COMMUNITY CONDITIONS INFLUENCING CONDUCT By Dr. William Healy, Director* Psychopathic Institute, Juvenile Court, Chicago "Students of community conditions might well preface their work by remem- bering that man can be defined as being the most complex of organisms and having the greatest capacity for being influenced by environment and possessing the strongest powers of reacting upon surroundings. In the study of life, to leave out environment would be to omit at least half of what life is and of what action and conduct are. From the outer world comes the largest share of the stimulus to action, and it is environment that, in turn, is acted upon. The most important aspects of social welfare concern conduct, human beha- vior. The most valuable surveys of community conditions are those that deal with environment from the standpoint of how it affects behavior. It is true that differ- ent individuals react differently to the same conditions; that is, to conditions that outwardly seem the same. The study of human differences is, however, a science by itself; in a social survey we consider factors in the environment which may be recognized as definitely influencing considerable numbers. Another point to be kept before us is that when we are searching for signifi- cant outer influences, the quickest way to recognize them is by considering in what way they may be affecting mental life. It is only through human individuals being directly or indirectly influenced on the mental side that there arises an> reaction in conduct. I have had reason to show this elsewhere as a matter of prac- tical psychology, but here it may be insisted that the connection or chain of causa- tion involves the most common sense considerations. Look at it any way you please and you will find that human action results from mental life, while it is mental life that is so peculiarly influenced by surroundings. *For details see my text book. The Individual Delinqm nt MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY And the influencing of the mind takes place vastly more at certain periods of life than at others. We by no means take enough account of the comparative plasticity of the young hrain cells and mind. We have every proof that during the age of childhood and adolescence what we call personal characteristics are formed, that it is then that the deepest impressions are made. Practically all confirmed criminals, for instance, begin their careers in childhood. This fact in general is so well known that we need not furthet discuss the point except to say that those who look behind human conduct for beginnings and forces, that those who discern what goes to make up character tendencies,, must turn back to the influences and sur- roundings of youth. If the other standpoint is taken and environmental conditions are surveyed as such, the most important aspects will only be dealt with when, there is consideration of the influences in any community which surround the life of children. H A Crowded Quarter In going straight to this matter, we are at once brought in contact with the home. Here most hours of the impressional period of life are spent. In any attempt to weigh the conditions of home life which make for weal or woe, so far as conduct is concerned, I must insist again that the shortest and most direct way is by estimating the possible influences upon growing mentality and character. Poverty, wealth, living quarters, backyard, garden, all mean nothing for us except as they are translatable into the terms of mental influences. There is just as much differ- ence in the possibilities of two homes on the same street, in the same crowded quarter, where the same income is received, as there is between two homes of wealth, in one of which there may be carousing and vice and in the other serenity and high moral standards. Housing conditions themselves, crowding and lack of proper hygiene, are best interpreted for our present subject in terms of the possibility of decency and of upbringing which shall give respect for the human body and for social customs that have much to do with social welfare. I have long insisted, for instance, upon the basis of much experience in studying the beginnings of misconduct, that it is 9 o MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE absurd to expect modesty and self-respect and the avoidance of unfortun?te awakening of sex impulses under circumstances which constantly make for the opposite result. It is clear, too, that the home which does not or cannot give to the child suffi- cient healthy mental food properly to satisfy mental life must be regarded as a significant social failure. It may be due to carelessness, viciousness, ignorance, or to unfortunate necessity, as where a widow may be forced to leave her children while she seeks their sustenance, but in any case the immediate effect is the same. The home is the natural place where the child's life should be full of absorbing healthy mental interests which may be prophylactic against the development of vicious tendencies. One of our most impressive findings in studying the causation of delinquent careers has been in regard to the remarkable poverty of mental interests to be demonstrated among those who are showing tendencies towards a criminal career.* The occupations and the thoughts and even the information which should be part and parcel of every young person's life have very slightly representation in most of these individuals. In other words, such children very largely are empty-minded. If I were going to emphasize one point, then, more than another which a com- munity ought to take up in order to prevent the growth of unfortunate social tendencies, I should pick out the prevention of mental vacuity. The empty mind is the devil's workshop first, last, and all the time. Those who propose constructive measures for betterment of conduct, for the prevention of the development of evil tendencies, for amelioration of conditions as they are, should rest assured, in the light of the above facts, that bricks and mortar, open spaces, and mere organizations, do not, as shown by practical experience, necessarily fulfill the desired ends. The aim to keep in mind, while planning the most practical aspects of social welfare, is the influencing of the mental life. It is not my place here to go into specific details, but there are many of them, negative as well as positive, which experience shows must be taken into account. I would earnestly maintain that whatever public measures are undertaken in any community, the responsibility of the home should never be minimized. The ideal as well as the most practical, and also the safest consideration in this whole matter, is the better education of parents concerning the possibilities of their own healthy companionship with their children, and the need for their pro- viding such influential interests as we have suggested. We must remember that, after all, the example of those to whom the young look for example will still remain a preponderating influence, the lives of the parents will continue to affect the chil- dren, although many public measures be undertaken. The giving a place for children to collect by themselves, whether in a church club or in a playground, without the provision of healthful mental occupations, and particularly without supervision, may be disastrous. We have found only too often that under such circumstances what the worst in a group knows easily spreads. Proper oversight is always needed to prevent this. So I would strongly maintain that the results of any survey of community con- *For details see my text book. The Individual Delinqut nt. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 91 ditions should, even for the most practical ends, be interpreted in the light of their known influences upon the mental life of the people. And to know these well inter- pretative effort must be centered, in town, upon the influences surrounding youth." RESULTS OF NEGLECT OF PLAY V- • B.— Illness and Sickness of School Children Although the causes contributing to illness on the part of school children are various, embracing such factors as hereditary influences, health ideals, economic position, housing and exposure to contagion, no one will deny that the amount of outdoor exercise is a powerful determinant. In the same manner as proper exercise or the lack of it will make or break a man, proper exercise will by the foundation of health and success for the child, the future citizen. Only a whole lifetime of denial and effort can rebuild a constitution impaired in youth, whereas the robust constitu- tion of youth will endure the shock and grind of prodigious labor and even with- stand the drain of dissipation and over-indulgence. In the same manner as lack of play facilities breeds intellectual insanity and moral feebleness, so lack of fresh air and play facilities debilitates the most robust constitution. Crowded houses, congested districts, the pollution of the air by many human beings packed together, a pollution that is not confined to the house alone, but to whole sections of a city (many districts in Chicago have distinct and charac- teristic odors), conditions that should require powerful correctives, are combined with an absolute dearth of opportunities to counteract these baneful factors. An analysis of the records kept in the school year 1913-1914 by Superintendent Dudgeon, of the absences of school children and the causes of their absence, reveals the fact that congested districts have a black story to tell compared to that of the sparsely settled districts. The Randall school district, with an enrollment of 387 children, reports only 14 cases of contagious disease, or 3-7 r r of the enrollment, who were absent 1 1 1 days, or .3 of a day per child enrolled; while the Washington school district, in the heart of town, with an enrollment of 423, records 102 contagious cases, or 24% of the enrollment — more than six times the proportion in the Randall district; the Longfellow school, in the ninth ward, has suffered heavily from conta- gious diseases, 163, or 39% of the total enrollment of 410 pupils, being absent 1195 days, or 3 days per pupil — ten times as much as the Randall district; the Hawthorne school reports 152 cases of contagious disease out of an enrollment cf 614, or 20%, absent 15 17 days, or 2.5 days per pupil. Of course, in the case of the Hawthorne and Longfellow districts, other powerful factors, such as poor housing, and low- health ideals, are active, but it is in precisely such an environment that the antidote of vigorous outdoor play is imperatively needed. The Washington school shows a total of 2,867 days of absence from school, average 6.8 days per pupil; the Haw- thorne school records 3831 days, average 6.2 days; the Longfellow school 2,767 days, average 6.8 days; while the Randall school records only 1244 days, average 3.2 days, and the Marquette school 11 70 days, average 3.8 days per pupil. 92 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE RESULTS OF THE NEGLECT OF PLAY AND RECREATION C. — Mortality of the City of Madison for Year 1914 If in comparing a number of cities of the same size in various parts of the coun- try it is found that the death rate of a small number of cities is double that of the others, one may well suspect that the former cities are unhealthful and contain con- ditions detrimental to the health of their inhabitants. Similarly, if certain sectic ns or wards of a city show a high death rate, we may suspect that these sections of the city are harmful to the health of its inhabitants, owing, naturally, to a number of conditions, to poor sanitation, to crowded housing, to poverty, to exhausting and dangerous kinds of labor, to ignorance of the laws of health, to lack of proper exer- cise and recreational facilities. But while lack of proper exercise and recreation is only one of the contributing causes, proper exercise and recreation can act as a powerful agent to counteract the actively pernicious conditions and can build up physical and intellectual vigor. In the year 1914 the record of the Madison Health Officer contains a list of 387 deaths occurring in the city, 46 of the people being from out of town, leaving 341 deaths of Madison people. Taking the estimated population of Madison as 28,13 1 > the death rate is 1 2. 1 per thousand, which neglects the total student population. Including the student population would cut down the death rate to 8.0 per thou- sand. The great ptegue spot is, of course, the ninth w?rd, the Italian district, where there were 65 deaths out of a' total population of 2682, 2.4% having died, or 24 per thousand. The ward having the next highest death rate is the third, which with a population of 1590, had 22 deaths, 1.4%, or 13.8 per thous. nd. The death rate of the ninth ward is about twice that of any other ward. The lowest death rates are found in the first ward, 5.8 per thousand, 1 deaths out of 1732; the fourth ward, 7.1 per thousand, 17 deaths out of 2407; the fifth ward, 9.4 per thousand, 36 deaths out of 3818. It is significant to note that any ward where crowded housing and a laboring class are present to a considerable degree show a higher death rate. The death rate of the third ward is 13.8 per thousand, of the second ward 12. 1, of the sixth ward 12.1 per thousand. The greatest number of deaths was that of people above 50 years of age, 147; Si of persons from 21 to 50 inclusive; 97 of those of 20 years and under; and 16 still born. The large number of still born and prematurely born children — 54 in all- points to an alarming condition of affairs. The infant mortality of the ninth ward was largest — n out of 2682 — and that of the sixth ward next — 19 out of 5619. Whatever may have been the immediately antecedent causes, no one can doubt that the physical stamina of the mothers had been undermined by overwork and lack of proper exercise. The lessening of the prevalence of disease and the lengt! ening of life of the people living in crowded quarters, the brightening of their monotonous lives, is a task of enormous proportions, and part of the work will be accomplished through providing proper recreational facilities. MADISON RICCREATIONAL SURVEY JUVENILE DELINQUENCY During approximately two and a half years, from October i. [912, to April 12, l 9 1 !)' 73 children were institutionalized by order of the municipal court of this city. Of these, 22 were either not residents of Madison or were of families having come to the city within a year. The remaining 5 1 were products of Madison. The average is more than 20 children per annum. Of the 40 boys, 17 were declared "incorri- gible," 12 were "dependent," 1 was "incompetent," 4 were committed for larceny, 3 for burglary, 1 for indecent liberties, and 2 were "neglected." Of the 3} girls, 15 were declared "incorrigible," 12 were "dependent," 3 were incompetent," i was charged with larceny, and 2 were "neglected." Among the causes attributed to these cases are the following: Bad home, lack of wholesome interests, bad companions, neglect. In every case the effective evil influence comes through the use of leisure time. The hereditary tendencies and frequently the home are beyond the reach of preventive influences, but we have had occasion to note repeatedly that it is not IN the bad home that the leisure time is spent. It is because of neglect and lack of proper training on the one hand, and, on the other, because of lack of wholesome interests and no lack of evil influences that delinquents are produced. It is those children who leave their homes who are in peril and who in some cases merely because of personal attachments or keen interests in life are misled. One of the most important functions of this study is, we believe, to point out methods of lessen- ing the bad influences and methods of fostering equally tangible manly and womanly good influences so as to decrease delinquency. There are many other delinquents whose names do not appear in the court rec- ords. Some of these perhaps should be institutionalized, but most of them, whose existence we cannot deny, are not criminals or dependent, but are those whose native force and ability has been decreased by means of unfortunate contact with life. These are equally important, if not more important, than the others. They> too, belong to the problem of delinquency. SHOWING RESIDENCE OF TOTAL JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. Totals Wards. OUT OF 1st 3 1 2d. 3d. 4th. 6th. 7th. 9th. Town. Totals 73 40 33 5 5 12 9 3 2 2 6 1 5 1 1 20 13 1 2 Boys 14 Girls 8 94 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND RECREATION IN MADISON By J. L. Gillin Conduct is the result of the interaction of personality and surrounding condi- tions. The conditions which surround a person are made up of physical environ- ment, meaning by that term the climate, topography, fauna and flora, but especially in this connection the housing, the sanitary condition of streets, yards, and houses, and the social environment, including institutions, persons, and influences flowing therefrom. The facts set forth in the preceding pages, facts gathered in a study made of juvenile delinquency in the city of Madison from September, 1912, to April, 1915, '•':•*; Conditions That Could Be Remedied at a Small Cost show that those wards which have the least opportunities for proper recreation fur- nish the most of the delinquents. The ninth ward stands out pre-eminent in this respect. In considering this fact, one must not forget that the ninth ward contains a large proportion of the foreign population of Madison, and that physically a part of it is made up of a large swamp where the physical environment is anything but helpful. A careful examination of the maps shows that the physical conditions affecting conduct in Madison consist of crowded districts without vacant lots, for example, along State street; or of swamp grounds covered with dump heaps and stagnant water where the physical conditions are not unlifting; or parts of the city where there is no crowding of the houses on the land, but where play facilities for the children are absolutely lacking; or finally, congestion within the houses, as in the Italian quarter of the ninth ward. If physical conditions can affect conduct, the frog ponds and refuse heaps that are to be found in the space south of the tracks in the ninth ward must have an in- MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 95 fluence. There can be no doubt that living in the midst of such conditions cannot be conducive to the highest civic and social ideals. How can we expect the children growing up there to have high personal or civic ideals, when their only playground is either the swamp, the dump heap, or the street ? No plot of green grass can grow in the tiny yards remaining uncovered by buildings; few flowers can bloom where children's feet must play; no moral or civic loveliness can spring up where the city dumps the refuse of its better sections. Overcrowding of lots is one of the most outstanding characteristics of those wards of Madison having an unusually large number of juvenile delinquents. The lots in the second and third wards are very greatly overcrowded. Moreover, when p. «$ C- This Environment Must Be Eliminated the swampy portions and the dump heaps are left out of account in the ninth ward, there is overcrowding of the lots, as many as three houses, a store, and a stable being located upon a single lot, leaving no space for garden, lawn, or playground. Moreover, the congestion in the houses is very high, as many as five families living in a three-story house. The congestion of the houses forces the children into the out-of-doors. There can be no home playgrounds in most of these places and thus the children are driven into the street. Furthermore, even were there spaces to play, there is no, or very little, direction. For example, the only playground in the ninth ward is at the Longfellow school and that is very inadequately equipped and entirely unsupervised aside from what little supervision the teachers can give during school hours. Many of the children, furthermore, live too far from the school. These sections of the city, however, only show in an extreme form condi- tions that prevail in almost all parts. There is small wonder, then, that ()2 C [ of the cases of delinquency resulted from the lack of proper recreation and play facilities. 96 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE These conditions ot the physical environment simply provide the setting for the problem. The child seeking a place to play finds it upon the street. There the bad social conditions make their influence felt upon him. The study shows that 65% of the cases of delinquency had bad home conditions and evil surroundings, and 57% the congestion of the houses, the lack of play spaces and of unsupervised play, either on the street or on vacant lots, allows the evil companions which are always to be found in crowded districts to exert their influences upon the children. What but evil can be expected to grow from a community where there is no attempt to provide good companionship for the children? What guidance are we providing for them in their leisure time? None. We do nothing for the parents to teach them social ways. We expect them unguided to bring up their children decently among sur- roundings from which we should 'flee ourselves. We allow them as many houses on the lot as they find profitable. We treat them with a neglect which is monumental in its stupidity. We provide no adequate help to their children and youth in the struggle to satisfy the normal passion for recreation. We are not providing these people with the proper social surroundings to inspire them to nobler living. The consequence is that the evil social influences have nothing to counteract them. Only the saloon, the pool hall, the unsupervised play on the dump and in the street are open to them in summer. Of constructive helpful leadership, there is very little. In the crowded parts of the city there is no inspiring constructive leadership in recreation. Again, without a doubt, bad homes and bad companions result from the lack of directed activity- Bad children are undirected or misdirected children. Children are full of energy and must have direction or they are likely to go in the wrong way. The only recreational facilities that are directed by the social spirit in each of these communities are the public schools — in the ninth ward the Lincoln House Associa- tion, which conducts activities chiefly on Sundays, and some effort on the part of individuals enlisted by the above agencies. Our social policy is one of Laissez- Fair '^-neglect. As well might we hope to see growing in those sunless and airless rooms fair flowers as strong children with healthy social sentiments and strong characters. No more can the human plant than the rose flourish in neglected soil and unfriendly surroundings. Light and air, space, grass, fields, decency, sanitary conditions, social opportunity, inspiring social personalities, and a decent chance at proper and well directed recreation must be supplied, would we see developed in Madison socially beautiful and useful boys and girls and noble citizens. CHAPTER X GENERAL CONCLUSIONS A study of the various sections of this survey shows that play or recreation occu- pies a great place in the life of the city. The time, effort and money put into it is enormous. Practically every social organization, as well as the individual and home, is involved in it. A very large percentage of the business section of the city and many outlying business places are directly or indirectly, wholly or partially, devoted to it, as is a large area of the whole city territory. Its influence is far reaching. Important Place of Play and Recreation in Life of Madison Summary of Conditions The conditions for play and recreation found are as favorable in general as they are in most cities the size of Madison and in many respects more wholesome than they are in many cities larger and smaller, where public opinion has not been organized to concerted effort to guide the demand or control the supply. The results on the whole are wholesome, though it must be admitted that "play-gone-wrong" to the limits of inefficiency, vice and delinquency is to be found. There is an enormous waste of energy in dissipating activities which would evidently be expended in more pleasurable and constructive activities if an opportunity, and especially the leader- ship, were afforded. These devitalizing activities counteract at least some of the very expensive efforts of the school and other social agencies. They accumulate a further expense on the side of charities and correction. This expense must be borne by those citizens who have it in their power to practically eliminate the destructive activities. The needs of Madison from the standpoint of a definite, constructive Summary program may be summarized under the headings of (i) Facilities for of Needs Play and Recreation, (2) Needs of Groups of People, (3) Agencies in the Organization of Play and Recreation. (1) Facilities for Play and Recreation The natural facilities of Madison for recreation are unsurpassed and they should be used more extensively. This larger use will require action by city agen- cies or an authorized body to make the facilities available for the masses. Large numbers of people do not realize the value of these facilities nor know how to use them. 8-R. S. 98 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE The map survey shows that while the space about most of the homes is wholesome, there are some difficult problems to be faced in the central part of the Need of city with reference to space; in the outlying districts the problem is Home Play simpler, but needs immediate attention. It is a large item in wise city planning. The longer it is neglected, the more complicated and expensive the solution. This problem is important enough to require a committee devoting a large share of its attention to it. The most conspicuous points concern the lack of facilities in Madison of: (i) The lack of adequate playgrounds and winter gymnasium for children. (2) The lack of athletic facilities, courts, and aquatic opportunities for the young Most men and women of the city. (3) The lack of available meeting Conspicuous places or organized use of such places for the more constructive use Needs of leisure time of young and mature men and women, such as social, literary, debating, musical, political club activities, etc. It is clear that these facilities can be supplied only by action on the part of the city or city wide agencies. (2) Needs by Groups of People Because of the profound significance of various classes of play in various environ- ments, on the social and physical development of the child, a special effort has been made all through this survey to get the facts concerning the play Children activities of children and play facilities and the efforts of agencies dealing with them. The study of children's activities in connection with the map survey shows that there is an enormous amount of play forced into the streets, even in Lack of well-to-do sections of the city, and in other cases into the worst of Playgrounds environmental conditions. There is no leadership or supervision of this play and there are no public playgrounds except Burr Jones Field and two park playgrounds and inadequate, unsupervised school playgrounds, where there is no attractive organization or play to draw the children from the streets to more wholesome activities and influences on the playgrounds. This is physically dangerous and a menace to morals. The study of commercial recreation shows that the large number Commercial of children are involved in passive amusements indoors during the Agencies for few hours free for outdoor, health-giving activities or when they Children should be in bed. This is bad from the standpoint of health, the educational efforts of the school, and general social habits or ideals. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 99 The study of environmental influences and a neglect of play show Environmental that some of this street and unsupervised play results disastrously. Influences even in delinquency, and supports the claim of many observers that most of the bad habits of children develop in play under bad influences. If the play of children is to be wholesome and generally developmental Needs of rather than inactive or detrimental, they must have wholesome places Children to play in, equipment, companionship, and at least a part of the time organized play and leadership. In so far as the home cannot supply these demands most of the time — and the larger number of homes cannot — public interest in the welfare of the rising generation demands that the play be centered in a community playground under proper supervision. The supreme need of children of Madison is playgrounds under trained directors. The recreational needs of the young men and women of the city requiring public attention are of three classes, all of which require places, organization and leader- ship. (1) They need athletic and aquatic activities, athletic organization and leadership. These activities are wholesome and increase efficiency Young Men rather than decrease it. (2) The young men and women need and Women facilities and organization for more wholesome social activities, such as dances. They need to be under the auspices of the best influences rather than the questionable, and it is just as easy to have the best as the question- able. (3) Young men and women need opportunities for, and direction in, the more constructive use of their leisure time. They need places for their club meetings that have a distinct educational value as well as organization and general leader- ship. Individual use of museums and libraries also needs organization. 1 he facilities for these activities are meager and an effective organization and leadership is totally lacking. The needs of adults in the way of activities and facilities are so complicated that it is almost impossible to summarize them. From the standpoint of public effort, the main points are provisions for the essentials in the way of facilities, organization, promotion and direction that cannot be supplied by individuals or small- Adults group initiative or enterprise. This requires a public body that can study and deal with these needs. There is still a great body of adult individuals, largely of the untrained, laboring classes, without recreational re- sources and unprovided for by any recreational agency except, perhaps, the saloon. These men are recreational outcasts; they seriously need a place where they can find clean opportunities for their toilet and bath and wisely organized recreation. The provision of organization is the way to a simple, constructive use of leisure time In at least some of the younger of these men; here is a demand for a new type of men's club, or a new type of organization of men who have no recreational resources. It is a need practically untouched by social agencies, yet one that must be faced frankly if these men are to gain or maintain any semblance of self-respect and not be a menace to democratic institutions. ioo MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE (3) Agencies The genera] conclusions concerning agencies providing recreation may be formulated under commercial recreation, private and social organizations, the public schools, the city, and, finally, a committee to undertake a constructive recreational program in Madison. Commercial enterprise supplies the usual recreational facilities in Madison. This .supply is as wholesome as could be expected with no organized public control or organized public leadership of the public demand. Providing recreation for profit is a legitimate business. So long as it does not undermine the Commercial physical health, the moral and social standards of citizens, espe- Agencies cially children, no public action can be taken against it. The wholesomeness of commercial recreation depends in part on the nature of the business, in part on the character of the man owning the business, in part on public demand, and in part on organized public control. To meet these various influences suggestions and recommendations are made in the body of the report, yet it must be noted that there is no authorized body in Madison at present to consider these suggestions and recommendations from the standpoint of the whole commercial life of the city. While, on the one hand, commercial recreation supplies facilities that would not be supplied by other agencies under the present condition of public opinion, for example, the theater, on the other hand, it would be the most shortsighted public policy to leave any great portion of the recreation of the people to these agencies. In the first place, they supply what pays, which does not cover all that the people need, and in the second place, the bias is always, and, naturally, on the side of standards that pay. Public welfare demands a larger viewpoint than this and an agency that considers recreation from the standpoint of the interests of the city. Private organizations use their own quarters and private associations, promoting special types of activities, are very important agencies, but they supply only those individuals able to support privately owned equipment. A long list of associations or clubs exists which cannot afford to support private quarters or equipment that, jointly, under public guidance, could and would support splendid Private, quarters and equipment. Without a public agency that estab- Philanthropic, lishes places and gives organizing leadership this force for public and Social good goes to waste. The church, while it is responsible directly Agencies or indirectly for a large, miscellaneous amount of recreation, has, in spite of the great moral influence of play and recreation, developed no general recreational program. The problem for the church is largely one of finances and the overlapping of recreational interests with other agencies. If there were a public agency, however, the church could be a powerful force in the organization of the recreation of its own constituency as well as in the direction of the play and recreation of the city. The problem is one of public facilities, co- operation, and a moral force and leadership. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 101 The school is the institution especially concerned with the education of children and more and more with the public welfare of children. As indicated all through this report, the play of children is a powerful social and, in a broad sense, educational influence. It is, therefore, clearly economy and good public policy to make the school the public play center for the children of a community in so far Schools as the children do not have the space, equipment, companionship, or leadership at home. There seems to be no escape from the logic of making the school the agency concerned with the public life of the child as well as its public formal education. The function of the school as a play center should be extended further to all children in the district not enrolled in the school in order that they may be brought under the influence of the school. Although there are several volunteer or private institutions concerned with some special phase of recreational activities, no general promoting or administrative organization exists in Madison covering the whole problem of the recreative life of the city. Such an organization, as indicated by the whole drift of this The City report and by the summary of needs and limitations in agencies con- tained in this summary, is essential if a constructive program of play and recreation is to be developed. To meet this need private and volunteer asso- ciations always give way ultimately to the city government, which is being com- pelled everywhere to deal with recreation as with education in a vital and con- structive manner. Public provision for recreation and its general organization and supervision is a settled principle, but that does not mean a detailed financial support of all recrea- tion. A detailed financial support of all recreation of all the people would bankrupt any city. The provision of facilities or making available facilities that may be used by many groups of people is an essential public function, but what is most urgently needed and most practical just now is a public body authorized to promote and give a general leadership to the masses of the people not organizing and supporting their own recreation. Democracy demands self-respecting independence as well as public places and public leadership. Madison as a municipality is now supplying and supporting directly or through the Park and Pleasure Drive Association and the Garden Association many facilities and some activities. The time has come for the creation of a Park Board with larger powers and a Recreation Committee concerned essentially with the organi- zation of play and recreation. This Play and Recreation Committee, when organ- ized, will need to co-operate frequently with the Park Board in creating facilities and with the Board of Education in directing activities, especially the activities of children. io2 MADISON BOARD OF COMMERCE COMMITTEE In order that this survey may become of immediate practical value and serve as a basis for permanent constructive effort, we recommend the appointment of a committee to be called "The Madison Central Play and Recreation Committee" to serve until such time as the city government is authorized by statute to appoint a permanent committee or commission. We recommend that this committee shall be organized as follows: 1. That it shall be appointed under the initiation and control of the Madison Board of Commerce, but with the co-operating approval of the City Park, School, Church and Charity officials to the end of securing the co-operation of all agencies with the committee and establishing the tradition of fitness for service in the recrea- tive life of the city. 2. That it shall be composed of five members to act as a body on all questions of policy and procedure and to act individually as representatives of the interests of the whole city in the promotion, organization and administration of the following groups of activities and facilities: (a) Physical Culture and Outing Activities. Including gymnastics, athletics, aquatics, tramping, etc., and facilities or organizations for such activities; the regulation of commercial sporting exhibits. (b) Social Center Activities. Including community and club activities, entertainments, dances, discus- sions, etc., and places and organizations for such activities; the regulation of commercial social activities and loafing places. (c) Musical Activities. Including public musical entertainments, musical clubs, etc., and com- mercial entertainments. (d) Dramatics, Pageants and Special Celebrations. Including club dramatics, community or city pageants, celebrations of holidays; and the regulation of theaters, movies, etc. (e) Individual and Domestic (Home, Family) Recreation. Including home gardening, handicrafts, music, reading, fine arts, games, amusements, social events, outings, family use of galleries, museums, libraries, etc. MADISON RECREATIONAL SURVEY 103 3. That it shall have the following functions: (a) To sit perpetually as the central promoting, co-ordinating, legislative and, when necessary, administrative and judicial body on play and recreation in Madison with the object of securing a wholesome play program and con- structive use of leisure time for the city as a whole and for all classes of people in all the various sections of the city. (b) To act as a co-ordinating body in bringing together such city officials and representatives of institutions, organizations and business, necessary to solve large recreational problems, initiate movements, or establish policies of wide influence. (For example, consider problems of commercial recrea- tion. (c) To promote the establishment of play and recreational facilities and the organization of the use of those facilities under trained leadership. (For example, city gymnasiums and natatonum.) (d) To create associations and foster existing associations that extend the influ- ence of various classes of recreational activities to large numbers of people. (For example, boys' and girls' athletic league; business men's tramping clubs, art associations, etc.) (e) To promote an organization for the use of facilities that will produce among the adults a democratic self-initiation and self-support in their recreation, independent of public support. (For example, club or association use of schoolhouses, etc.) (f) To organize or promote the organization of groups which have no organiza- tion, adequate facilities or wholesome activities. (For example, news boys or street boys.) (g) To advertise and promote the use of the wholesome recreational facilities of the city and its environment so that all classes may know its recreational resources and be able to use them. (h) To act as a "clearing house" to aid existing agencies in their recreational efforts and secure co-operation among these agencies where possible. RETURN TO the circulation desk ot any University of California Library or to the NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY Bldg. 400, Richmond Field Station University of California Richmond, CA 94804-4698 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS • 2-month loans may be renewed by calling (510)642-6753 • 1-year loans may be recharged by bringing books to NRLF • Renewals and recharges may be made 4 days prior to due date. DUE AS STAMPED BELOW AUG ft W98 RETURNED AUG 1 9 1997 SrTnfp Cruz Jitnev FEB 1 2006 12,000(11/95) L f D 3279»l0) 476B University YD 06461',