Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/170

 152 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

In addition to the playgrounds; there was opened at the Foster School in the Jewish quarter a playroom with a trained kindergartner in charge. This proved to be altogether too popular. It was continually taxed beyond the capacity of the young woman, several, rather than one, being necessary. How- ever, various indoor games were used, and, if the janitor of the building had done his duty, the room would have been a great success, even with inadequate equipment. This experiment was financed by a small private gift and indicated a most urgent need, but to meet which both funds and skill are necessary.

The experience of these two months in municipal play- grounds suggests three questions : ( i ) What have been the difficulties? (2) What has been the success? (3) What of the future ?

I. Difficulties. — In the seven school buildings used five jani- tors were most obliging, exhibiting sympathetic interest in the work, but two seriously hindered the success of the playgrounds by their antagonism. The discipline of the school system is rather lax in the summer time, and the official in charge was deaf to all the appeals of the committee. Although the school board and Superintendent Lane were most courteous and granted all the necessary privileges, it is apparent that the use of the school yards as playgrounds implies the education of school officials and a reorganization of the janitor service. The only duties of the janitor were the usual care of the buildings and grounds and the extra duty of general superintendence of the property, and the cleaning of the room used in rainy weather, and the toilet rooms. For this he received, in addition to his salary, a considerable fee from the playground committee, but — to mention only one grievance — always in the case of one ground, and sometimes in others, it was impossible to have the use of the yards Saturday afternoons, a serious inconvenience, as can readily be imagined. A fundamental difficulty, of course, is the total lack of yards in connection with some schools and inadequate space in other yards. It is still possible in Chicago to provide all schools with adequate

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