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better playground facilities and succeeded in getting the boys into the work, with the

result, according to police records, of an 85% drop in delinquency caseso

When project workers opened their campaisn in Miles Park, a municipal recreation

center of Huntington Park, in July, 1933, the average daily attendance was around 35

small children. By the first week of September of the same year their activities re-

sulted in an increased daily attendance everaging 600 boys and girls of all ages, not

to mention the fact that approximately 250 men were cavorting daily in baseball, horse-

shoes, chess and othar activities.

Aside from this statistical array, there is a higher and a more tangible record of

accomplisbmento It concerns itself with the raising of community and family morale, a

strengthening of family ties through mutual interests and activities, and a brighter and

more hopeful outlook upon life. All of these problems related definitely to an emergency

of near crisis proportionso So well was the work done that the real crisis was swiftly

passed. Then followed the phase of reconstruction requiring a continuing though diminish-

ing service. To continue the program, essentially an emergency one, beyond this phase

as a function and responsibility of Federal government, even as an unemployment relief

expedient, has raised the question in maey places as to the proper time for returning the

responsibility to the local governmental agencies and political subdivisions where it

normally reatso Beyond its fulfilling the purpose for which it was created, it has been

pointed out that the undue prolongation as a Federal administration resposibility of even

so splendid a service es this has proven to be, will lead to failure on the part of local

government to conduct one of it most important and valuable functions - one of which it

should be particularly jealous - organized recreation.