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"Is essential," both indoors WIN Nearly Everybody In Winnetka Reads The Talk VOL. VIII, NO. 47. WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1920 TEN PAGES PRICE FIVE CENTS SAYS PLAYGROUNDS ARE INDISPENSABLE Harry P. Clarke Claims Playgrounds Are a Necessary Part of Up-to- date School Systems; Four for each 1000 Pupils "FLU" CASES SHOW BIG IMPROVEMENT Thirty-one New Cases Reported dur- ing the past Week Shows a Big Decline over the Previous Week GAMES OF SKILL FIRST Team Play Teaches Courage, Re- sponsibility and Co-operative Efforts The need for ample play space for the Winnetka Public schools has be- come a live issue in conection with the campaign for a new building. Supervisor of playgrounds, Harry P. Clarke, has therefore submitted his views upon this subject based on years of study and experience: By Harry P. Clarke Directed play and games are -in- dispensable parts of an up-to-date school system. The great majority of educvational and medical author- ities on child life are urging that more time and space be devoted to both. Between the ages of 9 and 15 years there is an increased growth of heart and lungs. From 12 to 13 'there 1s an accelerated growth of association fibers in the nervous sytem. The pre- dominant need during these years is for exercises and games that de- velop endurance, skill and ling ca- pacity. For this purpcse. especially during the years from eleven on, ball games and complicated competitive games requiring skill and endurance rank first. Teain Plays Valuable One of the most tions of a { responsibilty and co-operative 5 cial efforts. On a playground of suffi- cient size outh teaching is put 1mto actual practice through the playing of baseball, soccer ball and other games that dena "ream" play and the subordination and sacrifice oi self. For such games ample play space 5 and .out- doors. At present Wwe have not enough space, and as th2 school po- pulation increases this lack will be- come more and more pronounced. Of our three schools Greeley is the only one that has anything approach- ing sufficiency. During inclement weather, however, there are ne rooms available except the base- ments; clean of course, but poorly lighted and ventilated. Unsatistac- tory as they are conditions at Gree- ley are ideal when compared to Sko- kie and Horace Mann. Neither of these schools has an indoor play- room of any description. As to outdoor play space, it is fair- ly adequate at Skokie, yet not large enough for the best type of "team games. But al Horac2 Mann! Picture 110 7th and 8th grade pupils on the plot termed by courtesy a play ground. Fifty big boys, just "wild to decote their energies to soccer, baseball, etc. "cribbed, cabined and confined' like squirels in a cage. Need Four Acres for 1000 Pupils How much outdoor play space should an elementary school have? The maximum obtainable. Not only should there be at least two acres for school gardens and one acre for a permanent skating pond, to be used by the general public outside of school hours, but for lower grade pupils there should be not less than four acres of actual play space for each 1000 pupils. For the upper grades there should be twelve acres of school grounds for a 1000 pupils. The best studies along these lines are by Superintendent Stoops of Jo- liet and by Rapier in his book "Edu- cational Hygiene." They both main- tain that these standards are the very minimum and are absolutely neces- sary in order to meet the problem of competitive track and field sports, baseball, football and other games. 1f our school population continues to increase during the next decade as it has during the years from 1912 to 1920 (practically 100 per cent), one can readily see that even the 12- acre site on West Flim stret will be no morc than sufficient. Fi~v-e It Out for Yourself We now have over a thousand pupils. Within six years, at the present rate of growth, we shall have two thousand. We have much less space than we need for our present enrollment at Horace Mann, and barely enough at Skokie and Greeley. As additions are built to Skokie and Greeley the number of children will increase and the play Figu~~ it out. important func- | school is to teach courage, | 50- | football, voliey- | demand | MEASLES ON THE INCREASE Show "Flu" was Not Mild Form As First Reported Although the number of new cases of influenza seems to be on the de- cline during the past week, Health Commissioner Schneider warns that extreme care shrould be exercised during this period. Thirty-one new cases were reported for the week ending Thursday night as compared with seventy-six cases for the pre- ceeding week. During the entire epidemic a total of 198 cases have been reported. Total for Week Improves The new cases reported to the Health department in the past week follows: January 300 «csv ua inne esas 2 Janaary 310. ce io oe 4 February 10 cain ine sies 2 February 2 "nico oii divers 2 February 3 hve. oii se tontomiisnts nat) February di oe. ini da, 7 Febuary 5 coi bidna siseenis 11 Two more deaths during the past week brings the total to four for the period. Eighteen new cases of measles and one case each of scarlet fever, diph- theria and chicken pox developed during the past week. ; "In the epidemic of a year ago," | says Dr. Schneider, "there were a to- tal of twelve deaths in the 1112 cases { of influenza reported. Up to the | present time we have had four deaths | out of a total of only 198 cases re- | ported. "This epidemic is by no means a | mild type of disease, as is evidenced |by the fact that we are now having {about two deaths per hundred cases Ireported as compared with only one tdeath 'per-hundred-eases. a year. ago. "Although the epidemic is abating the public should be warned that un- less the utmost precaution is contin- ued until the disease is entirely stamped out we may yet experience a far worse siege than the one through which we have just passed. Ordinary Cold Contagious "During the prevalence of this epi- demic all persons with symptoms of a cold should remain at home. Under no circumstances are children per- mitted to attend school if they show even slight symptoms of an ordinary cold, and this restriction also applies with equal force to all pupils attend- ing the high school, private schools and Sunday schools. « Tt should also be distinctly under- stood that no pupils or teachers are permitted to attend school if they live in a house where there is in- fluenza, measles or any other con- tagious disease." SCOUT TROOP HOLDS KNOT-TYING CONTEST Cabray Wortley Wins First Honors with Robert Hall and Hilden An- derson Second and Third On Thursday evening, January 29, Boy Scout Troop No. 1 of Winnetka held a knot-tying contest open to all members. The contest was for speed and accuracy. Merits were given to all who excelled. These merits counted for the individuals as well as for the patrol. All the standard Scout knots were tied. No merits were given unless the knots were tied correctly within a certain time. Those who finished first received extra credit. The following ones ex- celled: Cabray Wortley, 1st, 21 merits. Robert Hall, 2nd, 14 merits. Holden Anderson, 3rd, 7 merits. The results for the patrols were: Panther patrol, first; Lion Patrol, second; Black- hawk patrol, third. COMMUNITY HOUSE MOVIES Next Friday's Community House movies will feature Bryant Wash- burn in "Something to Do." space will decrease. There will probably be enough room for the lower grade pupils; but for the up- per grades the full twelve acres of the new upper-grade school site will be absolutely necesary for the prop- er physical and moral education of Winnetka's children. Playfield Association to Elect New Officers Golfers to Hold Annual Election of Officers on March 2; Name Nom- inating Committee 'At a meeting of the Executive | committee of the Winnetka Playfield | association, held on January 30, T. | G. Rockwell, 647 Lincoln avenue, was Two Deaths in Every Hundred Cases |appointed chairman of the Nominat- ing committee. | The other members of the com- mittee are: E. S. Rogers, Willow and Chestnut streets. E. C. Weissenberg, 813 Elm street. George B. Calkins, 373 Elder lane. E. E. Brown, 943 Oak street. G. Burnham, 519 Cedar street. O. J. Netterstrom, 799 Foxdale street. In accordance with the constitiition and by-laws of the association, the nominating committee must report and publish its nominees for officers and directors ten days before the an- be held on March 2. The following officers are to be elected. The Pres- ident, Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer to serve for one year and three Directors to serve for two years. The present officers are as follows: Wallace D. Rumsey, President. Charles J. Eastman, Vice-president Alired V. Hortsman, Secretary. Max K. Meyer, Treasurer. The outgoing directors are: B. W. Blow. A. B. McDougall and John Ritchie. Directors who hold over for an- other year are: Mrs. H. H. Barnum, Darrell S. Boyd and Fred T. Richard- son, Jr. The by-laws of the association pro- vide that after the selections of the nominating committee have beenpost- ed, any other group of at least ten members of the association may place alternative candidates in nom- ination, to be acted on at the an- nual meeting -if so desired. Protest Against Attack On the Justice Courts New Trier Commercial Association To Hear Defense of the Neigh- berhood Court A protest against the threatened action of the Constitutional Conven- tion to abolish courts of the justice of the peace is to be voiced Wednes- day night in a meeting of the New Trier Commercial association in Lib- rary Hall, Wilmette. Amos Miler of Kenilworth, dele- gate from this district to the conven- tion now in session in Springfield. will be there to talk in defense of the justice courts. H. B. Gates, district manager of the Chicago Telephone company, who is president of the Commercial asso- ciation, will preside at the meeting. Other matters will come before the club for their attention. NEW VILLAGE ORDINANCE PROHIBIT OBNOXIOUS SMOKE Soft Coal Users Must Have a Care or Dr. Schneider Will Be on Their Trail In the future it will not be "Watch Your Step," it will be "Watch Your Smoke." At the meeting of the Vil- lage Board of Trustees Tuesday night an ordinance was introduced which prohibits the emision of dense smoke from the smokestack or chimney of any building or premises. The new ordinance also includes locomotives, stationery engines, steam rollers and 'tar kettles. In most cases an allowance will be made to those who have a large sup- ply of soft coal on hand, but you had better take a tip and buy hard coal next winter. Following Dr. Robert- son's example we may expect to see Dr. Schneider on top of the Meyer building with a telescope looking for violators. ------ee FRANK FLOYD RESIGNS Frank Floyd, who has been the in- structor in manual training in the Winnetka public schools for more than a year, has resigned. Mr. Floyd has accepted a position in the Lake View high school in Chicago. WATCH WINNETKA GROW Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bartz an- nounce the birth of a son at the Ev- anston hospital early this week. nual meeting and election, which will | BOARD CAN'T AFFORD | CELEBRATE "SKOKIE EIGHT-GRADE SCHOOLS President Bell Claims Cost for Three | Eight Grade Schools Would Be Stand More than People Would | FAVORS CENTRALIZATION VON HOFSTEN'S EXHIBIT DAY NEXT WEDNESDAY Plan Two Big Meetings To Stimulate Local Interest in the Value of the Skokie; Oppose Encroachment of Factories No Intention of Changing Original; ..) Artists Will Exhibit Many Greeley School Plan for Four Grades Replying to a letter from J. E. Lutz in last weelds issue of the Talk President Laird Bell of the School Board says Winnetka can have three schools with eight grades providing the people are willing and able to pay the bill. But he believes that the departmental idea centralized in one school is best. The letter fol- lows: To the Editor, Winnetka Weekly Talk. The School Board is glad to have a frank discussion of the question raised in the letter of Mr. Lutz in the last issue -of the Talk. Some of the points raised have already been discussed, but I trust we will not be imposing on your courtesy in going over some of the ground again. We can undoubtedly have three schools with eight grades each, if we are willing and able to pay for it. Paying for it means three things: first, the cost of complete new heat- ing plants at each school; this would Ie much more expensive than a single building. Second, additional teaching forces for departmental in- struction in all three schools, or the abandonment of the advanatges of such instruction. And thirdly, addi- tional ground at each school, or the practical abolition of playground space at each of them. Board Cannot Afford It As to the additional expenses, the Board cannot afford it. As to the departmental instruction and play- oround work, the Board feels it its duty to provide for each if it isin any way possible. From the best advice we have been able to get we are convinced that the central school for upper grades is the best pratic- able way to secure these advantages at minimum expense. Some confusion has resulted from the use of the term Junior High school. That term is used for the kind of centralized upper grade school which we desire to organize. Tt is not intended to take away any of the functions of the regular High school. This idea of a central school has been discussed with the New Trier High school authorities and has their approval. i No Chance at Greeley School 1 understand Mr. Lutz to complain that the present board has reversed the Greeley school would always be used for the first four grades an that the present board has reversed that program. There is no intention of changing that plan. The Greeley school wil be used for the first four grades, and one or two more; it will be enlarged if those grades require more room. ; We would conceivably put the eight grades into the Greeley school alone, after making the necessary additions to the building and cutting down the playground. But we would then face this dilemma. If we were to provide departmental instruction for the up- per grades in this separate school, we should have to incur a dispropor- tionate expense for this school to the prejudice of the others. On the other hand, we could not ask this part of the village to do without such in- struction. We know that it does not want its children to have less op- portunities than the best we are able to give anywhere. We would not have the right to provide less. We have therefore tried to achieve the greatest good for the greatest num- ber. We trust that open-minde study of the situation will convince everyone with the good of the en- tire village at heart that the propos- ed central upper grade school is the best available solution of a problem that is undoubtedly full of difficulties. Very truly yours, Taird Bell, President of Board of Education. RE ZT "MIKE" IS ON SICK REPORT "Mike" Weber, the handsome editor of the Winnetka Weekly Talk, has been confined to his home this week with a bad cold. "Oh for the good old days," says he, "when a man could get the right kind of medicine for a cold like this." He is expected back on the job next week. Famous Paintings of the Skokie and Vicinity 'Skokie Day" will be celebrated next Wednesday, February 11, by two big meetings at the Community House. In the afternoon at 2:30 o'clock the Boy Scouts will be the guests while in the evening at 8 o'clock, the adults will be welcomed. The purpose of the meetings will be to awaken everyone to the value of the Skokie. It has been rumored that a large manufacturing firm has purchased a site on the Skokie and intents to erect a factory building. It is hoped to create strong public sentiment which will oppose this en- croachment of factories in the Sko- kie. Exhibit of Skokie Paintings The exhibit of Skokie paintings will be made by Hugo von Hofsten, noted Winnetka artist, and president of the society "The Painters of the Forest Preserve of Cook County." A talk on the birds and animal life on the Skokie will be given by Professor Jesse L. Smith, secretary of the Audubon society. Civic Organizations Represented Members of the Hubbard Woods Protective association will disquss the future of residence property bor- dering on the skokie. Members of the Winnetka Plan Commission and the Winnetka Park Board will also speak. Mr. von Hofsten's exhibit was re- cently shown to the Commissioners of the Cook County Forest Preserve. Tt differs from most exhibits in that no terms known to the artistic world alone are used. There is nothing about perspective or mezzo tints or chiaroscuro or the school of the ar- tist, Hugo von Hofsten. oi ? The group of water colors was done along the Chicago river in the Sko- kie region, not far from Mr. von Hofsten's home. For fourteen years the artist has spent much of his time in winter and summer and during the flood time of the spring in the "big wet prairie." "If old man Corot had lived in Chi- cago he would have found just as in- teresting things to paint in the for- est preserves as he found among the drooping willows of Fontainbleau forest," said the artist. "He did his landscapes near Paris because he liv- ed in Paris, and he found the beauty there. The waving grass of the Sko- kie, the still pools and swift streams, the willows and the big trees that watched the Indians in ther dances are as lovely and as untouched as Fontainbleau forest was when Corot painted it." One of Mr. von Hofsten's water colors shows spring in all its glory, fresh greens and the yellow of daffo- dils. a dazzling strip of water and dreamy clouds. Another is in a blu- ish tone, showing the moonlight of a late winter 'afternoon flickering on the snow, and the light of a tiny cottage in the distance. Others give the red-brown grasses of fall, or the placid water of still pools, or thé morning reflection of trees in the flowing water of the Des Plaines. ----------eet WILL CONFER ON PLAN TO ANNEX WEST KENILWORTH The question of the annexation of West Kenilworth to Winnetka was discussed at the meeting of the Board of Trustees Tuesday night. The ter- ritory comprises the district north of Kenilworth avenue to Winnetka avenue and east of Ridge avenue to the Northwestern railroad. Trustee Wallace was instructed to confer with Mr. Young of Kenil- worth on the subject. es WILL PURCHASE NEW HOSE This is not a haberdashery story. Village President Miller has been authorized to purchase five hundred feet of new double jacketed fire hose. Tt seems that the old hose won't stand up under the pressure created by the new fire truck. The price is That's about on with the ones that Schell, Zick and Dethloff are selling fifty cents a foot. a par though for a dollar a pair. ER NETKA WEEKLY TALK I