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Show PI AVPDflllUilQ C00" rLAlbKuUnUo rUif 'f At thj? j high school grounds at S o"dopk Vednepdayv evening, Dr. Qjir-(tis, Qjir-(tis, -' whpMs ;tour(ing . the state under the auspices of the Library-Gymnasium commission, will de- Hve(vnjtree Hteredptloon loctiire on tue subject of'f'laygrounds for Children." The parents, and especially the educators edu-cators of Ogden, are earnestly requested request-ed to be present at this, meeting. Superintendent John M. Mills of the city schools has arranged the meeting and assures tho public that Dr. Curtis Cur-tis has something of vital Interest to relate. According to the arguments of tho doctor, what Is often known as juvenile ju-venile delinquency in cities is merely the doing of natural thlnga under unnatural un-natural conditions. He says that It Is the streot play which the law forbids. It Is the surplus sur-plus energy which leads the boy into mischief. It is tho lov of adventure which prompts him to run a race with a cop or some one of tho half-dozen other craving's of boy nature which are unsatisfied. A few years ago the Sage foundation founda-tion appropriated $10,000 Cor the study of juvenile delinquency In the city of Chicago. The Investigating committee took a groat wall map of the city and put a pin in the map for every child that had been arrested In the previous eight years, and studied the relationship of arrests to the different dif-ferent areas of the city. They found that there had been a decrease of 2S per cent in the number of children arrested ar-rested over an area of one mile in diameter about the small park playgrounds, play-grounds, and that there had been an Increase In successful dealing with children who had been placed on probation pro-bation amounting to 32 per cent over the same area, showing that there had been a practical increase In successful success-ful dealing with delinquency amounting amount-ing to 60 per cent over this same area about the playgrounds. No other city has studied playgound conditions with equal care, yet there Is a growing consensus con-sensus of opinion that the number of nrrests of children practically doubles as soon as the schools close and the children are turned out upon the street. The percentage falls again as soon as playgrounds are opened in any quarter. Dr. Curtis is of the opinion that the woll conducted playground Is the most effective rival of the saloon, beoause it furnishes another place to go because be-cause its interests are plainly superior to those of less healthful diversions, and becauso the boy who takes part in any form of organized athletlcB soon learns that he must abstain from drinking if ho would be successful The doctor says that It does not signify sig-nify much that we "keep the children away from bad institutions if their minds are still dwelling on these things." In the organized rhiv of the playground, where the contests of today to-day lead on to the contests of tomorrow, tomor-row, the Interest grows intense and becomes one Of the Influences that hold a bov's thoughts and prevent them from dwelling on morbid fancies On the other hand, unorganized play on the vacant lots does not have this power over the bow because It has no future. "The scrub game which Is phyetl does not lead to further games, and there Is no reason why he should caro particularly whether the team of which he happens to be a member this afternoon is successful or not." Dr. Curtis' contention that "the boy without a playground Is father to tho man without a job," and that the man who 5s unwilling to work "finds it necessary to make his living in some easier way. which can only be through begging, gambling, stealing or some other illegitimate method." also that "when a city passes ordinances forbidding for-bidding the children to plav vigorous games on the street without making provision, for such play elsewhere Is conducting a school of crime." While these assertions may seem extreme to many, yet we have "well grounded apprehension ap-prehension that they convey a great and actual fact. The doctor's assertion asser-tion is a strong and just view of tho condition In manv places which may be nearer home than most people are willing to believe. It is proverbial that In the moment of idleness "boys learn to shoot craps, to smoke cigarettes, cigar-ettes, to tell smutty stories, to plan questionable adventures, and to do nearlv all of the things which you would have children avoid " Tho devil not merely finds things for idle hands to do, but thoughts for evil minds to think, and idle words for Idle tongues to say, so that the habits of idleness formed in youth grow naturally In the adult, into all that series of misdemeanors misde-meanors attendant upon confirmed tendencies toward street loafing. It will be upon such subjects as these that Dr. Curtis will talk to the parents and educators of this city on Wednesday night, and the meeting is sure to be a very interesting one nn |